A264jncMtor Farming, Saturday, January 1, 2000 Some (ConUniMd from Pag* A 1) «»n«» named Floyd in September. Drought Of *99 By far the biggest story was the worst drought in the history of the state, rivaling that of 1964 or 19SS. In mid-June, Gov. Tom Ridge declared a “drought warning'* for mote than two-thirds of the state. The warning, second of a three tiered drought response, called for a 10 percent voluntary reduction in water consumption. When producers thought the worst was over, and some small regions in the northcentral and northwestern part of the state received rain, others saw com and soybeans emerge, wither, and die. The July 24 Lancaster Farming reported that a “drought emergen cy” had been declared. The third and most severe stage mandates restrictions on water use. The drought was how producers paid the price for little snow over the winter, little rain the spring, and a dry, hot summer. This resulted in dangerous low ground water levels. Some producers, dependent on irrigation, had to turn of the pumps to conserve water for livestock. Shallow wells dried up. Pastures dried up, too. By late August, truckloads of hay from Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Ontario made their way to die drought-stricken states in the Northeast FFA chapters and other organizations donated their time to help unload hay. The Mennonite Disaster Service initiated a hay Winning Numbers from NC+ NC+ 3448 - 107 days NC+4646-111 days * Also available in Clearfield, Roundup Ready and Yield Gard Bt versions NC+ 5778-115 days NC+ 58788-114 days NC+ 7237-119 days ! B*% Cash Discount Through January 8, 2000 Call District Sales Manager Harvey Doyle at 724-459-8580 or see one of these NC+ Dealers. ALEXANDRIA J CLETUS RHODES • 814-669-4705 CANTON ED PEPPER *717-364-5242 EAST EARL IVAN ZIMMERMAN • 717-354-5826 ELLIOTSBUR6 WAYNE FREEMAN • 717-582-2397 HALIFAX BECHTEL FARMS, KENNETH BECHTEL •717-896-8314 KINTNERSVILLE WAYNE LITZENBERGER • 610-847-5563 View Past Year As One Of Opportunity; For Others, It Was 1999 Nightmare drive late in August after fir- need to any on sMtional debt, bines with an estimated $75 mil- j** m ifSf mere in Michigan offered their the relief bill earmarks $6O million lien in federal aid. hrineine the tot- Deadline to apply is Feb. 25. Far bumper crop of hay to needy far- in grants to help farmers recoup *1 for drought reUefSpennsylva- mere who want aid must apply to mere in the East 1999 crop losses and $5.6 million to $135 mtn;™ * person at the county brandies of EvenaslateasDecember.com in crop insurance incentives for The aid program is available to the USDA Earn Service Agency, was amving from Canada to area this year. The state money com- farmere who can document a crop (Turn to Pag* A 2«) producers. Silage harvest yields were way down. Many farmers simply disced their com grain fields. As a result, volunteer con on care too small to be picked up by the combine will pose a risk in some fields in 2000. In 1999, the state Department of Environmental Protection was cautioning everyone statewide to do their part to conserve water. Some townships declared mandat ory restrictions including water rationing. In Lancaster County, three con secutive 100-degree days were recorded, with more than half dozen days total. For many coun ties in the southeastern part of the state, there was no rain in the cru cial months of June and July when com and soybeans need it most. As a result, in early August, President Clinton declared West Virginia and four contiguous counties in southwestern Pennsyl vania a federal disaster area. Prior to recessing, the Pennsyl vania Genual Assembly passed a $65.6 million drought relief bill for producers. Earlier on, many pro ducer organizations were dis quieted about a proposed low interest loan program to aid in the drought relief; but at the requests of senators and representatives, who realized producers do not KUNKLETOWN JEFFREY BORGER • 610-381-3785 LEBANON CLARENCE MULL • 717-865-2037 LEWISBURG AARON MARTIN • 717-524-2952 LEWISBURG URIE YODER *717-524-7739 LITITZ ELVIN HURSH* 717-733-3538 MANCHESTER ANIMAL MEDIC *717-266-5611 MANHEIM ARTHUR AUKER • 717-665-6627 Pennsylvania Produce is Simply Delicious. TO educate the public about fruit and vegetable production In the state, a campaign has been cooordlnated through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture with the state food merchants and individual retailers and marketers. From left, Food Merchants President David McCorkle, Weis Markets PrasidentNoglMn Rich, State Agriculture Secretary Samuel Hayes Jr., potato producer Keith Masdfer, and green bean grower Ronald Copenhaver. NC+ 3A66RR NC+ 4AI6RR NC+ 3A87 JADE II Roughrider SIERRA MOUNTJOY VINCENT MUMMAU • 717-653-5991 RICHFIELD SAMUEL KNOUSE • 717-463-2885 SALEM DONALD EMEL • 609-769-1577 THOMPSONTOWN ROGER SANER • 717-535-5307 WOODBURY GREGG CARBAUGH • 814-766-3696 WYALUSING ANDY CAMPBELL • 717-363-2133 <s► down to earth seed company America's
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers