Agriculture Secretary Announces 2000 Farm Show Schedule
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Agriculture Secretary Samuel
E. Hayes Jr. announced that the
84th Pennsylvania Farm Show is
scheduled Saturday, Jan. 8, to
Thursday, Jan. 13, here at the Farm
Show Complex.
“As we enter the new millen
nium, the 2000 Farm Show pro
vides a unique venue to witness
both the latest in agricultural tech
nologies and time-honored tradi
tions," Hayes stud. “The mm and
women of Pennsylvania agricul
ture will convene under one roof to
showcase the diversity of Pennsyl
vania agriculture and the role it
plays in our heritage and the future
of this great commonwealth.
“Every Pennsylvanian is invited
to the 2000 Pennsylvania Farm
Ph; (717)933-8853 • Fax: (717)933-8078
Show to see why we all can be
proud of Pennsylvania agriculture.
This year’s show includes many
features and events for competi
tors, visitors, and their families."
Hayes noted that agriculture is
Pennsylvania’s No. 1 industry,
generating $44.1 billion from the
farm to the table.
Premiums totaling $263,841
will be distributed to about 10,000
winners during the 2000 Pennsyl
vania Farm Show. Ibis year, the
show again features a very large
dairy show and a variety of lives
tock competitions. Poultry exhi
bits once again will join the many
agriculture exhibits at this year’s
show.
Additions to the Farm Show will
include an enlarged butter sculp-
ture, the introduction of a cheese
sculpture, and an agricultural
biotechnology program sponsored
by the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture and the Pennsylva
nia Biotechnology Association.
Tuesday, Jan. 11, at the Agricul
ture Building, is for nonspedalists
■nd will concentrate on various
aspects of agricultural biotechnol
ogy and their potential
contributions.
Many popular venues will be
returning to this year’s show, such
as the Sheep-to-Shawl contest, and
the Family living and Agricultural
T e-aming Center, which will fea
ture a variety of ongoing exhibits
and demonstrations. This venue
will be on the second level of the
northeast building.
ZARTMAN FARMS Introduces...
The Ultimate in Cow Comfort
Ulti-mat™
All Rubber Mattress Installation
Absolutely the Ultimate in Cow Comfort
Features:
An all rubber mattress that is 3 yeai wan anti/
repairable (no sewing to come Uses PA ie clanned Inc iubbei
apart, no material to tear) „ ~
r Designed by fanners
Choice of mattress covers Inert does not promote fungus or
3" nominal thickness bacterial growth
Water and acid resistant Patent pending
polyurethane binder NEW Farmer Friendly
Installation allows changing
The most comfort for cows of any cover or repairing mattress
type of installation minutes!
exclusively for ZARTMAN FARMS*
»> CALL FOR REFERENCES «<
Installation and Financing Available
ZARTMAN FARMS
820 Hilltop Road, Ephrata, PA 17522 • 717-733-1050
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 18, 1999-A29
Also part of the Pennsylvania
Farm Show is the second annual
Juried Art Exhibition, which bene
fits the Pennsylvania Farm Show
Scholarship Foundation for Pen
nsylvania college students. Sub
mitted artwork and prints will be
available few purchase throughout
the show with the “Best of Show"
being auctioned off on Thursday,
Jan. 13, following the Livestock
Sale of Champions in the Small
Arena of the Farm Show Complex.
Ridge Administration
Releases
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Agriculture Secretary Samuel
E. Hayes Jr. recently announced
that the first checks have been
issued to drought-stricken farmers
under the Governor’s Hay Assis
tance Rebate Program.
“These checks, and the ones that
soon will follow, represent the first
drought-related cash assistance to
reach Pennsylvania farmers,”
Hayes said.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show
opens on Saturday, Jan. 8, and is
free and open to the public.
“Families small and large
are encouraged to attend this great
agriculture exposition. There truly
is something for everyone,” Hayes
said.
There is a $5 parking fee per
vehicle in the Farm Show parking
lot, which is along Cameron Street,
just off Rt. 81.
Rebates
To date, 82 checks totaling more
than $92,000 have been mailed to
eligible fanners to partially reim
burse them for the cost of purchas
ing hay to feed their livestock.
These will be followed by rebates
to nearly 4,000 eligible farmers,
who have returned the required
documentation such as receipts, to
the Department of Agriculture,
showing proof of purchase.
On Sept. 10, Gov.
Ridge released $5 mil
lion in emergency funds
to provide direct relief
for Pennsylvania’s
drought-stricken
farmers.
Under the Hay Assis
tance Rebate Program,
fanners are eligible to
receive a $6O rebate for
each ton of hay pur
chased in the state; a $5O
rebate for each ton of
hay purchased out of
slate; and a $25-pcr-ton
rebate to help defray
long-distance transpor
tation costs.
Hay purchased in
Pennsylvania or in bor
dering states and Virgi
nia is not eligible for
long-haul transportation
assistance.
Gov. Ridge’s plan
also included more than
350 tons of hay donated
by Wisconsin farmers
and transported and dis
tributed by the Agricul
ture Department to
some of Pennsylvania’s
most profoundly strick
en farmers.
To be eligible, lives
tock fanners had to cer
tify at least a 30 percent
crop loss.
On Monday, Gov.
Ridge signed into law
Senate Bill 1135, the
largest state aid package
for drought-stricken far
mers in the nation this
year. The law makes
available $82.6 million
in state funds: $6O mil
lion in grants for eligible
fanners, $5.6 million to
subsidize crop insur
ance costs for farmers,
$2 million to reimburse
commercial orchard and
fruit-tree nursery own
ers for losses from the
plum pox virus, and $ 15
million for flood relief.
ra»«ttWsN