Bill Would Allow More States To Join Dairy Compact WASHINGTON (D.C.) The U.S. House of Representa tives recently introduced legis lation that would indefinitely extend the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact past its Sep tember 30, 2001 expiration date as well as expand the compact to include states that have al ready passed compact legisla- Network Wants Ag Ed To Be In Forefront ANDY ANDREWS Editor MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.) Numbers often tell the story. About 10 years ago, 200 schools in the state had some kind of vocational agricultural program. Now only 167 of 501 school districts have some type of agri cultural education program. “That’s something that really concerns me,” said Mike Pechart of the Pennsylvania Farm Bu reau. Pechart helps coordinate the Agricultural Education Collabo rative Partnership Network. The network includes the Farm Bu reau working with a consortium ol universities and industry on the re-invention of ag education in Pennsylvania by the year 2020. Pechart spoke to about 20 agri-industry representatives last week at an Ag Issues Forum at Kreider’s Restaurant in Man heim. Said Pechart, “We'ie losing these agricultural programs in school that have been helping to prepare our kids." Those programs, once a tradi tion in area schools, are becom ing lost as successive generations move away from traditional pro duction agriculture. One teacher asked some chil dren once where popcorn came from. A common response, noted Pechart, was “the microwave.” Though ag remains Pennsyl vania's number one industry the past 250 years, in the last 50 years the state has lost 50,000 farms, Pechart noted. The average age of a Pennsyl vania farmer is 53. “That’s some thing that really concerns me,” said Pechart, who remembers growing up in Boiling Springs on a family farm. “I had friends who lived on a SALE from $45/ save $8 per stall 1 s°/o SAVINGS On All Mattress Systems - Limited Time Offer The i, o stndi e °' DURABED Heaviest... cow mattress Most Effective... No Seams... No Interlocks... No Problems!!! NORTH BROOK FARMS tion. Introduced by U.S. Reps. Asa Hutchinson (R —Ark) and Bob Etheridge (D —NC), the proposed bill, known as The Dairy Consumers and Produc ers Protection Act of 2001, also seeks to create a dairy compact for southeastern states. Tracy Jackson, Pennsylvania farm,” he said. “Now I can only point to one that remains on a farm.” About 20 percent of Pennsyl vania’s working population are related in some way to agricul ture, if they’re not actively farm ing. Some are bioengineers, plant pathologists, landscape archi tects, and others. There are so many occupa tions, Pechart noted, that involve food and fiber production and distribution. They include truck drivers who transport tarm com modities. The problem with promoting a program such as the collabora tive network is there is a lack of funds, and also a lack of teach ers, he said. Less and less farmers and those related to ag serve on school boards. So ag education doesn’t remain a priority in schools. And many teachers, Pe chart was surprised to learn re cently, believe agriculture is sim ply “a farmer on a tractor” with a couple of cows. More and more, Farm Bureau is seeing ag programs that are having their funds cut in schools. But the Network seeks ways to provide lifelong learning, envi ronmental stewardship, long term ag viability, personal devel opment, professional develop ment, and use emerging technol ogies. The focus remains on provid ing a system to educate students in schools about agriculture and its importance to the state’s economy. “We must not let misconcep tions become emotions and cre ate problems for those of us in volved in ag,” he said. The network seeks to involve teachers and school administra tors in a more enlightened way. “If we don’t, I don’t know who is going to,” Pechart said. Rubber Flooring single width pieces 2 Ft. to 6 Ft. Single piece lengths to 500 Ft. Toll free: 877-624-2638 Milk Marketing Board (PMMB) Director of Consumer Affairs, said that the PMMB re mains neutral in its position to ward the compact because cur rent PMMB price regulations in Pennsylvania are serving the needs of farmers. “We do in Pennsylvania what the compact is doing in the rest of the region,” Jackson said. “Pennsylvania farmers al ready have the premium (price paid for milk).” Jackson said that the PMMB Super Savings are happening on our new 17-44 hp Massey Ferguson Compact tractors. 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