Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, April 23, 1994, Image 1
am anmih ■ r^ ? ife^jg^WfiOT^^^teM^^Saßi «i— — l . . -m. r a i am* *^B9^k<BMßk^^^o^^i^ 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