(Continued from Page A 1) Dairy Compact operating in New England is a top priority. In addition, Farm Bureau’s rec ommendations for the next Farm Bill will be discussed with lawmakers. Congressman Tim Holden (D-6th Dist.) will be guest speaker at the Washington Tour banquet Wednesday evening, March 14. PFB President Don aldson will discuss PFB’s prior ity issues during a breakfast meeting for Pennsylvania’s con gressional delegation the follow ing morning. Here’s more about the issues Farm Bureau members will be discussing with their representa tives during PFB’s Washington Tour; • Death taxes. The federal estate tax, which can be as high as 5S percent, can destroy a family farm when survivors are forced to sell off property or equipment to pay the taxes. Congress passed legislation to eliminate the so-called “death tax” last summer, but it was vetoed by President Clinton. Farm Bureau is supporting a bill to be introduced this session by Reps. Dunn (R-Wash.) and Tanner (D-Tenn.). The Dunn/ Tanner proposal nearly doubles the death tax exemption to $1.3 million and cuts tax rates by five percent per year until the estate tax is completely eliminated. Farm Bureau also supports the Dunn/Tanner provision pre serving the stepped-up basis for tax calculations. Farmers keep farmland an average of 30 years, If manure handling is a challenge for you - Don't Panic Call Mid-Atlantic Mid-Atlantic AgriSystems is the answer to liquid waste handling on your farm Trained, experienced tales and service stall New and used equipment sides Penial equipment tee Fulfy-siackedparts and service department If you have a problem, we "have ihe answer 1 -800-222-2948 Top Volume Dealer 4019 Ashville Rd. • Quarryville, PA 17566 In the United States www.midatlanticagri.com (ISMDIUIUiI Pa. Farmers To Meet With Representatives On Farm Issues during which time inflation can increase its value dramatically. If stepped-up basis is not main tained, farmers would be subject to a potentially huge capital gains tax if they sell inherited property. Using carryover basis instead of stepped-up basis would subject a person to taxes on capital gains during both his or her’s and the previous owner’s ownership. • FARRM accounts. Farm Bureau supports creation of tax deferred savings accounts, known as Farm and Ranch Risk Management (FARRM) ac counts, to give farmers a new tool to help get through years when income is down because of low prices or poor crops. FARRM account legislation has been introduced as freestanding bills, H.R. 662 and S. 313, and as part of a comprehensive agricul tural tax package, S. 312 the Tax Empowerment and Relief For Farmers and Fisherman Act. With FARRM accounts, farmers could save 20 percent of their net farm income per year in an interest-bearing account. Funds could be kept in the ac count for up to five years. FARRM account funds could be withdrawn at any time and would be taxed as income. • Dairy prices. Farm Bureau is urging members of Congress to cosponsor legislation to be in troduced to expand the North east Dairy Compact and to ratify the Southern Dairy Com pact. The federal milk order system establishes minimum MID-ATLANTIC, a qnsvstems prices paid to farmers for milk and does not preempt the power of states to regulate milk prices above the federally-imposed minimum level. Dairy compact legislation gives states the au thority to work together through a regional commission, com posed of consumer representa tives and farmers, to establish a price to ensure a stable supply of fluid milk. Dairy compacts are self-financed and require no tax funded support. The Northeast Dairy Com pact, which began in six states in 1997 as the result of federal leg islation, has paid more than $135 million about 4,00 dairy farmers in New England and eastern New York. Pennsylva nia approved legislation in 1999 enabling the state’s dairy pro ducers to become part of the Compact if authorized by Con gress. Had Pennsylvania been a member of the Compact last year, dairy farmers in the state would have received $122 mil lion in addition income a helpful amount during a time of low milk prices. Farm Bureau also supports an extension of the current dairy price support program which has been prolonged on a year by-year basis since 1999. The price support program provides a safety net for milk prices. • Farm policy. Congressional testimony has already been gathered in preparation for writ ing a new Farm Bill. Current legislation expires after fiscal year 2002. Farm Bureau has re- Cadman NMR MUIMMNT ja»niu*jw3 quested that the next Farm Bill increase the funding baseline for agriculture programs to $l2 bil lion per year, which will elimi nate the need for further agriculture emergency spending bills. The additional money will be used for income support, con servation, research and export promotion, among other pro grams. Farm income support should operate on an counter cyclical basis to offset swings in farm income. In addition long term farm spending, Farm Bureau is seeking $9 billion in emergency assistance for farm ers as soon as possible. Farm economists have predicted a fourth straight year of record low commodity prices. • TMDL regulatory expan sion. In August 1999, the EPA expanded its total maximum daily loads (TMDL) program to increase regulatory control over runoff from “nonpoint” sources identified as agriculture and for estry. TMDLs are the amount of pollutant a body of water can absorb before it becomes im paired. For the previous 30 years, EPA had focused on cleaning up “point” sources of pollution such as factories and treatment plants. After legisla tors criticized EPA for failing to Mailbox Markets Appear On Pages A 46 And C2-C6 Lancaster Farming ✓Check Out Our Web site www.lancasterfarming.com Cimarron YR & Hay Grazer Alfalfas produce large buds and leaves. University Testing Year after year, Cimarron VR tops out uni versity forage quality trials. In one 9-year study, Cimarron VR produced an average 10% higher RFV (relative feed value) than the test check out-performing “HQ” and multi-leaf varieties alike. Hay Grazer offers this same great forage quality with grazability. Higher quality hay will produce more milk and bring higher prices on the hay market So you can make more money on your alfalfa hay production. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 10,2001-A39 adequately address the techni cal, financial, and scientific issues surrounding its new TMDL regulations for nonpoint sources. Congress took action last year to delay the rules until after October 2001. Farm Bureau supports legislation and regulation that encourages locally designed and imple mented solutions to water qual ity problems. Farm Bureau supports voluntary incentive based approaches based on sound scientific information, technical assistance to landown ers, and site-specifically flexibil ity. • Animal feeding operations. The EPA has proposed in creased water quality regulatory requirements for CAFOs (Con centrated Animal Feeding Oper ations). These proposals include regulating land application of manure as a “point source” of pollution, the co-permitting of CAFOs with animal processors, and expanding the number of farms classified as CAFOs. Hearings have been held before the House and Senate Ag riculture Committees on the CAFO regulations. Farm Bureau opposes this regulatory approach to water quality pro tection. Breeding for Higher Forage Quality Cimarron VR and Hay Grazer alfalfas provide the ultimate in high forage quality. Cimarron VR and Hay Grazer produce larger leaves and finer stems than other alfalfas Larger leaves and finer stems mean more protein and higher TDN Cimarron VR and Hay Grazer have belter leaf retention than other varieties Extra resis tance to leaf diseases allows these varieties to hold their leaves better, both on the plant and in the windrow So you get more leaves in every bale of hay Break open a bale of Cimarron VR or Hay Grazer hay, and you will see the difference genetics hy. ompmmy. Incorporated For a dealer near you, call: WETSEL, INC. 800-572-4018 Ask for Extension 6503 or 6040 and Fim
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