WEST CHESTER (Chester Co.) County Executive Direc tor Hollis D. Baker recently re minded Chester-Delaware County farmers of Farm Storage Facility Loans available through the Farm Service Agency (FS A). “At a time when commercial storage facilities are at maxi mum capacity and charging premium rates nationwide, on farm storage provides producers with an attractive alternative,’’ said Ms. Baker. The Farm Service Agency is offering seven-year, low-cost loans to grain producers desir ing to build new or upgrade ex isting storage facilities and WASHINGTON, D.C. Burdensome new environmental regulations, combined with a lack of access to capital, threaten farmer-owned coopera tive refiners, which play a vital role in meeting the fuel needs of farms and rural America. “Though less than two per cent of the refining industry, farmer cooperatives supply about 40 petcent of all on-farm fuel needs in the United States,” David Graves, president and CEO of the National Council of NCGA Gets Good Reviews On Farm Bill Proposal WASHINGTON, D.C. The early reviews are in, and the consensus of policymakers in Washington is that the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) innovative counter cyclical income support pro posal deserves serious consideration. Since NCGA unveiled its farm bill proposal in testimony before the House Agriculture Committee on April 25, reaction from federal agencies, Capitol Hill offices and other commod ity groups has been encouraging. In the last month, NCGA has been busy briefing administra tion officials, congressional leaders and other farm groups on the merits of our proposal. The timeframe for incorporating the counter-cyclical income sup port proposal into a new farm bill is limited. In all likelihood, a farm bill will be reported out of the House Agriculture Commit tee by the end of July. The accelerated schedule the House will follow in crafting a See Lancaster Farming Cow Cam Visit our Website at www. lancasterfarming.com FSA Provides USDA Farm Storage Loans related essential, permanently affixed drying or handling equipment. Eligible loan oppor tunities include, but are not lim ited to: • New conventional-type cribs or bins, oxygen-limiting and other upright silo-type structures, and flat-type struc tures designed for whole grain storage. • Perforated floors, safety equipment, quality improve ment equipment, electrical equipment and concrete compo nents considered essential for a fully functional storage facility. • Remodeling existing stor age facilities. New Environmental Regulations Threaten Farmer Cooperative Refiners Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), recently told the House Com mittee on Agriculture’s Subcom mittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Re search. .These farmer-owned businesses also supply much of the highway diesel and home heating oil used in rural Amer ica, being the sole supplier in many areas. The farm supply cooperatives serve as an important compo nent of the U.S. energy infras- farm bill provides precious little time for NCGA, its state associ ations, checkoff boards and other advocates to influence their work. The Senate Ag Com mittee is expected to announce its hearing schedule soon. Brent Porteus, chairman of the NCGA Public Policy Action Team and a Coshocton, Ohio, farmer said: “Our biggest chal lenge now is to get people to look at our proposal and evaluate it on its merits. It’s really import ant to understand that our counter-cyclical proposal incorporates-and does not replace-what worked well in the ’96 Farm Bill. But it also repre sents an evolution in policy in that it capitalizes on the previ ous bill’s strengths in a manner that is WTO friendly. The beauty of our counter-cyclical proposal is that it moves us down the road in terms of creat ing a good market-driven policy that avoids the pitfalls of previ ous policies that were market distorting.” According to Ms. Baker, mar keting flexibility is the primary benefit gained from on-farm storage facilities. “Privately owned facilities give producers control over where and when they sell their crops, increasing their opportunity to get the best price for their crop,” said Ms. Baker. Farm Storage Facility Loans must be approved prior to site preparation, equipment pur chase or construction, and must be secured by a promissory note and security agreement. Special real estate provisions apply for loans exceeding $50,000 or when the aggregate outstanding loan tructure. Unique in the refining industry, these businesses are owned by their farmer customers, resulting in sensitiv ity to the special energy needs of rural America. Now, however, new environ mental regulations from the En vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) threaten the continued economic viability of the cooper ative petroleum refining system. These cooperatives, unlike other private companies, do not have equal access to capital markets; for instance, they can not gener ally issue stock to raise the money necessary to implement the new regulations. “The com bined capital costs for coopera tive refiners to meet sulfur requirements for gasoline and FARM EQUIPMENT Case 2290 tractor In good cond, new power shift, duals Included. Asking $12,500. 717-866-7035, 1-717-821-0493 (2) Elec. Salt Spreaders, Practically New; $5OO ea obo. 717-859-4554. JD 1219 haybine; 660 hay rake. 610-469-9633 Sod cutter/Turfco, like new, T cut, $9OO. Ellicott City, MD 443/250-4792 Farmall 400, runs good, WF, fast hitch, TA, good tires, $2500. 908/879-5760 after Bpm JD 2555 4WD, HILo, 2 re motes; JD 3155 4WD, best offer. 717-445-6156 Kuhn GMD7OO disc mower, good cond, $3300. 610-793-1921 Minneapolis Moline, needs restored, good metal, reblt motor. 717-859-2191 Shaver post drivers, 3pt hitch complete, HDIO 52250, HDB $1450. We can deliver anywhere. Taneytown Farm Eq. 410/751-1500. jD loader bucket, new, 48" wide, $250. Ellicott City, MD 443/250-4792 USED TRACTOR PARTS, also rebuilt clutches and torques. We ship UPS. Hill-T Fam Inc., 4295 Rich mond Palestine Rd, New Madison, OH 45346. 937-548-0718. TOYS: JD collector toys, 7 precision, 21 regular col lector, most in boxes. Will sell whole collection only! $2,500. 814-334-5308 814-848-9802, 1955 Restored MH Mdl 44; 410-398-1458. Case C tractor, 1938, ga raged, iron wheels w/ cleats, orig paint, exc cond $9500.215-794-8047 balance exceeds $50,000. The maximum loan amount will be 85 percent of the net cost of the applicant’s needed stor age or handling equipment, not to exceed $lOO,OOO per bor rower. A minimum downpay ment to the supplier or contractor is required to bridge the gap between the net cost of the storage facility and the loan amount. Fixed interest rates on Farm Storage Loans are equivalent to the rate of interest charged on U.S. Treasury Securities of com parable maturity on the date the loan is approved. As of May 2001, the annual interest rate is diesel fuel over a compressed time period total an estimated $4OO million-500 million, far exceeding the current book value of these farmer-owned assets,” says Graves. The added costs of these regu lations offer no return on invest ment, and divert funds from profit making enterprises. This adversely effects the farmer owners, who suffer through re duced patronage earnings and erosion of their equity invest ment. To address the problem, NCFC proposes a moderniza tion of the B&I loan program. This would allow cooperative re finers to meet their regulatory burdens, while at the same time giving all farmer cooperatives BUY. StIL.TBAOI Pit BENT THROUGH THE PHONE. 717-626-1164 or 717-394-3047 FAX 717-733-6066 Mon., Tv« , Wed Fri. BAMto 5 PM; Thun. 7AM to SPM 1993 Gehl 5625 skid load er, aux. hyd., foot con trols, new paint, new tires, $7800.717-859-3501 7 NH rakes, starting at $600.570-222-9090. (3) Irrigation Guns, 1-Nelson 100, 24 degree w/reverser, 1-Nelson 150, w/reverser, 1-Rainway 104 A Full Circle, (Like Nelson 150); 16 pcs Rainway 4"x3o' Alum, pipe. Make Offer. 717-438-3833. MF 2-whl hay rake; 2 tires wheels & rims 15x38 tor IH or JD, low tread; IH 2pt hitch tractor mount 7' sickle mower; 2pt hitch IH 6' rotary mower. 215/ 536-8624, 215/801-5338 Rodgers 2 speed me chanical wrench, model 4TW-1, lOhp, 220/440 volt, 3-phase, 60 cycle, 1200 RPM, instantaneous out put torque, $2850. Kantn er Iron & Steel, Brooks Di vision. 800-769-6559 Goulds submersible 7.5 hp water pump, good condi tion, $1100.717-776-3917 2"x 700 ft water reel, good cond, will be running for the next 2 weeks. 717-661-5659 FP 100, Keenan Klassik 11, TMR Mixer, 350 cu ft. New Never Used, 540-867-9701. Miller Matic 300 welder, 3ph; Thermaldynamics plasma cutter, 1" capaci ty single phase. Both A-l condition. 717/529-6915. Sawmill, $4200. Frick #l, 23' carriage w/4 head locks. Cat D3lB w/pony motor, caste iron blower, add'l 56" saw. 717-927-8000,717-854-7606 1986 Gleaner L 3 hydro, only 1600 hrs; Deutz green stripe, super sharp, last year made, hard to find this nice, $23,500. Any size heads avail. Financ ing, trucking. Zeisloft Eq. 800-919-3322 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 16 2001-C5 five percent. “Although we are in the early stages of 2001 crops, advance planning for storage will mean one less decision that needs to be made at harvest, allowing time to develop marketing strategies to maximize potential income,” said Ms. Baker. For detailed applicant and fa cility eligibility criteria regard ing Farm Storage Facility Loans, and to schedule an ap pointment to file an application, contact the Chester-Delaware County office at (610) 696-8750, Ext. 2, or visit FSA on the World Wide Web at http:// www.fsa.udsa.gov. better access to the capital nec essary to pursue new market op portunities and help their farmer-owners generate more income. NCFC also believes that Congress and the administra tion should explore other ways of helping farmers join together to improve their economic well being. While the USDA’s Business and Industry (B&I) loan pro gram does offer financial assist ance to rural businesses, loans are capped at $25 million. “Un fortunately, the identified regu latory compliance capital requirements alone faced by farmer-cooperative refiners overwhelm the current design capacity of the B&I loan pro gram,” Graves said. NEW Tanco 580 S wrap- Stump Grinder, per, 30", cut & start & d '- Kohler standup, $1 2,200. Motor, Like New Cond., 570-222-9090 Lancaster Co. d/u aaa wvu. 717-786-8293.
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