Editor:
Today the Regional Infrastruc
ture for Sustaining Agriculture
(RIS A) concluded a two-day meet
ing at the Black Rock Retreat Cen
ter. Unfortunately no one from the
press was there. This was a dynam
ic group of people from the South
eastern part of PA with a concern
for agriculture. The objective was
to increase our understanding of,
and define our common vision for
the food system of Southeastern
Pennsylvania.
This group had different aspects
of agriculture represented by not
only farmers, but faculty from sev
eral colleges, a land developer,
food handlers, the Extension Ser
vice, the Brandywine Conservan
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pm PBMitnoi rom i
3
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H
740 East Main Street, Mount Joy, PA
Program
9:30 - 10:00
10:00-10:50
“Environmental Outlaw or Pork Producing
Hero Facing Legal Challenges”
Greg Andrews - Attorney
Drake University - Ag Law Center
NPPC - Environmental Law Education
Coordinator
12:00 -12:40 Free Buffet Lunch
11:00-11:50
12:40-1:00
1:00 - 2:00
2:00 - 2:30
Program Sponsored by:
LanChester Pork Producers
Ag Veterinary Associates
Dr. Robert Graybill
Forum Sponsored by:
Pfizer Animal Health
Elanco Animal Health
Merck Ag Vet
* Forum Meeting limited to 16 years and older
* This meeting replaces LanChester Pork Producers Annual Banquet
cy, League of Women Voters,
Rodale Institute and a variety of
interests in agriculture.
We spent two days working on
what we would like to see in the
region in 2010. We see the need to
work together. We have to be
aware the region is beyond our
farm or local township. Cities need
to be made liveable. Food must be
affordable to the poor of the coun
try and at the same time the farmer
must be able to make a profit The
profit would make it so that the far
mer could pass on the farm to the
next generation and that genera
tion would see a reason to farm.
Real estate taxes would not be the
major support of the local schools.
Our firstexcrcisc was to look at
Wednesday, December 20, 1995
9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Country Table Restaurant
Registration (Coffee & Donuts)
“Swine Nutrient Management”
Mike Brubaker, Nutrient Resource
Management, Inc.
Annual meeting and election of Pork Board
Nominees Vote on LanChester Pork
Producers Bylaws
Choice of two seminars
A. Pork Quality Assurance Level 111 -
Recertification
Dr. Tim Trayer
B.
Pork Quality Assurance Level 111 - Ist
time Certification
Dr. Robert Graybill
P.R.R.S. Update
Dr. Robert Graybill
the change in agriculture since
1930. It was obvious that change is
very much a part of this period and
that the world is becoming a small
er space. Boundaries do affect our
markets, but NAFTA is affecting
prices.
Ideally in 2010, we will be liv
ing together in harmony with room
for the houses and farmers profit
able because the local people are
able to buy local produce. We will
meet again and work on ways to
get beyond the ideal and see how
we can get the needed changes to
take place. Hopefully the politi
cians can be aware of die impor
tance of changing the tax system in
a way that the school districts can
raise needed revenue and the far
mer and retired home owners
won’t have to pay an unfair share
of this funding.
Suzanne P. Lamborn
Nottingham
Editor;
Stop Farm Welfare. It’s time we
stand up for ourselves. We heard
the other night that farmers from
several counties were going to
* Space is limited
Reservation Required
RSVPTO: (717)445-4501
Goods Livestock, Inc.
503 School Road
Denver, PA 17517
BY:'December 15,1995
Lancntar Fuming, Saturday, Daeunbar 9, 1995-Ail
Harrisburg to lobby for a one dol
lar a hundred increase for five
months. A one dollar increase for
five months is only temporary; it’s
not enough. What we need is to
demand our dairies increase the
price to the consumer 10 cents a
gallon each month for five months
and return it all to the farmer and
then increase 10 cents a gallon
each year to comply with cost of
living increase; it is our product,
our money they are working with.
JSure the consumer will complain
' for awhile but they will buy it the
same as gas which has gone up a
dollar a gallon in the last 25 years
and they still buy it; sometimes
they buy more. This is true about
most products we buy today,
except farm products. Most work
ers are allowed a cost of living
increase but not farmers. The gov
ernment wants to keep taking from
us and force us to accept their
programs in order to live; this is
another form of welfare; and they
have mere control over us than any
other industry in this country.
We feel that if the price of milk
is up for us where we could make a
living we wouldn’t have to have
government programs. It’s not just
dairy, there is also the meat farmer.
We don’t know what it cost
them to raise their product, but we
do know that when we sell a bull
calf, sometimes we don’t get
enough to pay for breeding.
Fifteen years ago the farmer got
49 cents of the retail dollar. Today
the farmer only gets 22 cents.
What we have outlined above will
help offset this difference.
Americans need food to live and
yet they pay less for it than any
other product.
Let’s get together and see what
we can do.
Earl W. & Janet L. Ocker
Berlin
Editor’s Note: This open letter to
the President is reprinted at the
request of the writer.
Dear President Clinton:
Hello! I am a dairy fanner in
northeastern Pennsylvania.
My family is having trouble try
ing to make ends meet We are
milking Ayrshire cattle, and are a
small part of this very large food
chain. However, we are citizens of
this great country.
I am 41 years old and have been
in the agriculture business all my
life. I’ve been married for 21 years
and have two daughters. Our
hearts ate in the land and in pro
ducing the food for the United
States, and the world. We also take
pride in the fact that we are a part
of the greatest nation in the world.
However, we are faced with a
deck that is stacked against us. Our
dairy industry insures all Ameri-
(Tum to Pago A3O)
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*****