Ridge Family Visits Grumbine Farm, Talks Agriculture
MYERSTOWN (Lebanon Co.)
Republican gubernatorial can
didate, Tom Ridge, spent this
morning having breakfast with
area farmers, seeing newborn
livestock, and touring com and
soybean fields on the back of a
tractor. Ridge, who spent Monday
night with his family at the Myer
stown farm of Dennis Grumbine,
is on a four-day, eleven-city tour
of the state “to let Pennsylanians
get to know me. and let me get to
know Pennsylvanias even better.”
Grumbine, who is Chairman of
the Farmers for Ridge Coalition,
asked local farmers and agribusi
ness leaders to his farm this morn
ing so that they could discuss their
concerns with Ridge and meet the
man “best qualified and most will
ing to listen when it comes to the
concerns of the state’s agricultural
industry and rural communities.”
Part of a broader Agricultural
Coalition for Ridge, the Fanners
Coalition was the first slate-wide
coalition formed by Ridge. Don
Cook, from Bucks Co. and Mike
Brubaker, from Lancaster Co. are
working for agri business support
Ridge’s 7:30 a.m. breakfast
included a broad discussion of
agricultural issues including the
need for Pennsylvania’s next Gdv
enor to actively promote the
state’s agricultural products.
“I can assure you that I plan to
be the Governor that will market
our agricultural products in mark
ets here and abroad. A strong and
well-staffed Department of Agri
culture, support for research into
new markets and exporting our
products to overseas markets are
all part of my plan to bolster this
$4O billion industry,” Ridge said
this morning.
Citing the fact that the state's
number one industry makes up
less than five percent of the state’s
exports, Ridge said he plans to
improve export development for
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Earlier this year, he proposed a
comprehensive “Keystone Export
Strategy," which includes mea
sures to provide technical and
financial expertise to businesses
and individuals looking to export.
Ridge also plans to be the Gover
nor that engages in a number of
overseas-trade missions to prom
ote Pennsylvania and its products
to foreign governments and
companies.
“All Pennsylvania jobs agri
cultural, industrial and small busi
ness alike are going to'increas
ingly depend on Pennsylvania’s
ability to successfully compete
among the 49 other states and in
emerging global markets," Ridge
told die group gathered for break
fast, “Pennsylvania’s economic
prosperity lies in our farmers and
industries having the tools and
leadership they need to compete.”
hi addition, Ridge discussed the
importance of having a Governor
who understands the challenges
today’s farmers face, from soil
conservation and pesticide use .to
the delays often caused by dealing
with the State Department of
Environmental Resources. Ridge
said he “plans to be that
Governor.”
Ridge is calling for a com
prehensive overhaul of the
Department of Environmental
Resources to streamline the per
mitting process, improve the
responsiveness of the agency and
end the adversarial relationship
that DER has engendered with the
public. Specifically, Ridge’s plan
calls for the creation of an office
td work exclusively with the regu
lated community to improve
understanding of and compliance
with environmental regulations.
Ridge’s plan would also elevate
the Bureaus of State Parks and
Forestry to a cabinet-level
department.
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Tom Ridge with children Leeley and Tommy, center, learn about livestock farming
from Dennis Grumbine, left. At the halter of the Lebanon Fair champion sheep is P. J.
Bouer, and Kristen Hotter shows her prize winning yearling Holstein.
Barbara and Dennis Grumbine, introduce the Tom Ridge family, Michele, Tom,
Lesley, 7, and Tommy, 6, at a press conference on the farm, Tuesday morning. Ridge
is an early Republican gubernatorial candidate for 1994 and has promised strong sup
port for agriculture if elected.
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• November 18, on Bri
an and Brenda Moyer’s
farm in Montgomery
County, will be the last,
pasture walk the season.
This walk will feature late
fall early winter grazing. A
no-till seeding of turnips
into tall fescue will be
grazed. The late July seed
ing looks excellent Brian
and Brenda are on their
third year of grazing with
36 cows.
For more information
about the walks and direc
tions to the farms contact
Tim Fritz, Montgomery
Co.. (215) 489-4315;
Clyde Myers in Berks Co.
at (215) 378-1327; or Dave
Dunbar in Lehigh Co. at
(215)391-9840.