A22-Lanca»ter Fanning, Saturday, November 23, 1996
(Continued from Page A 1)
PFB policy as a major reason to
eliminate the minimum retail
price-setting authority.
The argument was that the
state’s largest farmer organization
was opposed to the authority of the
PMMB, therefore it was time to
eliminate it.
Dairy producer members of
PFB at the hearing said that the
policy didn’t reflect the desires of
the farm organization’s dairy pro
ducers and predicted the
reversal.
Further, it was stated that while
the PFB has maintained otherwise
constant support for the PMMB’s
minimum price-setting powers,
years ago the PFB had actually
adopted a one-year policy stance
against the PMMB’s authority.
That was reversed the following
year, as was the case this week.
Philadelphia-area politicians
have to deal with a constituency
that differs in many ways from the
rest of the state. However, the
School District of Philadelphia has
been one of the strongest decriers
of the PMMB.
The school district has
attempted to have the PMMB
authority eliminated through legal
challenge, though a recent chal
lenge failed.
Some claim the district was dis
ingenuous because after it com
plained about possibly paying 5
cents more per half-pint of milk
than a nearby unregulated New
Jersey school district, and the
PMMB lowered the region’s mini
mum price by a couple cents per
half pint based on all testimony
(cost of production and hauling
and ability to pay are also used to
determined fairness of price), the
school district never passed the
savings onto the school children.
Nevertheless, the change in pol
icy reverts the PFB to its former
and long-standing position in sup
port of the PMMB.
The PFB sets policy at the coun
ty level. County policies are for
warded to the state committee for
condensation and to eliminate
redundancy. Then, at the state con
vention, delegates debate the poli
cies before settling down to a final
vote.
Other policy highlights of the
46th meeting included a recom
mendation that federal milk mark
eting orders and all unregulated
counties in the Northeastern states
be combined into one new North
eastern federal milk marketing
order.
The 1996 U.S. Farm Bill calls
for such a combining of federal
orders.
The delegate body adopted poli
cy opposing efforts by the Pen
nsylvania Department of Trans
portation to take over the operation
and maintenance of the Pennsylva
nia Turnpike.
Interim policy that which is
set by the organization’s board of
directors between annual
conventions that called for
increasing state spending for
bridge and road repairs and that
those additional funds be actually
used for repairs and are shared
with local governments was
affirmed by the delegates and is
now official policy.
In awards presentations, the
organization also announced its
outstanding young farmer couple.
Duane and Marilyn Hershey, of
Cochranville, were named
winners.
The award is presented annually
to a farmer or farm couple between
the ages of 18 and 35, who have
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Honors Achievements
The strength of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is its
grass-roots policy making system. Here the PFB’s 170 vot
ing delegates present locally developed polices for debate
demonstrated exemplary farm bus
iness and leadership
achievements.
There were three finalist cou
ples competing for the award. The
other two couples were Chris and
Sandy Pilgram, of Fredonia, and
Nelson and Marilyn Beam, of
Elverson. All three finalist couples
received a $lOO savings bond.
As the winners, the Hersheys
also received a $5OO cash award
from Dodge Truck and an
expense-paid trip to the National
Farm Bureau annual meeting, to be
held in January in Nashville.
The Hersheys oeprate a
350-acre dairy farm in Chester
County and milk 75 registered
Holsteins. They also have won the
Chesapeake Bay Clean Water
Award for their conservation prac
tices, and have improved their
dairy operation with additional
stalls, cow mattresses, a totally
mixed ration, and tunnel
ventilation.
Duane is currently vice presi
dent of the -Chester/Dclaware
County Farm Buruea board of
directors and he also serves on the
local board for Atlantic Dairy
Cooperative.
The Hersheys have participated
in the Holstein Foundation’s
Young Dairy Leadership program,
and in 1994, Dauen and his father,
state Rep. Art Hershey, received
the Pennsylvania Master Farmer
Award.
The outstanding farmer award
was made during the President’s
Luncheon.
During the luncheon, PFB Pres
ident Guy Donaldson told the
group that during the past year the
organization set a record for mem
bership, signing a' total of 26,623
members during the year, which
represented a one-year member
ship increase of 750 members.
Donaldson said that the organi
zation must continue to keep its
goals high and said he predicted
that the coming year will also see a
record number of new members,
with a possible membership of
30,000 by 2000.
The theme for this year’s con
vention was, “PFB: Solving Your
Problems.”
Donaldson said that solving
problems through setting policy
from the local level first and then
acting as one voice was the great
est strength of the organization.
“Many of our policies have
become law,” he said, adding that
delegates must be careful to debate
issues fully and to treat policy set
ting with the respect it deserves.
He said that if they don’t do so,
members may find themselves
with what they have asked. And
they might not like it.
"Many, many laws have been
adopted, reviewed or discontinued
as a result of our (policy making)
system,” he said.
Donaldson reviewed a lengthy
list of current laws that benefit
agriculture and production fanners
and rural Pennsylvanians that were
first reflected in PFB policy.
He said that while the PFB is not
alone, or in some cases, not even
mostresponsible for achieving that
policy into law, it was PFB policy
and that helps achieve more widely
accepted policy.
Donaldson also said that change
is inevitable, but that members
Seated, Marilyn and Duane Hershey hold their outstanding farm couple award, and
are Joined by, from the left, standing, Brian Dietrich, chairperson of the award commit
tee, and the two other finalist couples, Nelson and Marilyn Beam, and Sandy and Chris
Pllgram.
need not fear change. Rather they
must be prepared for that change
when it comes. Debating policy at
the local level helps keep members
prepared for change.
Voting Delegates also elected
two new members and returned
six others to the PFB State Board
of Directors. Two-year terms had
expired in eight of the 16 districts
represented on the State Board.
Newly elected to the Board are;
Jane Balmer of Mt Joy, a dairy
and poultry farmer, who has
served as president of the Lancas
ter County Farm Bureau for the
past six years; and Rick Ebert of
Blairsville, a dairy fanner, who
served on Farm Bureau state and
national Young Farmer and
Rancher Committees and is a past
president of the Westmoreland
County Farm Bureau.
Re-elected to the State Board
are; Clarence Berger of Kintners
ville, Bucks County: Kent Shell
hamer, Jr. of Berwick, Columbia
County; Donn Fetterolf of Aar
onsburg, Centre County: Wayne
Freeman of Elliottsburg, Perry
County; Jerome Carl of Dysart,
Cambria County and Harold Cur-
and consideration as state policy. Delegate debate is ongo
ing for most of the convention, culminating In final policy
being set the last day.
tis of Columbus, Warren County.
Martha Rhoades of Emlenton,
Clarion County, became the first
woman to receive the organiza
tion’s “Distinguished Service to
Agriculture Award.” Mrs.
Rhoades was cited for her dedica
tion and commitment to agricul
ture and Farm Bureau.
Martha Rhoades served on Pen
nsylvania Farm Bureau’s board of
directors representing the Arm
strong, Clarion, Elk and Jefferson
county farm bureaus from 1981 to
1989. After leaving the state board
she became involved in the PFB
state women’s committee and
served as its chairperson from
1989 until she retired from the
committee last year. As commit
tee chairperson she also held a seat
on the PFB state board of
directors.
Marth and her husband Richard
Rhoades have been farming in
Clarion County for 53 years. They
operate a 1,000-acre dairy and
crop farm with 195 cows. Martha
became active in the Clarion
County Farm Bureau during the
1970’5. She served in several lead
ership positions including county
secretary, information director,
newsletter editor. Agriculture in
the Classroom coordinator, mem
bers committee chairperson, coun
ty board member, national legisla
tive committee member, AG Lit
eracy coordinator, and Friends of
Agriculture committee member.
She and her husband are also
members of a Farm Bureau advis
ory council.
“Martha is always positive and
possesses a can-do attitude,” said
PFB President Guy Donaldson in
presenting the award. “She is a
shining example of the strength
and dedication of our volunteer
leaders.”
The Berks County Farm Bureau
was named PFB’s “All Star”
County for the sixth consecutive
year. The award is PFB’s most
prestigious program award, recog
nizing excellence in all Farm
Bureau program categories. The
presentations took place during
the annual member recognition
Banquet, Tuesday evening.
County president Edward Hart
man of Reading accepted the PFB
“All Star” award on behalf of the
county farm bureau’s 1,540 mem
bers. In addition to the award for
excellence in all programs, Berks
County received individual
awards for outstanding Political
Education and Contract Services
programs. Other county farm
bureaus were also honored for
best overall programs during the
banquet Clinton County took top
honors for county farm bureaus
with up to 350 members; Susque
hanna County was recognized in
the 351 to 500 member category;
and Lehigh County received the
second place award for counties
with over 500 members. Berks
took first place in that category in
addition to the All Star award.
The winner of the 1996 Discus
sion Meet sponsored by PFB’s
Young Farmers and Ranchers
Committee was also announced
during- the recognition banquet.
Eight young farmers competed
earlier in the day in the Farm
Bureau program which is
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