533 P 3 w _ L_ 1
056039 022899 . T~~ ’
PERIODICALS DIVISION OAA 808
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY I I 1 ~ H l~ " I T A (
WZO9 PATTE LIDRARY II MP B '
UNIV p ARI PA 16802 mi
vol. 44 No. 19
830 Attend Bth PASA Conference
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) A record 830 people
attended the Bth annual Pennsylva
nia Association for Sustainable
Agriculture conference on farming
for the future in mid-February at
the Penn Slater Hotel and Confer
ence Center in State College.
The audience represented a
diverse mix of those involved in
agriculture, according to PASA
officials.
Commodity Pricing Hearing
Raises Issues, No Answers
Put I
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) A betting was held Janu
ary in Harrisburg by the state Cen
ter for Rural Pennsylvania to
Mora than 00 County Holstein Association tourad three
farms in Bradford New York on Tuesday. All told, the Lancaster
dairy farmers saw fraMtedassllhd excellent including Backacher Dreamer
(2E-95),in the Lantianjd mmbhsrd at Horse heads, N.Y. In the photo, Ruth Lant (cen
ter) welcomes the committee from left, Larry Kennel, Mark Welk, Dave
Wenger, and Joe page A 24. Photo by Evtmtt Nowwungt, tutor.
On Monday, state nVflHtagv toured the Milton Hershey School, Including the
new horticultural from left, Britlna Robinson, eastern
region vice prseldspt; yHK|Mjn>iWent; Jennifer Wittier, south central region
vice preeidsnl Trawl DoSSMi, Mat e sentinel; Laurie Bish, stilts secretary; Herb Hof
fsditz, stMj.'WW Ceils, stm-raporter; Dsn Krakier, state chaplain;
Karen sijdspnleBs Cowden, state treasurer. See
F6ur Sections
“By far this was the best yet,"
said Tim Bowser, PASA executive
director. “The quality of the farmer
presentations, the number of peo
ple attending, and the energy that
people brought with them. There
was an amazing spirit of, ‘Let’s
build a food system that works for
farmers and consumers,’ through
out the weekend."
Bowser said that keynote speak
er, William McDonough,"... real-
gather testimony as to the effects
and causes of low commodity
prices to farmers.
The Center for Rural Pennsylva
nia is an agency of the state Gener
al Assembly and is headed by a
(mm io page ass)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 13, 1999
ly ignited the crowd’s sense of the
possibilities. We were fortunate to
have him at our conference."
McDonough stressed the impact
today’s activities, will have on
tomorrow’s children as the essen
tial consideration to give In mak
ing a decision about the nature of
developing food systems, rather
than relying on motivations based
on a desire to gamer as much per
sonal wealth during the present.
According to Lauren Shorsber,
PASA official, also well received
was closing keynote speaker Ann
Clark, a professor, parent, and
grazing consultant, who discussed
her ideas about the future of family
farming.
Shorsher said Clark echoed
McDonough’s call for considering
children and children of the future
first
(Turn to Page AM)
$29.50 Per Year
Erie and Ann Noid||y|cejifts the 1999 Sustainable Agri
culture Leadership JRRmßjlQanlc vegeWUWUTthPiPlhom
Trout Run, they were recognized tor their effort* to teach
practices that can lead to proper soil maintenance and a
aaifaustalidno farm.
Swine Moratorium Proposal
Not Considered By NPPC
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
A modified proposal submitted
by Brent Hcrshcy, president of file
LanChester Pork Producers Coun
cil that requested the National Pork
Producers Council (NPPC) to ask
its members to voluntarily delay
construction of new sow farms for
a period of one year, was not con
sidered at the recent National Pork
Forum held in Nashville, Term.
According to David Reincckcr,
Pennsylvania Pork Producers
Council (PPPQ president, the
resolution was not considered leg
al by NPPC. Essentially, no com
modities organization, except for a
registered cooperative, may con
spire to control supply of a pro
duct, as defined by anti-trust legis
lation, particularly the Sherman
Anti-Trust Law of 1890 and the
Capper-Volstead Antitrust Law of
1922, according to Steve Meyer,
NFPC’s director of economics.
Grower & Marketer
Features Fruit Growers
In Section D this issue srs Grower A Marketer pages devoted to
the production of vegetables, fruits, the greenhouse industry, and
small direct marketing enterprises. The pages focus on fruit grow
ing, including an interview with James Lott, president of the State
Horticulture Association of Pennsylvania, in addition, coverage of
fruit and vegetable production from the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Veg
etable Conference in January Is provided, along with a calendar of
coming events. The interview with Lott begins on Section 01.
600 Per Copy
“The (U.S.) Justice Department
watches trade associations close
ly," said Meyer. The proposal, in
the form intended for the delegates
at the national meeting last week,
was a blatant violation of the anti
trust legislation, said Meyer.
Essentially, pork producer orga
nizations “can do things like edu
cation,'* including studies on the
results of overproduction, Meyer
said. But they step over the line
when they ask producers to act to
control supply.
Hcrshcy, president of Hetshey
Ag, Marietta, was die originator of
the proposal. Hcrshcy brought the
first version of the proposal up for
consideration by the PPPC at the
council’s board meeting in mid-
February. The proposal passed by
a very narrow margin, 10-9.
Despite the close vote and dis
sension among those who believe
in keeping government out of pro
ducers* affairs, a modified resolu
(Turn to Pago A 42)