Ohioans Concerned About Large-Scale Livestock Farms COLUMBUS, Ohio More than 70 percent of Ohioans who say they are familiar with issues pertaining to large-scale poultry and livestock facilities are con cerned that the farms pose a threat to Ohio’s water and stream quality. According to an Ohio State University survey of about 4,000 Ohioans conducted last summer, one-third or 1,267 respondents said they were familiar with the issues. Of those, 71 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “Large-scale poul try and livestock facilities pose a serious threat to water and stream quality in Ohio.” In addi tion, 59 percent agreed or strong ly agreed that the facilities “are a threat to rural quality of life.” Jeff Sharp, assistant professor of rural sociology in the Depart ment of Human and Community Resource Development and one of the lead investigators of the survey, presented initial findings of the study at a conference on Thursday, Dec. 12. Sharp also re ported that the large scale-poul try and livestock issue currently Second Lancaster County Farm Has Easements Sold Through IPA Plan Total Of Five PA Properties Participate In IPAs This Year MOUNT JOY (Lancaster Co.) A 110-acre crop farm in Mount Joy, East Donegal Township, be comes the second in Lancaster County and the fifth in the state to have an easement sold under the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Installment Pur chase Agreement (IPA) plan. Under the IPA plan, farmers National Junior Hereford Association 2002 Job Interview Award winners, from left, Brett But ler, Linde Wilson, Megan Marks, Kristi Bishop, Amanda Marks and Margeaux Firestine. 2002 Pride of the Nation and Scrapbook Award win ners, from left, Pam Melton, Amanda Marks, Stephen Rader, Texas, and Margeaux Firestme, Emilie Miller, Mor gan Firestine, Pennsylvania. appears to be a regional issue in the state, with nearly 56 percent of central Ohioans and 43 per cent of northwest Ohioans report ing they were familiar with the issue compared to 25 percent of northeastemers and 27 percent of southwestemers indicating they were familiar with the issues. Not surprisingly, respondents’ views of the livestock issue and other agricultural issues is often colored by how closely linked they are to farming, Sharp said. For example, people with farm ing parents or grandparents tend to be more trusting of farmers and generally have more positive attitudes toward agriculture, Sharp said. In all, 29 percent of the re spondents had parents who at one time owned or operated a farm, and 49 percent had grand parents who had a farm, Shaip said. However, that connection to farming through family history was much more likely for older respondents. The implication is that the strength of support and good will of Ohioans toward agri culture could diminish as that generation dies off unless agricul can gain better tax advantages when selling their easements, by deferring all or part of the pur chase price and the resulting cap ital gains taxes for up to 30 years. Since the program was launched in Pennsylvania in early 2002, five properties have participated in IPAs: two in Lan caster County, and one each in Chester, Butler, and Wyoming ture finds new ways to develop links between nonfarmers and farming, he said. “One of the messages to be drawn from this research is that, yes, indeed Ohio is an agricultur al state with many Ohioans hav ing farming roots, but we also see that agriculture is changing and some of that change can be con troversial because it isn’t consis tent with the way it used to be,” Sharp said. One part of the survey focused on the level of concern over large scale poultry and livestock farms. In all, 21 percent of all of the re spondents were “very concerned” and 28 percent were “not at all concerned” about them, with the majority of respondents “some what concerned.” However, of those who indicated they were fa miliar with the issues regarding large livestock facilities, concern was higher with 34 percent indi cating they were “very con cerned,” compared with only 14 percent being “very concerned” who were not familiar with the is sues. Those who said they were fa miliar with large-scale livestock counties. Located on Trout Run Road, the Mount Joy farm has been owned by Franklin and Joanne Zink since 1965. Throughout that time the Zinks have leased the property to various farmers, the most recent of whom is using the property to grow com, soybeans and wheat. The Zinks originally Convention KANSAS CITY, Mo. Members of the National Junior Hereford Associa tion (NJHA) assembled in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 25-27 to celebrate “The Places You’ll Go” during the 2002 PRIDE Conven tion. PRIDE, the “Pro gram for Reaching Indi viduals Determined to Excel” featured the NJHA annual meeting and elec tion of officers along with leadership and motivation al workshops. Throughout the week end, juniors competed in several contests to build their communication and marketing skills. Contest winners and outstanding juniors and junior state or ganizations were recog nized at the awards lun cheon at Kansas City’s Hereford House. Following is a list of regional contest winners. PRIDE of the Nation Award Small State; Pennsylvania. Large State: Texas. Job Interview Contest third place senior: Mar g e a u x Firestine, Womelsdorf. Scrapbook Award: 3. Pennsylvania. State Sweepstakes Award: 2. Pennsylvania. Photography: Emilie Miller, Womelsdorf. farm issues were asked additional questions, including those that re vealed strong concern about water quality and rural quality of life. In addition, 59 percent of these respondents indicated they felt large-scale livestock farms positively contribute to Ohio’s economy. Also, 48 percent said they felt increased regulation over the farms is needed, but the surveys were conducted during a time when the rules governing Ohio’s large livestock farms was in the midst of change. The Ohio Department of Agriculture now oversees the farms under a new set of regulations that went into effect in August. Several factors were found to be associated with greater con cern among respondents about the rural quality of life and envi ronmental impacts, Sharp said. Concern was found to be higher among those living in a county with higher livestock sales and among those having a more posi tive attitude toward an agrarian way of life. Factors associated with lower concern among re spondents included having par ents who have owned or operated chased the land because it is ad jacent to another property they own a 72-acre parcel on which Mrs. Zink operated the Donegal Mills museum and restaurant complex for many years. A local developer, Mr. Zink had no interest in selling the farm property for development use. “I really wanted to preserve the land,” he says. “It’s been such a wonderful thing to have this farmland, and we wanted to keep it that way.” pur- M PUBLIC AUCTION THURS., JAN. 16, 2003 DRAFT HORSES, MILKING & FARM EQUIPMENT DIRECTIONS: From Oxford take 10 South to Barnsley Chrome Rd. Stay left, go to Media Rd. Turn left go to first road right (Mt. Olivet Rd.) to sale on right. 9:00 AM 7 Head DRAFT HORSES 7 Head Prince - 7 yr. old dapple gray gelding. Jmk Works anywhere in all farm machinery. Bert - 6 yr. old sorrel mare. IBfe Off side & jockey stick broke. Works in all farm machinery. Lots of snap. \ W 5 Head of smooth mouth draft horses. J Broke to all farm machinery. Ready for work. HORSE RELATED ITEMS: 7 set front gear; 7 bridles; 12 collars; jockey sticks; check lines; 1,2, 3,4, 5,6, 7& 8 Horse hitch; 3 set rope & pulley for tandem hitch. MILKING EQUIPMENT: 4 DeLaval milker units with Bio claws; 75 lb. bucket; Bender milker washer; milk strainer FARM EQUIPMENT: New Holland 311 baler w/2 cyl. Wisconsin engine (good condition); New Holland mower w/4 cyl. Wisconsin engine & hydraulics; 401 New Holland crimper; Nichelson tedder; New Holland 256 Rol-A-Bar rake; 42 ft. Speed King elevator, good condition; 26 ft. King- Wyse elevator; 16 ft. flat bed wagon; 2 way White Horse plow; Paul B. Zimmerman field sprayer w/200 gal. tank (good condition); 1000 gal. tan dem axle; Black Rock liquid manure spreader; 1 row McCormick; Deering com binder w/Long loader (good condition); No. 17 New Idea manure spreader; High clearance produce sprayer; 8 ft. log land roller; 9 ft. culti packer; 2 auto turn fore carts; 8 ft. Blank liquid manure pump; 12 ft. 3 sec tion spring tooth harrow; 16 ft. flat bed wagon w/com sides & com chute; 24 K.B.A. disc; 2 section 8 ft. spring tooth harrow; McCormick Deering 1 row 1 horse binder; Blank 1 row cultivator; 275 gal. tank; 14 pcs. 16 in. wide x 5 ft. long gutter grates; 12 volt Gandy Applicator; 8 ft. feeder w/hay rack; round bale feeder MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS: 2000 psi pressure washer w/6.5HP Honda engine; 4 cyl. Wisconsin engine w/Hobart Welder engine, runs welder, sells as is; 2 12-volt fencers; 6000 tobacco lath; 2 Minnich tobacco presses; 10 lath Lazy Susan Lath holder; silage cart; grain cart; shovels; brooms; forks; scrapers A few miscellaneous household goods & 2 wagon loads of misc. small items. Terms by Jacob F. & Hannah G. Stoltzfus 340 Mt. Olivet Rd„ Oxford, PA 19363 Cash or Honorable PA Check Only All Announcements Sale Day Take Precedence Over All Advertising. MJt Not Responsible for Accidents MJk JhK, Food on Premises Jft i 'TjT 3 Pi Auctioneer: Mel Hoover AU-003111-L * U 717-354-8397 Home or 717-354-6431 Barn *• a farm, having a higher trust in farmers, and living near a large livestock facility. “That last item seems counter-intuitive, but it may be that there are a large number of Ohioans living near livestock farms who have not had any troubles, after controlling for other possible factors that might influence their attitudes,” Sharp said. Sharp said the survey also found that 59 percent of re spondents said they trusted Ohio farmers to protect the environ ment. However, 29 percent of those respondents were “unde cided” on that issue. “Although we are not able to determine the trend without data from more than one year, I am concerned that the trend may be negative and that agriculture may begin to lose some of the social capital that leads nonfarmers to trust farmers to do the right thing,” Sharp said. Increased education about agriculture and more net working between farmers and nonfarmers may be one way of reducing concern about agricul tural practices and building trust of farmers. He says the state’s IPA option made the decision attractive from a financial standpoint, both for the couple and their heirs. “In stead of taking a lump sum pay ment upfront, we’ll receive tax free interest each year, which will provide us with tax advantages,” he says. “When we’re gone, our four children will start to receive tax-free interest that can help supplement their incomes.” 9:00 AM