0161V;' 1,-vv I'ERlunlCAt HIVISION rEMN'-'VLVAri(A STATE UNIVERSITY . f WK, W2O? I'ATFI t ! IBRARY W E nil UNIVERSITY PARH PA 16A0? tAO? I J| / ——~l l| 1 H JUN 28 \ Vol. 39 NO. 33 Farmers Tell Of Experiences With Deadly Silo Gas, Molds Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series. ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Fanning Staff CONESTOGA (Lancaster Co.) Rodney Martin, Ken Kirkland, Ted Ferris, and Michael Schutz all share a common memory. It’s a memory filled with a great deal of pain, anger, and anxiety. And it’s a pain that, under worse circumstances, could have turned deadly. At the same time, if they knew then what they know now, the pain could have easily been avoided. In the telling of their experi ences, each one hopes that farmers would listen carefully and try to avoid the mistakes they made regarding what happened to them or someone they knew on the farm years ago. State Budget Doesn’t Cut Agriculture, Reinstates Some Programs VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Fanning Staff HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) —The state’s 1994-95 budget was passed by the state legislature and signed by the gov ernor last week, two weeks ahead of deadline. The only apparent hitch was an error discovered in the final ver sion that inadvertently eliminated Bitters Prepare For National Young Holstein Breeders Contest VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Farming Staff MOSELEM SPRINGS (Series Co.) Vista-Grande Farm is a classic farmstead, with a big neighbor the Deka battery recycling plant Lancaster County Dairy Princess Amy Espenshade is flanked by family members, from left, Harvey, Susan, Becky, and Matthew. The Espenshades operate a Century Farm in Elizabethtown. Turn to page B 2 to read more about Amy and the pageant. Photo bv Lou Ann Good, ttaff wrltor. 604 Per Copy Rodney Martin Dairyman Rodney Martin blames not getting to the silo and doing the work when it should have been done.' Rodney was backlogged with work to do in the dairy bam, and didn’t have time to return to the newly-filled 20-foot by 70-foot haylage silo to level it off. The silo was filled about 2 a.m. on May 25, 1994. Rodney returned to the silo about 12 hours later, on a hot after noon, to hook up a blower to the pipe leading into the top of the silo. Rodney knew some of the dead liest gas in the world nitrogen dioxide, as the scientists called it lurked at the bottom of a “val ley” created by the filling. Look ing from the top of the silo, he could easily make out the dark, greenish-brown gases in the taxes for trucking that would have created a $9O million shortfall. The has approved correct ing -that mistake. In general, the $15.7 billion budget package cuts welfare bene fits and also some business taxes, while putting more money toward schools and prisons, according to published reports and government officials. The farm is owned by David and Phoebe Bitler and as far as they are concerned. Deka has been a good neighbor, dissuading residential development and testing their well water every six weeks for a long list of contaminants that they Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 25, 1994 Series Examines Silo Safet valley. The blower wasn’t clearing the gases at all. Rodney learned, later on, that the air was simply going up the pipe, through the top of the silo, and down the other side. He had an idea. The only way, he thought, to get to the gases was to open a series of access doors on the inside chute. So, after 15-20 minutes of blow ing fresh air into the chute, Rodney began the climb up. His plan was to throw open the door and quickly climb to a higher level above the gases. Simple, he thought Just get the door open right at silage level, so instead of the air jumping over the top, the silo gas could simply drop down and away from the silo. “In theory, that should have worked,” said Rodney. “In fact that’s what I eventually did." For the state’s leading industry, agriculture in effect bad some funding restored from last year’s budget, and seemed to signal a reverse in a trend of annual cuts to agriculture that have occured under Gov. Casey. Casey, who as governor signed his final budget plan, has in past years used his line-item veto pow ers to either eliminate funding for expect will never show up. The expensive testing is a requirement for the plant to oper ate, but it serves as a constant reas surance to the Biders that the Deka plant is living up to its role as an environment improving company. Rodney’s brother Jere had gone up there before, and gases were already ejecting from the chute. Jere quickly came down, and com plained to Rodney that he already felt nauseous, that he about passed out he could hardly stand, and felt pretty sick. Jere told Rodney “don’t go up there, whatever you do.” So the brothers stood and debated what to do. Rodney decided he would climb as fast as he could, open a door, and move quickly to a higher level. The split second he threw the door open, Rodney knew some thing hit him. “A cloud of gas hit me, dark gas, and it surprised me,” he said. “I knew it would happen. But it surprised me that it hit me so fast.” Rodney got about two whiffs of several agricultural programs, or has refused to release promised funds to certain agricultural agen cies and programs. The normal partisan budget debates, which have held up pas sage of previous budgets months past the annual June 30 deadline, were not as evident with the form ing of the budget And, according to an Associated In addition Deka provides 2,800 non-union jobs. Area school kids know the farm. Phoebe encourages some school Held trips to the family farm where she grew up, and she talks to the kids, explaining from where milk Six-County Group Considers Agribusiness Development GAY BROWNLEE Somerset Co. Correspondent JOHNSTOWN (Cambria Co.) Maybe it boils down to the old maxim that one man’s trash is another’s treasure, but the impact of the state’s eastern, urban sprawl on ag-related industry could be a bonus for the west central, six county block known as the South ern Alleghenies. Growing problems in the east include the heavy traffic, pollution and the usual citizen complaints. What do Southern Alleghenies counties offer? Cambria, Bedford, Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties are less urban ized, with space for innovative agribusiness ideas to flourish. The fact that agriculture is the leading industry here, just as it is for the state, is a bonus. But can the right people be persuaded that their joint cooperation can create agribusiness growth? Besides his daily sweat and toil, will the far mer reap a good harvest from it? FOur Sections the toxic gas and could feel it bum the whole way down his throat. Rodney managed to crawl above the reeling gas, far enough to get some fresh air. Still feeling the burning pain, and lightheaded, (Turn to Pag* A 24) What’s this device? Turn to page A2O to find out how scientists are looking for ways ,to monitor plant health. ‘ Press report, this year’s budget dis cissions eliminated participation of the majority House Democrats, who opposed the welfare cuts and business tax cuts. According to the published repeat. Senate and House Republi cans and House Republicans nego tiated the budget with Gov. Casey (Turn to Page A 32) comes, how its made, and she hands out coloring books along with white or chocolate milk. Phoebe was the 1973 Berks County dairy princess. She has kept and honed public speaking . (Turn to Pag* A3O) These were topics discussed by a panel on agricultural economic development, held during South ern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission’s 28th annual conference, at the Market Street Holiday Inn in Johnstown. Panelists were John Zerby, Pur ina Feeds; Scott Clemens, Hat field Quality Meats; Evan Fine man, Atlantic Dairy Cooperative; Christian Herr, State Dept, of Agriculture; Governor’s Response Team, Carol Ployer, and WaltFul lam, Penn State. Moderator was Donald Evans, assistant dean of Penn State’s Col lege of Agricultural Sciences. He was introduced by Dick Rice, chairman of the Bedford County commissioners. It was a discussion of impor tance to some 50 county govern ment leaders, employment offi cials, bankers, Farm Credit offi cials, farmers and others. Evans noted that in Pennsylva (Turn to Pag* A 23) $21.00 Per Year