PMMB Maintains Over-Order Premium (Continued from Page Ai) „ , , . premium by noting that produc to provide Pennsylvania dairy efS probab|y not any producers “top dollar without Farm Bill payments from the Brubaker also defended the premium by noting that producers will probably not see any Farm Bill payments from the new federal dairy market loss pro gram until October. While sign-up is slated to begin next week, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is still ironing out regulatory and distribution details for the program. taking ourselves out of an outside new federal dairy market loss market.” Deciding to maintain program until October. While the premium at $1.65 “was a very sign-up is slated to begin next tough decision to make,” he said, week, the Farm Service Agency Smile... We’ve Got You Covered! Farm Insurance Program “Over 20 years of farm experience” Dairy Farms • Horse Farms • Poultry Crop Insurance • Automobile Disability and Life Insurance ri n 20 minutes C • O from Lancaster N j Spr Fleetwood, PA Q• 7 JDaker r Insurance Toll Free Grawihgwith S Tnf s ’ 888.647*2276 you' pbakerl3@juno.com Brubaker also defended the Need farm equipment } Check out the classifieds in Section C' WATERLESS TOILETS “SUN-MAR” Composting Toilets Several models available including non-electric. • NO Septic System • NO Chemicals Save the Environment! Recycle Back to Nature l (FSA) is still ironing out regula tory and distribution details for the program. While the premium is sched uled to expire at the end of the year, the PMMB must honor the request for a hearing in response to any “emergency situation” that may arise, according to PMMB communications special ist Tracey Jackson. Premium lev els can be considered and changed by the PMMB potential ly within about a month from the time an emergency hearing is re quested. The next scheduled hearing is set for November, when the PMMB will receive testimony for setting the premium amount for the first half of 2003. The three-member PMMB consists of Beverly Minor, chair person and dairy industry repre sentative; Brubaker, dairy pro ducer representative; and Barbara Grumbine, consumer representative. 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Mark Stephenson, Cornell University dairy economist, said that the Farm Bill language seems to clearly state “thou shalt not reconstitute your farm busi ness to get more money.” But some lawmakers most notably Patrick Leahy of Ver mont are suggesting a “more expansive” view which would allow some restructuring of farm operations. For the time being, “we won’t know until the regulations are spelled out,” Stephenson said. Panelists also noted that the definition of farm “operation” in the Farm Bill is still under con sideration. For example, it’s not clear how a family partnership receiving more than one milk check would be classified. Lou Moore, Penn State ag economist, was part of a panel that focused on broader aspects of the Farm Bill, including grain provisions, crop insurance, and conservation programs. Moore noted that increased subsidies in the new Farm Bill came as a result of near-record harvests and slumping crop prices in the last five years. “When prices are low, the gov ernment tends to get involved,” Moore said. To critics of government farm spending, however, Moore said the farm programs come at a rel atively small price tag between 1 and 2 percent of the total U.S. budget. According to USDA calcula tions, Farm Bill subsidies cost about 4.4 cents per meal per per- son, Moore said. And that figure includes Farm Bill funds not going to fanners such as nutri tion programs. While Pennsylvania farmers have historically used less gov ernment subsidies than many in other states, Moore said that will have to change. “To be competitive in agricul- ture, you must participate,” he said. Other panelists included Sta cey Mitchell of the Natural Re sources Conservation Service, who reported that $4.8 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is available to Pennsylvania pro ducers. Sign-up for the program will run on a continuous basis. Mitchell said EQIP rules are expected to be out for public comment on Aug. 13. Jayson Harper, Penn State commercial ag specialist, out lined the variety of crop insur ance initiatives in the Farm Bill. Twenty-two Pennsylvania crops are eligible for insurance, including grains, fruits, and vege tables. Remaining sign-up deadli nes for this year are Sept. 30 for fall-seeded crops and Nov. 20 for fruit crops. Harper said that available crop insurance options come at “rea sonable costs for pretty good pro tection.” FSA agents across the state are also sending letters this month for commodity producers to up date their acreage, base, and yield records. “Reviewing verifying, and up dating bases and yields may be the most important thing we ask producers to do this year,” said Ron Troxell of the Schuylkill County FSA office. Producers have until Aug. 31 to update records if they want to participate in federal farm pro grams. 1