Unity Rally Draws Attention
(continued from Page A 1)
Bureau.
One of the issues that a
number of the speakers ad
dressed was the problem of
townships passing ordinances to
limit agricultural growth.
“These actions cannot be
taken as idle threats,” said Don
aldson. “If you limit our ability
to grow, you also limit our abil
ity to stay in business.”
Another issue many speakers
addressed was the need for un
derstanding between agriculture
and the surrounding commu
nity.
Jim Adams, president of
PennAg Industries, said, “today
we stand united with the future
of agriculture in our hands. We
must become more involved in
our communities, with our
neighbors, in education, in the
news media, and even in the po
litical process.
“We battle misplaced fear
and misunderstanding. Too
many people take for granted
that their food is going to magi
cally appear at their grocery
store. Too many people are
swayed by junk science and
twisted research.
“We must help people under
stand agriculture. That is our
job. Our success or failure will
determine whether we can con
tinue to put food on people’s
tables and whether our sons and
daughters can make a living by
feeding their fellow man.”
In addition, “too few people
know what goes on in the barn
or in the field,” said William
Steele, master, Pennsylvania
State Grange. Many citizens do
not understand the correlation
between flowing wheat fields
and the loaf of bread at the
store.
“They don’t know the high
cost of time, money, and effort
to produce raw supplies,” Steele
said. “We stand united today as
organizations for those who pro
duce agriculture products.”
Sen. Roger Madigan is the
sponsor of Senate Bill 826, a bill
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that would require townships to
reimburse legal costs to farmers
who successfully challenge ille
gal township ordinances in
court.
Although hog farmers are
perhaps facing the most chal
lenge in expanding or beginning
operations, in the future other
farmers will also come under
fire, warned Madigan, if these
ordinances are unchecked.
“Our local government has no
right to discriminate against
farms,” he said. “Otherwise we
run the risk that not only hog
farmers but other operations
would be opposed. Today,
Saddam Hussein said that he
will not export oil to America for
30 days. If we become depend
ent on food from across the
ocean, we could have that same
problem with food.
“The bottom line of much of
the controversy against farms
stems from misunderstanding,”
said Madigan. “We need to start
a real dialogue between farmers
and their neighbors.”
Craig Richard, Elysburg, has
faced the issue of restrictive or
dinances firsthand. Richard,
Craig Richard, Elysburg, has faced restrictive ordi
nances and spoke during the afternoon event.
who began his speech by reading
zoning laws and ordinances
from the township supervisors,
has a livestock and grain farm in
Northumberland County.
“Farmers need animal pro
duction alternatives,” he said.
He has ISO animal units on his
farm and cannot expand. A
neighboring dairy farmer, he
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said, cannot expand and include
his son in the operation.
The ordinance, he said, sets a
dangerous precedent for other
townships. “We need legislation
with teeth to hold responsible”
supervisors, he said. According
to Richard his son has seen the
small profit margin, beside re-
(Turn to Page A 39)
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