A24-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 18, 2000
Farm Bureau Program Encourages Farmers As Proud Water Partners
PARK RIDGE, 111. The
American Farm Bureau Federa
tion (AFBF) has introduced a
new grassroots water quality ini
tiative that highlights and en
courages positive roles for farm
ers in protecting the nation’s
water resources.
The “Proud Water Partners”
program includes insights
gleaned from successful state
Farm Bureau water quality ef
forts. Proud Water Partners en
courages cooperative leadership
from farmers regarding water
quality issues, but also recognizes
the supportive roles of other
groups, government agencies and
researchers who are interested in
‘Passing On The Farm’ Workshop
In Pottsville Dec. 13
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
Transferring a family farm to the
next generation seems as natural
as the change in seasons. But tax
traps, family squabbles, and lack
of financing or business planning
challenge many families attempt
ing a transition and outright
threaten the continuation of
some farms.
To help Pennsylvania farm
families navigate these chal
lenges, the Pennsylvania Farm
Link and Penn State Cooperative
Extension program will host a
“Passing on the Farm” Work
shop from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
on Dec. 13 at the Schuylkill
County Extension Office.
Pennsylvania Farm Link,
based in Manheim, is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to ensur
ing the continuation of family
farms.
According to the 1997 Census,
three times as many farm opera
tors are over age 65 as under 35.
Just from the perspective of re
tirement age, one-third to one
half of farmers will retire in the
next decade. How we address
this problem will affect agricul
ture in Pennsylvania for
generations to come.
Marion Bowlan, executive di
rector of Pennsylvania Farm
Link, said, “In addition to pro
viding for our food and fiber
needs, farm families provide eco
nomic stability to our rural area,
protect its prime farmland, and
steward the land for succeeding
generations. If we want to retain
family farmers as part of our
rural heritage we must do more
to encourage new farm entry.”
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Since 1929, Mt. Joy has served the local Dairy Industry. Now
grown to over 300 members, the Co-Op continues that
commitment to marketing our member’s milk in 10 counties.
• Local Markets • Local Board of Directors/Member Controlled
• Mt. Joy’s own trucking • High dollar over-order premiums
are ail reasons why Mt. Joy continues to be the leader in the area.
agriculture’s success and water
quality.
“This dynamic water quality
program rightfully puts farmers
in the driver’s seat,” said AFBF
President Bob Stallman. “Proud
Water Partners shows farmers,
step-by-step, how they can work
through their state Farm Bureau
to reach out to their neighbors
and others who believe that a
strong agriculture is the best way
to tackle any water quality chal
lenge.”
According to Stallman, the
program empowers and equips
farmers to;
• Take an even more active
interest in the condition of their
“How a farmer plans for his or
her successor is one of the most
important lifetime decisions that
farmers will make. Because it re
quires frank and open discus
sions about retirement and
death, many families either delay
or avoid the planning process,”
she said. “While it is understand
able, this strategy only narrows
the choices and options available
to both the retiring farmer and
the beginning farmer and may
result in unwanted tax conse
quences. Perhaps the most diffi
cult decision to make is the deci
sion to get started. Once you
have made that decision there
are many individuals and organi
zations such as Pennsylvania
Farm Link that can help you in
the planning process.”
These workshops are a first
step. Speakers will address bring
ing the next generation into the
farm business, farm viability,
farmland preservation programs,
estate planning, legal aspects of
transfers, retirement planning,
and financing for new farmers.
In addition, farmers from the re
gion will discuss their families’
efforts to transfer their business
es to the next generation.
Lunch will be on your own at
the Pottsville meeting. Please call
Pennsylvania Farm Link to reg
ister for this free meeting at (717)
664-7077 by Nov. 17. The exten
sion office is located on Rt. 901
in Pottsville. For more informa
tion on these programs or for di
rections, contact Farm Link at
(717) 664-7077 or e-mail pafarm
link@redrose,net.
local water resources.
• Understand the true condi
tion of local water resources and
be familiar with the science be
hind such determinations.
• Address through changes in
management practices any water
quality challenge quantified by
sound science.
• Work with government offi
cials to correct any misidentifica
tion of water quality problems
that are not supported by scien
tific fact.
The program includes an ac
tion notebook, which provides
background on the program and
the issue of water quality, step
by-step guidelines and sugges
[Ryder supply]
•• »
SCHULER
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Models • 1758 F • 2208 F
Designed to feed corn silage, haylage and grain rations
Patented Feedsaver Design on Schuler "Better Feeders"
i extends the elevator chain back under the floor
m apron This keeps feed loss between the elevator
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flights are tipped by chain lifters in order to clean
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may be lost due to
) / floor apron drag back Elevator chain
sweeps across the bottom of the pan,
keeping it clean
Call For Information & Dealer Nearest To You!
539 Falling Spring Road
P.0.80x 219
Chambersburg, PA 17201-0219
888-464-6379
Fax (717) 263-5573
Products of.
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FARMERS
.3tnr/itty t , ffifA w
1-800-860-6569 • 717-653-5431
tions for developing farmer-fo
cused water quality programs at
the state level, and examples of
programs and ideas developed by
state Farm Bureaus that have al
ready proved successful.
“It is our hope that govern
ment officials will serve as help
ing hands as state Farm Bureaus
put this program into place,”
Stallman said. “We expect these
cooperative steps to be far more
effective and rewarding than fed
eral proposals, such as TMDL
regulations, that tend to target
farmers, create adversarial rela
tionships and foster mistrust be
tween government and the peo
ple it serves. True to the
program’s motto, America’s
farmers are ’Working the land.
Protecting the water.’ Through
Proud Water Partners, farmers
will further meld those two con
cepts into a singular action.
Farmers are keenly aware of the
vital roles that a healthy environ
ment and quality natural re
sources play in the production of
abundant, healthy, and safe food.
And they know it all starts with
water.”
For more information about
the Proud Water Partners pro
gram, contact Don Parrish, sen
ior environmental policy special
ist for AFBF, at (847) 685-8742
or your state Farm Bureau.
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CO-OP