V0i.43 No. 19
Nutrient Management Proposals Challenge Future Of Farming
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The future of farming in
the United States, especially in the
Mid-Atlantic states, is being
increasingly challenged, but per
haps never so much as it is about to
be, according to some public offi
cials, and agronomic and farming
experts.
Not only are farmers and agri
business being challenged to trans
ition to compete toe-to-toe with
global competitors, under different
standards for production, but now
the environmental production
standards for United States far
mers are to be increased.
According to reports presented
Tuesday to the Pennsylvania State
Conservation Commission Nutri-
Maryland Ayrshire
Breeders Meet
KAREN BUTLER
Maryland Correspondent
MT. AIRY, Md. Maryland
Ayrshire enthusiasts honorfcd
some of their own here recently at
their annual business meeting.
With a turnout of approximately
75. the Maryland Ayrshire Asso
ciation banquet, held at the Fbur
Heather Long, left, and Amanda Valentine, Maryland Ayr
shire princess, on the light, present Mary Creek with a bas
ket of variegated Ivy In recognition of her years of dedica
tion and service to the Maryland Junior Ayrshire Associa
tion.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The
American Farm Bureau Federa
tion has joined with the American
Crop Protection Association
(ACPA) to alert fanners and
growers that critical pest control
options on most U.S. crops will be
lost if the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency continues its
rush to judgment in implementing
the new Food Quality Protection
Act
Four Sections
cut Management Advisory Board,
it seems that national mandatory
nutrient management planning
through the oversight of die U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
is inevitable, and that the planning
will be based on fertilizer applica
tions meeting crop needs with
emphasis on not exceeding pho
sphorus levels.
In other words, it appears that
American agriculture is going to
be severely restricted, in many
cases, from putting animal manure
on soils; especially manures high
in phosphorus, and especially on
land high in phosphorus.
For Lancaster County, that is
more than 80 percent of the land,
according to older data used to
illustrate the potential impact
The bottom line is that, if federal
Seasons restaurant, provided the
breeders an opportunity to public
ly recognize some of the behind
the-scenes dedication shown by
association members.
New officers were elected and
directors appointed during the
business meeting. Officers of the
(Turn to Pag* A4O)
National Letter Writing Campaign
Launched To Save Valuable Pesticides
The Farm Bureau and ACPA
arc urging farmers and industry
members to go direct to congres
sional representatives,' to the En
vironmental Protection Associa
tion and to the White House about
the growing concern. RISE (Re
sponsible Industry for a Sound
Environment), the association for
the specialty, non-farm pesticide
industry, also is urging its mem
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 14, 1998
regulatory goals and recent soil
science findings arc upheld, it may
be difficult for livestock farmers to
find a use for animal manure.
And, if other states adopt what is
predicted to be Maryland’s prob
able regulatory restrictions on
nutrient applications, then apply
ing animal manure on land may
From a small orchard and a roadside stand, Brown’s Orchard Retail Market has
expanded to include 173 acres and a wildly successful retail center with bakery, fresh
produce, and country gifts. Nona Brown shows off top quality fruit that is at the heart
of the family’s 50 years In business. Turn to page B 4 to read how the Brown family
works together In orchard care and marketing. Also the fruit story below that tells of
the damage to the trees from the recent cold weather.
Cold Weather Damages Fruit,
Flower Production Across Region
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
FAIRFIELD (Adams Co.)
“On Monday morning, a kit of
people arc going to spend time rid
ing around on the farms and look
ing at buds.”
Those were the words of
orchard manager Dave Benner on
Thursday morning last week as
growers began the task of assess
ing the extent of the brutally cold
late-season weather mid-week
throughout the region.
bers to became involved. Many of
the same products for crop pest
control are essential to control dis
ease-carrying vermin for consum
er health and safety.
Jay J. Vroom. ACPA president,
says thatEPA’s strict adherence to
tight time frames for pesticide
tolerance reviews is pushing aside
fairness and accuracy in favor of
expediency and political agendas.
$28.50 Per Year
become the job of only tite govern
ment certified.
The reason for the dour outlook
for domestic faming is all lied to
the nutrient phosphorus.
And politics.
hi Pennsylvania, one of the first
states to adopt mandatory nutrient
management planning for high
Benner, of El Vista Orchards in
Fairfield, maintains 100 acres of
peaches and about 400 acres of
apples.
Trouble is, according to many
growers and fruit education spe
cialists, it will take some time
even up to a month or so—before
the frill extent of the damage is
known.
A bright side is that growers are
aware of the dangers of the cold
and have taken steps with the loca
tion of their orchards. Other than
If this continues, he says fanners
will lose valuable protection from
pests on a large number of crops
from apples to apricots, cotton to
cauliflower, watermelons to zuc
chini. "Three dependable, eco
nomical cotton insecticide uses al
ready have been denied by EPA,”
he noted.
Leonard Gianessi, consultant to
EPA at the National Center for
60$ Per Copy
density livestock operations,
research-based information was
used to make nitrogen die nutrient
of most concern, because nitrogen
is known to be water sohiable, fair
ly easily converted into gaseous
form, and high levels in ground
water have been linked to health
(Turn to Pago A 22)
that, when there is a region-wide
freeze such as this, “there’s
nothing you can do,” said Benner.
Bill Kleiner, Penn State regional
fruit specialist, noted that this year
is similar to 1990, when growers
experienced a cold December but
in January, “it really wanned up,”
he said. The significant warmup
was enough “to pull trees out of
dormancy.” Then a cold snap
broke, and March wanned up
again.
(Turn to Pago A 24)
Food and Agriculture Policy,
emphasizes the unrealistic FQPA
deadlines. “EPA must reassess all
U.S. pesticide tolerances more
than 9,000 in 10 years, but
some 3,000 must be done by
August of 1999. That’s less than
18 months from now a virtual
impossibility,” Gianessi says. The
methods which EPA uses in the
(Turn to Pago A 24)