HH HBHB /
V 01.46 No. 20
The recent Philadelphia Flower Show brought a dash
of unabashed color and roomfuls of fragrance to visitors
seeking' signs of the new season. Spring begins next
Tuesday. See full report on page 82.
Photo bv Michelle Ranck
Editor’s Note: “NASS: Ag
riculture Counts” is the
title of a new column by
Marc Tosiano, Pennsylva
nia state statistician.
Lancaster Farming be
lieves the Pennsylvania Ag
ricultural Statistics Service
(PASS), of the National Agri
cultural Statistics Service
(NASS), provides valuable
information to farmers.
Many rely on the annual
PASS spring machinery
custom rates, listed start
ing on page A 25 this issue. \
The Livengood family was honored with the 2001 Soil Stewardship Award at last
week’s Lancaster County Conservation District banquet in New Holland. From left,
Dwayne). Dale, Dean, Joyce, and Earl Livengood. For more about the award winners* see
Four Sections
This is the first article in a
column called “Agriculture
Counts.” I want to thank the
staff of Lancaster Fanning for
this opportunity to inform read
ers of how agricultural statistics
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 17,2001
Packers, Processors Compel Livestock
Auctions To Put Anti-BSE Steps Into Place
ANDY ANDREWS
Editor
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
Because of the recent concerns
about bovine spongiform En
cephalopathy (BSE), also called
“mad cow disease,” several pro
cessors are taking their own
steps to ensure that livestock
from auctions are certified safe.
According to a letter sent re
cently to producers from the
Lecsport Farmers’ Market, the
worldwide media attention on
the BSE issue has forced many
beef packers and processors, in
addition to retail operations, to
establish certification programs
for their suppliers to ensure they
are not receiving cattle that have
been fed ruminant-derived pro
tein materials.
Other livestock auctions have
reported the same type of action.
Jim DeGaetano of Carlisle said
two packers have requested
compliance from those who sell
animals at the market. Jim Star
liper of Four States Livestock
Sales in Hagerstown, Md„ Fred-
NASS
Agriculture Counts
By M arc Tosiano
Pa. State Statistician
arc used, the results of recent
USDA surveys, and information
about upcoming studies.
Because of the name, I am
often asked if the Pennsylvania
(Turn to Page A 24)
$32.00 Per Year
erick Livestock Auction, and
Westminster Livestock Auction,
has a “stack of papers” regard
ing the compliance issue.
Mike McDermott, office man
ager at New Holland Sales St
ables, has already been
contacted by a couple of packers
and is sure the certification pro
gram will also have to be under
way at the auction.
According to Woody Wcist,
president of the Lecsport
market, in 1997, the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA)
adopted a regulation, Title 21
Fart 589.2000 of the Code of
Federal Regulations. The regu
lations prohibit the feeding of
ruminant meat and bone meal to
ruminant animals.
‘Chicken Holiday’ This Fall
Could Help Stop Avian Influenza
ANDY ANDREWS
Editor
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co )
The USDA wanF live bud
markets, this fall, to “take a hol
iday” for about three days.
It’s all in an effort to rid flocks
of the deadly yet persistent
avian influenza (A. 1.) virus that
Good Named Food And
Family Features Editor
EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.)
Lou Ann Good, staff writer
for Lancaster Farming, has been
named food and family features
editor for the paper.
Good joined Lancaster Fann
ing in Aug. 1987. For 13 years,
she has been responsible for food
Lou Ann Good, right, has been appointed to the title of
Lancaster Farming food and family features editor by Andy
Andrews, editor, left. In her duties, Good will continue to
oversee the editorial production of Section B and contrib
ute to other sections of.the.papar
600 Per Copy
Prohibited feed is not allowed
to be fed to cattle. Producers are
cautioned to buy “feed products
only from companies that
comply with FDA rules,” ac
cording to a compliance letter.
This regulation, noted Weist
in the letter, “resulted from ef
forts to control any possible in
troduction or spread of BSE or
‘mad cow disease’ into the do
mestic cattle herd ot the United
States.”
No BSE has been reported in
this country.
“Participating packers in the
certification program have
made it clear that they will not
purchase any cattle from pro
ducers who have not signed a
(Turn to Page A 42)
devastated the industry in 1983
and posed another significant
threat just a few years ago.
The USD A plans to compen
sate live biid market (I BM) op
erator* 51.5 million to break the
infectious cycle that has been
found to originate in the live
(Turn to Page A 44)
and family features in the B sec
tion. In addition to expanding
the cooking sections and feature
stories. Good introduced the
“You Ask, You “Answer”
column and the "Lancaster
Fanning Antiques Center ”
(Turn to Page A 421