Groff Field Day ‘Exchange 9 Emphasizes Environmentally Friendly Farming
(Continued from Pago At)
Society, said Rominger, ex
pects farmers to be environmen
tal stewards. But there are no
financial rewards. However, the
proposed 2000 Farm Bill “builds
on the successes we’ve had,” he
said, with previous Farm Bills.
The proposed new bill en
hances additional conservation
and land stewardship programs,
and could allow programs to ac
tually pay farmers as a reward
for carrying out those programs.
As a token of appreciation for
his visit Wednesday, Groff pre
sented Rominger with a baseball
cap inscribed with the words,
“Soil Is Meant To Be Covered.”
Rominger, who has served as
president of the Western Associ
ation of State Departments of
Agriculture and the Western
U.S. Agricultural Trade Associ
ation, noted afterward that
farmers should be called “envi
ronmental managers.”
If the Farm Bill passes, to be
paid directly for their efforts,
Rominger noted that approved
conservation practices have to
be in place and best manage
ment practices, including cover
crops and some form of mini
mum tillage, would have to be
employed.
The payment would be
graded on a scale yet to be fig
ured out by the type of practice.
Rominger was selected Agri
culturalist of the Year at the
California State Fair in 1992.
Dr. Robert Steele, dean of ag
riculture for Penn State, spoke
about the continuing partner
ship between university, indus
try, and the federal government
that make field days like Groffs
possible.
About 350 producers and
agri-industry representatives at
tended the field day, despite
pouring rain. Some demonstra
tions were canceled at the field
day because of the inclement
weather.
Groff farms with wife Cheri
and children, Dana, 7; Lauren,
6; and David, 3. Steve’s work
was profiled in Lancaster Farm
ing in the early ’9os and was fea
tured in a three-part PBS TV
miniseries, “Journey to Planet
Earth.” Groff was also selected
as the 1999 National No-Till In
novator of the Year.
Despite heavy rain, about 350 attended the field day at Cedar Meadow Farm on
Wednesday. Many spent time inside the huge exhibitor tent.