Should Farmers Sacrifice For Community Benefit? LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) “Should a farm family be expected to sacrifice financially for the good of the public at large?” Strasburg farmer Roger Roluer asked participants attending the town meeting held last week in Lancaster. Rohrer asked the question in regards to government regulations that create additional burdens on farmers and devaluation of farmland. The town meeting, the second in a series called Lancaster County- The Next Los Angeles, was an opportunity for those in attendance to express opinions about property rights, zoning, and the future of agriculture in Lancaster County. The comparison of the county to Los Angeles stems from the fact that SO years ago, the Los Angeles area was similar to Lancaster County in ag production but through zoning and government regulations, farming practices HOME HEATING OIL USERS Save money & stay warm this winter For indoor & outdoor oil tanks IffPR POLAR POWER n=OEL ADDITIVE (32 OZ. TREATS UP TO 240 GAL.) * Cleans Tank Nozzle * Removes Sludge & Varnish * Creates a Better Burn-Cleaner Flame * More Efficient Fuel Usage * Prevents Waxing & Gelling in Freezing Tempi * Disperses Water * Prevents Algae * and Much, Much More USE Sold at; Kama ooeaL ana Central Warehouse Distributor & Diesel Fuel Injection Specialist 6030 Jonestown Road Harrisburg, PA 17112 (717)545-5931 I Paul ggggM|^ Z/SIiDCDSirDDiIGI < * lU^ Heavy Duty Headlocks Finished with TGIC Polyester Powder Coating... Superior to Epoxy' 3 Sizes Available To Meet Your Cattle Handling Needs • CA Series: 7 locks per 10’ • HE Series: 6 locks per 10’ • CO Series: 4 or 5 locks per 10’ could not survive in Los Angeles. At the Farm and Home Center, last Thursday night, Rohrer, one of four persons participating in a panel discusssion about property rights and zoning, presented three dilemnas farmers sometimes face in land usage. These included a farmer who rents additional acreage to fill his grain bins and then is shut down due to noise level that occurs at late hours because he is accused of run ning a commercial operation. In another situation, a fanner’s land was used to supply water lines to a community at under market prices. About IS years later, the community enacted a well-head protection law, which may limit future expansion of the farm because of environmental con cerns and water consumption. It also restricts existing farming practices because it is deemed hazardous to store neccesary chemicals and fertilizers in his bams. In addition the farmer’s, attorney thinks additional liability insurance should be carried by the fanner in case of possible water contamination. Rohrer also presented the case study of a farmer wanting to expand by building a broiler house to include a son in farming. Because they farmed in an ag sec urity area, the farm family ■F r Discussing zoning conflicts between the agriculture and the non-farming commun ities are panel members, from left, John Becker, ag law and economics teacher for Penn State; Roger Rohrer, Strasburg farmer; Stan Limbeck, Penn State professor, and Dr. John Schwartz, director of Lancaster County Extension. 5 /> s ff ! fj >■. ' n 1 VV, J V 1 / assumed they could obtain a per mit Instead they were delayed months because the township supervisors were uncertain how to handle the request and required the fanner to produce more and more information, which should not have been necessary. Ag zoning and regulations that ‘from everyone at ‘TeCmarh: We would Cihe to e?(tend to you and your famdy the very warmest o f thoughts during this holiday season. We foof forzoard to a happy and prosperous 9\[eiv ‘year for aff. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 21, 1996-Al9 ”«/*• * r require higher operating costs for a fanner reduces his ability to com pete with other areas of the country and a whole raft of other problems, said Rohier. In an effort to help the audience better understand the purpose of zoning and how it is determined (Turn to Page A3l) w m ff 1A 3 ■>
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