(Continued from Page Al 4) availability dictate. Grangers set the policy in the belief that it would allow rural communities to maintain or get lower rates. That deregulation was approved by the Legislature, though it is not clear what will be the end result Electric providers build plants and make plans when setting and requesting rate approvals from the state Public Utility Commission for the costs associated with dis mantling the power plants. Companies with nuclear power plants, for example, have planned for years ahead to use known income to meet government regulations. For example, Three-Mile Island is supposed to be eventually decommissioned and plans have previously been made to return the Middletown-vicinity island to a condition that has no evidence of the nuclear plant. The effect of the paper-electric trade expected to result from dere gulation could be to deny compa nies with significant investment in materials a proper return on that investment to make proper mainte nance (» closure. Other questions include such things as who is to be responsible for providing line service to or within a dwelling, if the company selling electricity is merely a user of the wire. According to Shambaugh, two other achievements of the Legisla ture include passage of Senate Bill 1371 and House Bill 1886. SB 1371 changed the definition of agriculture in the Right to Farm ' At 66CALICO EQUIPMENT... • We Do: Horizontal Road Boarl for Differen Applicants HAVE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS? • We Can Help Improve Land Use and Efficiency , v>£a» • We are equipped to handle any site work needs ... Building Pads, Manure Storage, Land Clearing, Etc. • We Sell Pipes and Fittings All Sizes and Kinds - Check Us Out! -AND- We are now equipped to do Diameter Crossings for small utilities under driveways, buildings, yards, etc. COCALICO EQUIP. cO.^BBBf FARM DRAINAGE ft EXCAVATING ' \ ' C 7 323 REINHOLDS RD., DENVER, PA 17517 Ph: 717-336-3808 \/ 717-735-3784 V Fax: 717-336-3809 Legislature Finishes, Work Act to expand it to include the right to conduct on-farm processing activities associated with a family farm operation, such as drying grain and sawing wood, which some have charged is not farming but industrial and therefore not allowed under agricultural zoning. That issue should be moot, for now. HB 1886 is an answer to a ques tion that had been asked more and more frequently since the advent of the Farmland Preservation Act several years ago. The legislation makes it clear that a farm receiving protection from development under the Farm land Protection Act must also con tinue to receive the protections afforded under the Agricultural Security Area program. Under the ASA program, con demnations of farm land for schools and highways, etc., arc to be difficult to achieve. Farmland has to be included within an Agricultural Security Area as a prerequisite to being pre served under the Farmland Protec tion Program. However, ASAs have a seven year life. The question arose: What hap pens to farmland “protected’’ from development forever, when it loses its basic protections under a less than-forever foundation program? HB 1886 requires that town ships have to allow a farm that par ticipates in farmland preservation to always have the protections of an Agricultural Security Area. hi other areas, for rural resi dents, especially the elderly on fix ed incomes who make just over the cut-off amount for eligibility on state lotteiy funded prescription medicine benefits, the Legislature passed, and the governor signed, a law that creates a higher income level for the basic program and adds a second tier of limited eligi bility for the prescription program. It also approved the Domestic Animal Act, which is significant because it created new definitions of domestic animals, rccodified laws, and allows the state the abili ty to control and monitor animal disease. Previously, exotic animals, such as ostriches, elk and deer, were outside the purview of the PDA and the health laws. That made it difficult to control diseases such as bovine tuberculosis which has been appearing in domesticated deer and elk, which can spread it to cows, but the state had been unable to require the same health check and disease preventative measures for those animals. The failure of some laws was also applauded by Shambaugh and others, such as a proposal from a representative to eliminate the authority of the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board to set minimum retail prices for drinking milk. “The fact that we were able to continue the PMMB without hav ing significant changes in its authroity, for instance retail pric ing, and the fact that we’ve been able to prove that the PMMB is a vialablc entitity for all dairy far mers across the state and that the industry needs the board to ensure a reasonable farm price, shows that we can be successful in communi cating agriculture’s message to the To Continue Legislature,” Shambaugh said. “Agriculture did well with the General Assembly, which is good for the state, because ag is the lead ing industry instate. Not only does ag benefit, but every resident of the state benefits. State Rep. Raymond Bunt, majority chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said, “I’m very pleased with the accomplishments of the House Ag Committee in the latest Legislative session. We had a full plate in front of us, and we tackled the issues in a bipartisan effort Regional Program Looks For Innovative Ideas BURLINGTON, Vt. Appli cations are now available for The Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Educa tion (SARE) Program’s 1997 Farmer/Grower Grants Program. The region will award approxi mately $lOO,OOO in grants to farm ers to try innovative production and marketing techniques. The grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to farmers throughout the 12-state region. Projects may involve small re search trials, educational activi ties, and demonstrations. Project activities should promote good stewardship of natural resources, prevent agricultural pollution, im prove farm profitability, and/or enhance quality of life. Projects must be under the dir Lancaster Poured Walls CALL FOR PRICES ON: • Manors Pits • Rataininy Walls • Basamants • Flat Work can you think of a better wall than poured on site with lower construction costs and no maintenance? Lancaster Poured Walls 2008 Horseshoe Rd. • Lancaster, PA * (717) 299-3721 * 800-770-3721 Increase Your Income From Milk Sale We are looking to increase high quality milk supply in Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster Counties • No Coop Dues • Solids Non Fat Premiums • Quality Premiums • Lower Hauling Rates & Stop Charges From a proud neighborhood dairy in the 1920’s to a modern manufacturing company of the 1990'5, the Dietrich family-owned business continues to move forward. With the dedication of three generations and a heritage , 'cn In experience and innovation, Dietrich's Milk Products faces the future wnh confidence. Give us a call and see what we are all about. “We’ve given the (PDA) the tools it needed to fix the programs that people have been very critical of,” be said. Though some of the issues that people want settled such as local tax reform and the accepting of aquaculture as deserving of hill agricultural protections were left unresolved by the Legislature, Bunt said that doesn’t mean the effort is over. “Though the session is over, and we technically have to start from the ground, the headway made on these yet unresolved issues should not be lost." ection of a at least one producer, and collaboration with other pro ducers and other members of the agricultural community is strong ly encouraged. SAKE is a USDA competitive grants program with regional lead ership and decision making. Created in the 1985 Farm Bill, the program has funded hundreds of projects that help advance knowl edge about farm practices that are profitable, environmentally sound, and socially beneficial. Northeast Region SAKE Farm er/Grower Grant applications are available by contacting SAKE at Hills Building, University of Ver mont, Burlington, VT 05405- 0082, (802) 656-0471. Email; msimpson@moose.uvm.edu. The Farmer/Grower Grant ap plication deadline is Dec. 6,1996. We Do SCS Work
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers