A26-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 22, 1999 VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Fanning Staff SCHAEFFERSTOWN (Leba non Co.) A group of state legi slators and their staff recently toured several “advanced farms" in Lebanon and Lancaster coun ties, through a program offered by PennAg Industries Association Inc. “Advanced farms” are described in the literature distri buted during the tour as, “high yield, livestock-raising activities that benefit from new technologies.” The definition is a departure from the trend in defining the more recent developments in livestock production, in that it avoids any reference to animal density or numbers. Current federal and state envir onmental laws concerning lives tock operations consider them, respectively, as “concentrated ani mal feeding operations” (CAFO) and “concentrated animal opera tions” (CAO). However, the different empha sis in the definition chosen by Pcn nAg is perhaps more accurate. The difference in definition seems a reflection of different agendas. Federal and state government agencies and rulemakers con cerned with nutrient management aspects have chosen to focus on volumes of manure as a threat. Therefore, the number of animals on a farm is emphasized as an indi cator of an environmental threat. PennAg membership is con cerned with raising livestock profi tably and with the least amount of risk and headaches. Anything that exposes invest ment to loss is a threat, and short cutting on manure management doesn’t make business sense. The farms toured have gone well beyond minimums required for nutrient management laws. The risks they pose to the envi ronment are very slight it would be difficult to create a plaus ible scenario in which they could pose a threat. Nevertheless, these aje the style of operations that have been bad mouthed as “corporate” farming, held up by anti-agriculturalists as threats to human health, and targeted by new development urbanites as environmental nuisances. PennAg is an association of agricultural producers, feed and equipment dealers and manufac turers, and other agricultural sup port businesses. The industry association makes no excuses for bad actors, or the negative environmental impacts that poor practice farming can cause. But neither does it side with commuters in new developments trying to shut down local fanning. Instead, it seeks to educate law makers and policy leaders about the activities that predominate livestock production, in Pennsylvania. According to Walt Peechatcka, executive vice president of Pen nAg, the tour was put together to offer legislators a first-hand look at actual modem fanning operations so they can better know the differ ence between what is really the situation in farming, and what is being told to them by agricultural opposition groups, misinformation perpetuated by ill-researched news reporting, and other misguided reports. PcnnAg’s role is to serve as an educational catalyst between agri culturalists and lawmakers and law PennAg Industries Provides Production Ag Insights Last week, Peechatcka met with a group of legislators in Harrisburg at the state Capitol, and traveled with them on a bus to meet with the rest of the tour group in the parking lot of the historic Franklin House in Schaeffers town, where other legislators and staff traveled directly. Technical and educational sup port for the tour came from several PennAg members, such as Wenger Feeds Inc. and Hostetler Manage ment Company. The companies represent a seg ment involved in what is called “integrated” agriculture alliances and effort coordination arc done from production through processing. Marketing is generally another level above, but can be involved. The day, and group, was divided between morning and afternoon trips. That way participants could either visit one of two swine facili ties and also a poultry facility. Because of the biosecurity restr ictions on the swine facilities complete head-to-toe body show ers arc required before entering the area where the swine ate housed and cared for there were two facilities offered to participants. Some went to visit a 1,400-sow farrowing operation in nearby I uneaster County, while others visited a 700-sow farrowing house within walking distance of the Franklin House in downtown Schacfferstown. The poultry operation that was toured an 80,000-bird layer house was located closer to Newmans town. The contract far mer who permitted the tour group to view the facilities requested that no photographs be taken nor fami ly names be mentioned in any news report According to tour participants, they were impressed with the cleanliness, attention to detail, and, lack of odor, at each of the facilities. In Pennsylvania, livestock pro ducers, especially those operations defined as “integrated,” arc find ing more and more governing boards of local municipalities created ordinances aimed at ban ning what arc being called, “copo rate” farming methods. Generally, “integration” con sists of a landowner who invests in a building and operational plan and who performs the day-to-day maintenance operations, an owner of the animals, an owner of the feed, and a marketer who contracts for the production of commodities at a specific rate of profit per unit. For example, at the layer opera tion, the farmers received a certain amount of income for each egg produced. The farmer doesn’t take on the risk of the investment in the layer birds, worth more than $2 each when brought to the house at sev eral weeks old. Either the marketer or some other entity, such as a group of investors, puts up the money and thus financial risk, for the birds. The feed used is not the finan cial responsibility of the farmer either. That risk is held by another partner. The farmer is required to protect the birds from infection by follow ing a prophylactic routine, such as not allowing people into the facili ty unless they first don a clean jumpsuit, boots and hair-hat. The hog facilities actually require that visitors strip of the clothes they wore to the premises. (Turn to Pag* A 27) > ' The outfits may notwin them any prizes, but the group is no longer a threat to chick ens. From the left, members of a legislative tour group about to enter an 80,000-layer house, are Jay Howes, hosts Bill Rogers and Bob Sydell, Rep. Raymond Bunt, Jennif er Loy, Owen Thomas, Lynn Slabicki, Rep. Allan Egolf, and Jim Shirk with PennAg industries Association. Members of a PennAg legislative lour look over this 1.2 million gallon manure lagoon that receives manure via gravity from the 700-sow farrowing facility behind it The lack of odor is demonstrated, and the liner is highlighted because it voluntarily exceeded requirements to ensure beyond any doubt that the facility was environmen tally compatible. A legislative tour groups looks over the breeding holding pens for sows at a Leba non County farrowing facility. From the left is Jay Howes, Owen Thomas, state Rep. Allan Eg6H, Rep. Raymond Bunt, Jennifer Loy, and Rick Martin, who operates the fam ily farm facility with his father. SC.
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