Vol. 41 NO. 21
Streambank Work Controls Damage From January Flooding
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
ELIZABETHVILLE (Dauphin
Co.) —Who will forget the winter
of *96? Larry Shade certainly
won’t
Shade remembers the tremend
ous flooding the weekend of Jan.
19*21, when floodwater from
melting snow and ice carved out a
“40-50 foot broad river” that ran
through a field, ripping up stream
banks. tearing up sod, and deposit
ing silt everywhere.
Land Preservation Celebrates
Achievements, More Money Pledged
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Farm owners, public officials,
and members of die Lancaster
County Preservation Board and the
Lancaster Farmland Trust cele
brated a landmark achievement at
the Franklin and Marshall College =
Reid House on March 22. y>9
Although the celebration war
intended to laud the preservation
of 245 farms and 20,000 acres, the
350 people in attendance were in,
for an additional surprise when the
county commissioners presented a
check for $500,000 to be used to
preserve more farmland.
With the $2.9 million allocation
from the state and $1.25 million
previously pledged from the coun
ty, the nine-year waiting list of
farms slated for preservation is
expected to be speeded up. Sec. of
While spring has arrived according to the calendar, the
weather doesn’t let go of winter. But we saw a tractor with
rubber tires, a tractor with steel wheels, and quite e few
horse and mule teams in the MoMe this week, around the
Lancaster Faming office.,
hi the photo, our Amish neighbor bad his team working
along Rockvale Road east of ttraaburg Plkelam|Yednes
daySftemoon. The bright tow sunlight oeat deep Shadows
60* Far Copy
Dauphin Conservation Farmer Of Year Reveal/ Erosion Control Challenges
Shade said of the flooding,
which also damaged homes, boat
marinas, and dams in several coun
ties in the Susquehanna Valley. “It
tore a bridge out in Harrisburg, you
know and it sure ain’t going to
let a little grass stop it”
Acts of Mother Nature can easi
ly destroy efforts of even the most
stringent soil stewards. And
there’s nothing erosion control
experts and conservation planners
can do about it
(Turn to Page A 26)
Agriculture Biosius also indicated
that the U.S. Farm Bill that is
expected to pass allocates $35 mil
lion to be used for farmland preser
vation over a three-year period. A
portion of that money will be
relayed to the county.
When the Lancaster County
Agricultural Preserve Board first
Tdtofßd, many observers thought
■that farmland preservation was too
controveisiai to succeed.
Amos Funk, a founding mem
ber, recalled die obstacles and the
frustration in trying to influence
farmers and officials to become
interested in the program. He often
questioned fellow board members,
“Are we getting anywhere? Are we
going to see anything come out of
this?”
Last Friday, an exuberant Funk
said, Tm glad I lived long enough
(Turn to Pag* A 24)
Lancaatar Fanrtng, Saturday. March 30, 1996
Hit Shtdt family ferms about 235 acres (200 tHlablt) In tht hollow btlow Tannery
Hill in tht Lyfctnt VaHty. Larry Shade, left, farms with wilt Lily and sons Todd, 27,
light, who works full-time and Jason, 18, center, a senior at Upper Dauphin High
School who works part-time.
National Cattlemen Post Advisory
On ‘Mad Cow Disease *
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. On
Tuesday this week, the National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association
posted the following advisory
regarding Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE), also
referred to as “Mad Cow’s
Disease”:
aeroaa tha fiakla and highlightad tha whita farm building* in
tht background. By Thuraday, tha anew, alaat, and rain
took away tha thought of apitag, and did nothing for tha far*
mar** plowing and planting diaaasa that ovartaka* every
tniaparaon of tha doll about thla tima each year. Surely tha
waathar will oateh up with tha calandar toon. Photo by
Cvntt Ntwawongor, mtntglng •dltor.
Since the British Ministry of
Health’s statement on March 24
indicating the possibility of a link
between Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle
and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
(CJD) in humans, the issue has
Hv* Sections $25.00 Psr Yssr
made headlines around the world.
However, the Ministry also
pointed out that there was no direct
evidence of a link. In addition, the
Ministry noted that steps were
taken in 1989 to ensure that meat
and milk are safe and they remain
safe today.
Based upon 10 years of monitor
ing and surveillapce data in the
United States, we can confirm that
there is no BSE in the U.S. and
there are a number of long
standing, aggressive programs to
prevent BSE from ever entering
the U.S. Consumers should be
reassured about the safety of U.S.
beef.
The USDA Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) imposed a ban in 1989 on
the importation of live ruminants
(cattle, sheep, etc.) or products
from countries whore BSE has
been found. In addition, the USDA
Food Safety Inspection Service
said that no beef has been imported
from the UK since 1985.
In addition, since 1986 the U.S.
has maintained a sophisticated and
aggressive BSE surveillance prog
ram involving 250 APHIS veter
inarians who conduct field investi
gations of suspicious symptoms.
In addition, more than 60 veterin
ary diagnostic laboratories around
the country work on BSE surveil
lance in cooperation with the
National Veterinary Services
Laboratories in Ames, lowa.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association is working with scien
tists and appropriate government
agencies to consider additional
steps to ensure wc are not at risk
(Turn to Pag* A 35)