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Vol. 39 No. 24
Agriculture Fights Back On False Claims About Food, Production
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) In an attempt to combat
Brenda Shambaugh, legislative director and Gordon Hill
er, Pennsylvania State Grange president, headed legisla
tive activities at Grange Day on Monday in Harrisburg.
Family, Future Is Farming;
Farming Is Management
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
KLEINFELTERSVILLE
(Lebanon Co.) On Tuesday
afternoon, all the cows in Nelson
and Susan Sensenig’s 92-tie stall
dairy bam were lying down on
clean, dry bedding, chewing cud,
except for two animals
standing one was eating and
the other drinking water.
The center aisle also was clean.
His cows just laid there on
beds designed using the latest
information on cow comfort for
stall and bed design making
milk.
Six, 48-inch fans were tunneling
air down through the bam. The
ceramic tile manger, or feed bunk,
still had some of the tested, care
fully balanced totally mixed ration
left in front of every cow.
No swollen hocks, no bad feet,
no obvious risks of environmental
mastitis.
Last year, the rolling herd aver
age for the Sensenigs was more
than 30,000 pounds of milk, for
many reasons.
It dropped since then, but slight
ly. A herd reproductive problem
related to a feeding problem, since
resolved, curtailed having flesh
rows in recent months, which con
tinues to hurt production and
income.
As of this week, theherd aver
*ged more than 29,000 pounds of
01619 P. W 9
W&KW MW ® BI,V
604 Per Copy
Anti-Disparagement Bill Announced At State Grange Meeting
the unfounded claims made against
food by activists. State Representa
tive Sheila Miller (R-Berks)
announced here Monday that she
milk with a 4 percent butterfat test.
The Sensenigs ship milk once a
day to their cooperative, Atlantic
Dairy. Cooperative.
.* (Turn to Pago A 22)
Nelson Sensenig holds the halter of one of his Holsteins
that have given him a rolling herd average of close to 30,000
pounds of milk. His nutritionist says the herd average could
be up to 35*000 pounds In several years. Susan Sensenig
sits at the picnic table with the baby, Darren, Marla In front,
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 23, 1994
has introduced a Pennsylvania
anti-disparagement bill into the
State General Assembly. Miller
used the support of die State
Grange to introduce the legislation
to the farm community at a work
ing press luncheon during Grange
Week legislative day activities.
The bill will provide a means for
farmers, aquaculturalists, produc
ers, marketers or sellers of perish
Reading Terminal
Market Needs
Farmers’ Produce
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
PHILADELPHIA Regional
produce farmers who are thinking
about direct-marketing fresh fruit
and vegetables, take heed your
product is in high demand.
The Reading Terminal Farmers’
Market Trust is thinking about
establishing a label that will prom
ote the products grown and mark
eted specifically in the Philadel
phia area, and they need growers.
The profit margin to market
fresh produce to the Reading Ter
minal may be appealing, especial
ly for those farmers who are
switching from growing tobacco
"or Held crops to fresh fruit and veg
etables, said R. Duane Perry,
executive director of the Reading
Terminal Farmers’ Market Trust, a
nonprofit organization.
“Our mission is to reach every
one, in particular the lower income
people in the city who need more
access to fresh fruit and veget
ables,” said Perry.
Perry was instrumental in estab
(Turn to Pag* A2S)
able farm products (including ani
mal, fruit and vegetable products)
to recover civil damages for the
disparagement of their products.
“We introduced this legislation
because unfounded claims are
being made by non-scientific
groups that lead to economic harm
to fanners and other producers,”
Miller said. “Farmers constantly
need to defend allegations that
Brent Brubaker, Mount Joy, Lancaster County,
shows Belgian Blue cattle that produce tasty, “Lan
caster Lite Beef” in a short time. See this entrepre
neur’s story on Page 817. Photo by Lou Ann Good.
Joel sits on the table, and Daryl sits on the other seat. The
cow is No. 34, an 85-polnt, 3-year-old daughter of Russel
dale Promise, with a 305-day record at 2-11, of 22,832
pounds milk, 912 pounds fat, and 743 pounds of protein.
Photo by Vom Aehonboeh Jr.
Five Sections
their products are in some way
harmful to consumers.”
Attending the press meeting
along with Grange officials and a
few farm reporters were Dr. Stan
Curtis and Dr. Erskinc Cash from
Penn State. Miller credited Curtis
and Cash with the initiation of the
idea for the need of this legislation.
“Laws around the country have
(Turn to Pago A2B)
$19.75 Per Year