A32-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, March 7, 1998 CAMPHILL (Cumberland Co.) Farmers from across the state traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to meet with their congressmen and United States senators, to discuss key legislative items affecting agri culture. About 200 farmers were to have taken part in the annual Washington tour conducted by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB). The participating farm ers were all members of county farm bureau rational legislative committees. Congressmen will be heard how some of the laws and regu lations coming out of Washington affects farmers back in their home districts, said Guy Donaldson, president of the statewide farm organiza tion. PA Farm Bureau represents 25,247 families in 54 county farm bureaus. It is affiliated with the nation’s largest general farm organization, the 4.8-mil lion member American Farm Bureau Federation. PFB farmers recommend leg islative action based on policies developed from the grass-roots level of the organization, Donaldson said. Among top issues Farm Bureau members discussed fwere: Approval of fast-track trad ing authority - This is Farm Bureau s top priority issue for 1998 Pennsylvania exported an estimated $557 million in agri cultural products ion 1996. If Pennsylvania farmers are to compete successfully for export opportunities, they need free trade and fair access to growing global markets. AG exports have been increasing rapidly in recent years Fast-track author ity, which allows the President to negotiate a trade treaty which Congress must later approve or reject without amendment, would open up new markets for continued export growth by American agriculture. Ninety six percent of the world’s con sumers live outside U.S. bor ders. Earned Income Tax Credit eligibility - The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is designed to help working people with low incomes. Many dairy farmers depend on it to help make ends meet. But, as the result of recent STEEL BALE BOXES with or without running gear • Also; will fit sides onto your flat wagon Farm GatesCMade To Your Specifications GAP HILL FARM WAGONS 5549 Lincoln Hwy. - Gap, PA 17527 717-442-9489 Call Bet. 8:30 & 9:00 A.M. ■ Farmers Met Congressmen In Washington welfare reform changes, some low-income dairy and livestock farmers are being declared inel igible for the EITC because of income received from capital gains. The problem is, IRS con siders the sale of dairy cows or breeding stock at the same as the sale of an investment when calculating capital gains. Farm Bureau supports passage of S. 775 and H.R. 1800 to correct this situation. Self-Employment tax clarifi cation - In 1996, IRS broadened the Self-Empfoyment tax for farmers in partnership to include cash rental income from farmland. Before that farmers only paid self-employment taxes on income from labor and employment. Farm Bureau is supporting S. 529 and H.R. 1261 to restore the tax to its proper imposition. ALFRED, N.Y. - The board of directors of AGRIMERICA recently made a substantial con tribution to FARMEDIC Training, Inc. to continue their work of training emergency providers as well as farm family members and employees to be better prepared to manage farm related emergencies. The contribution will be used to attract new FARMEDIC instructors throughout the United States through a scholar ship plan developed by FARMEDIC. The plan is designed to encourage newly trained FARMEDIC instructors to teach fire, rescue, and EMS providers the FARMEDIC agricultural rescue course and farmers, their families, and employees the First-on-the-Scene course. FARMEDIC was founded in 1981 in New York State to train emergency providers and farm family members to respond to agricultural emergencies. Its unique train-the-tramer method or program delivery has enabled FARMEDIC to receive a nation al reputation of setting the stan dard for agricultural emergency training. Over 800 FARMEDIC instructors have trained over 17,000 emergency providers out of the National Training Center located at Alfred State College. “This training has made a Agricultural Guestworker Program - There are over 20,000 migrant and seasonal workers in Pennsylvania during peak harvest seasons for fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and Christmas trees. It’s nearly impossible to recruit local work ers for temporary hand-harvest work and the Immigration and Naturalization Service contin ues to reduce the number of ille gal aliens. As a result, many farmers are finding it more and more difficult to get adequate numbers of good workers. The current agricultural guestwork er program to bring in foreign workers on a temporary basis during moor shmuigcs ib m,uc used by farmers because of bur densome requirements. Farm Bureau supports S. 1563 and H.R. 2377 to set up, on a two- Group Offers Farm/Emergency Training tremendous impact at saving farmers’ lives by teaching fire, rescue, and EMS providers how to be better prepared to respond to and manage a farm emer gency,” said Dave Hill, executive director of FARMEDIC. “By understanding the haz ards and mechanics involved in a farm-related emergency, res cuers will perform their jobs more efficiently, thus providing better care to the victim,” Hill said Several years ago, FARMEDIC noted that there was a void in the effort to reduce the numbers of farm deaths and disabling injuries. That void was the care that was being given by the people who discovered the accident. The First-on-the-Scene program was developed to address this void. Farmers, their families, and employees are taught what to do and what not to do when they discover an emergency on the farm. “Life-saving measures often need to be implemented prior to the arrival of trained rescue per sonnel and the First-on-the- Scene program teaches these measures,” Hill said. OLDHAM/COASTAL LEAF TOBACCO Buyers of 609 tobacco. Call our Quarryville location for receiving instructions. (717) 786-0397 year pilot program basis, a new guestworker program capablg of responding more, quickly to emergency labor shortages. In addition to these priority issues, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau members asked mem bers of Congress to: - Oppose OSHA’s proposed ergonomics rules. - Pass a national highway repair funding bill. - Reauthorize the agricultur al research funding title of the farm bill. - Reauthorize and reform the Clean Water Act and clarify wet lands regulations. - Reform the Endangered Species Act to protect property rights. - Reform the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker AGRIMERICA is a non-profit multi-state association that was founded on the principal of bringing the same advantages and services enjoyed by people in industry to individual agricul tural producers. As a member association, a major mission of AGRIMERICA is to improve the health and safety of the agricultural com munity through education and benefit plans. The association has been active in various endeavors and organizations in its effort to promote health and safety. Besides FARMEDIC, others include NYS Agriculture in the Classroom, NYS Rural Health Public Auction GILBERT (Monroe Co.) - The 2nd Annual Pocono Old- Tyme Farm Equipment Associations Public Auction will be held here at West End Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 28, beginning at 10 a.m. Zettlemoyer Auctions will be the auctioneer. All proceeds benefit Pocono Old-TVme Farm Equipment Association, whose objective is to preserve the histo ry of farming in the Pocono Protection Act. - Prevent the loss of key pes ticides under the new Food Quality Protection Act. - Oppose attempts to imple ment the Global Climate Change Treaty piecemeal through administrative proce dure and legislation. - Make sure EPA’s new Air Quality Standards aren’t used to penalize farmers. - Reform taxes by repealing estate taxes, speeding up the 100% health insurance premi um tax deduction by the self employed and lowering capital gains tax rates. - Make permanent the income-averaging provisions contained in last year’s tax cuts. - Create a special risk man agement savings account for farmers. and Safety Council, Empire State Council of Agricultural Organizations, NYS Farm City Council, and endorsements of various insurance plans. All insurance plans endorsed by AGRIMERICA are fully insured by major insurance com panies and are administered by Mutual Health Agency. To learn more about how to deliver the FARMEDIC agricul tural rescue courses and/or the First-on-the-Scene program in your community, contact Dave Hill, executive director: FARMEDIC National Training Center, Alfred State College, Alfred, NY 14802; or call 1-800- 437-6010. Mountains area. They are accepting consign ment items for a fee of 10 per cent of sale price. Donated items are appreciated. Please drop off donated or consignment items at West End Fairgrounds on Friday, March 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, March 28 prior to auc tion. For additional information of the auction, call (610) 681- 6419. BUSINESS CARDS $26.00/m Free Shipping • Free Logos 808 KEENER ADV. & PRINTING 100 Broad Street, Ashland, PA 17921 1-800-482-1178 717-875-1800 Firestone All Traction 23° 18.4R34 1* $540.00 20.8R38 1* $715.00 20.8R38 2* $840.00 HU 20.8R42 2* $870.00 ffifTm All Purpose Rear Tractor Made by 19V 12.4x24/4 L/S $150.00 11.2x28/4 LA $152.00 18.4x34/8 LA $368.00 15.5x38/6 L/L $246.00 20.8x38/8 L/S $540.00 Most Sizes Available Also Have Implement, Front Tractor, and Light Truck Tires. Call For Prices. 24 Hour Emergency Farm Tire Service 717-445-4993 MARTIN’S TIRE & ALIGNMENT Located in Churchtown 119 Water St., Narvon, PA 17555
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