84-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, March 4, 2000 It works. The system works. And several thousand farm land owners here in York County are tickled pink about it. Because, after a couple of years of protesting a real estate reassessment and its resulting tax hikes on land with no im provements, there appears to be some relief in sight. And we can gratefully thank a handful of our farm leaders, es pecially current and past county Farm Bureau presidents Doug Kilgore and Bill Buser, and their boards of farmer-directors. It was they who really grabbed hold of the reins of this issue and helped guide it to what land owners can only see as a success ful conclusion. The end result? Lower real estate taxes on land used to help feed the nation. What really “tripped their trigger,” enough for thousands of farmers and open land owners to file tax protests and voluntarily contribute funds toward addressing the increases, was across-the-board higher values put on farmland, with no consideration given to soil type or productivity. Also raising the collective landowner ire was a high valua tion on farm houses, which are an integral part of a farm. What farmer is likely to sell the farm house, which usually sits in the midst of, or very near, produc tion-related buildings, to some one to move into, absent of buying the rest of the farm? So how much extra value is a house which is basically worth almost nothing unless part of the pack age? This welcome and highly sensible decision to re-evaluate farmland taxation is a bright spot in an otherwise somber fi nancial picture for the average sized “family farm” in York HEATMOR Stainless Steel County. (Whatever a “family farm” means is tenuous, at best, when relating to size. We have friends who operate “family” dairy farms ranging from 50- cow herds nearby to Florida and California ones with upwards of 10,000 milking cows each). On our own farm, the reas sessment which was completed a couple of years ago, jacked up our real state tax 43 percent. Yep, 43 percent. That, mind you, on land which is producing crops and milk which are cur rently valued at 20-year lows. And we don’t even talk about the sudden escalation in price of the considerable volumes of diesel fuel to produce it. We’ve beaten this drum re peatedly, but it’s worth banging on one more time: land kept in agriculture does not demand even close to the volume of mu nicipal services (read, tax sss) as do commercial or residential uses. Crop acreage doesn’t gen erate tons of landfill trash, create more roads which need to be kept paved, plowed and Craft Show RUTGERS, N.J.-The Sev enth Annual Breath of Spring Craft Show is scheduled for March 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hunterdon County Exten sion Center on Route 31 north of Flemington. Admission is $l. This show is made up of excel lent crafters with handmade crafts: wood carvings, weaving, folk art, quilts, hand painted lamp shades, American Girl Doll clothes, dried herbs & flora, jewelry, Easter items and much more. There will be crafts for chil dren to make and a visit from the Easter Bunny. Also available will be a variety of spring plants, baked goods, and a delicious lunch menu. 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Could you really grow and harvest and grind the wheat for the bread and pasta you ate today? Could you milk and pro cess and age the cheese on the pizza you enjoyed the other eve ning? Could you grow in your backyard, or back porch, the va riety of fresh vegetables in that salad you had for lunch yester day. Sure you could. But do you want to? Revaluing our taxation won’t save every acre of farm land that helps produce our dinners. But it may help a bit in the overall picture. Death and taxes may be cer tain. But it’s satisfying that-by pulling together-we could have a modifying effect on at least use of them. All Gates & Fencing manufac tured of 1.9” outside diameter high yield steel tubing with 13 gauge wall. 13 gauge steel is 15% heavier than 14 gauge, 45% heavier than 16 gauge & 85% heavier than 18 gauge. Call or write for additional information & the name of your nearest dealer (Continued from Page B 2) Early morning dairy princess not ready to be social that events have also helped Amanda early.” become more of a morning But being dairy princess has person. Normally Amanda helped her overcome her early needs the first couple of hours morning shyness, she is awake to gradually work into being social. “When I am at home, nobody bothers me for the first two hours that I am awake,” said Amanda. “I don’t mind doing things in the morning. I’m just Amanda joined her state dairy princess team, includ ing Lori Connelly and Rebecca Kilgore, to model 18th century garb during the ladies program at the Pennsyl vania Holstein Association annual convention. Install The Gales & Fencing That Are Manufactured To Last! Finished with Top Grade TGIC Polyester Coating TGiC Powder Coating Finish • is superior to epoxy • Resists acid, chemicals • Protects against rust, corrosion • Resists chipping • Stays cleaner I Added Value With Our 2 Coat Process! 1 Five step metal preparation, including iron phosphate conversion coating, to enhance adhesion & prevent undercoat corrosion 2 Zinc rich epoxy powder undercoat 3 TGIC polyester powder top coat, baked at 400° to fuse coats, forming a cross link molecular bond aul B. Zimmerman, Inc. 295 Woodcorner Rd. • Lititz, PA 17543 • 717/738-7365 1 mile West of Ephrata Growing Up On Farm Hinge (or 3/4"pm j* Round corners for welded to gate | safety & strength Slant Bar Feed Thru Fence Section Custom Built to Any Length “It’s only when I am away," admits Amanda. “My parents would argue that I am still not a morning person when I am at home.” Standard Heights • 4 bar: 38” high • 5 bar: 48” high • 6 bar: 54” high II Stub welded to gate ► g for automatic latch ( Vertical bracing Hours; Mon.-Fri.: 7-5; Sat.: 7-11
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