A42-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 15, 2003
Spring Decisions For Agricultural Producers
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) —Current economic condi
tions in the farm community dic
tate that farmers in Pennsylvania
take action to minimize risk.
“There are two steps that
farmers can take right now that
will be well worth their time,”
said Richard Pallman, state exec
utive director of the Pennsylvania
Farm Service Agency (FSA).
The FSA is enrolling farmers
into the Direct and Countercy
clical Payment Program (DCP).
The DCP is designed to be an
equitable means of assistance for
growers of agricultural feeds and
grains. This program provides
grain producers with the best
price protection program afford
ed farmers in several years.
Two forms of benefits are
made available in DCP. A guar
anteed direct payment is made
each year at an established pay
ment rate. Additional payments
are issued when market prices
are low—this is called a “counter
cyclical (CC) payment.”
“DCP participation guarantees
farm operations direct pay
ments—regardless of market
prices—and countercyclical pay
ments —depending on national
average market prices. This is a
safety net that producers cannot
afford to miss,” said Pallman.
The first step is deciding
whether to update your base and
yield for the 1998-2001 time peri
od. Two decisions go hand-in
hand. First, whether to update
your base or freeze it at the exist
Maple Syrup: Above Average Crop Predicted
ROCHESTER, N.Y. the winter months has
After last year’s above aver- promoted deep subsoil mois
age crop of maple syrup crop, ture and has promoted good
an above average crop of tree health during the winter
maple syrup from western months.
New York is predicted, due We soon expect a winter
to heavy snows and lack of thaw (temperatures above 32
frozen soil. In addition, the degrees) for a three to four
heat and drought of the past day period which may trigger
summer promised to increase the fir£t run of sap for many
sugar production for sugar >
maple tree varieties.
quently, there is also expected ha|. contributed to saturation
to see a good to excellent of*rnost soils and for most
sugar content for most sap areas the sbil is not frozen,
production. Consequently a winter thaw
Despite the drought this
past summer, maple trees
were healthy (gting into the
winter. Even though the
leaves turned early, there was
not a lot of brqwjblhjf of the.
foliage. Heavy snow during This was the earliest tap-
Program Offers Opportunities
Penn State Cooperative Extension in coop
eration with the Small Business Development
Center at Kutztown, Pennsylvania Depart
ment of Agriculture, Ben Franklin Technolo
gy Partners and USDA RDA is excited to an
nounce the upcoming program “Income
Opportunities for Rural Areas.”
This conference is an excellent opportunity
to explore non-traditional agriculture related
businesses with an eye on enterprise startup.
The. conference targets those seeking to get
started in some kind of new agricultural busi
ness or diversify their present operation.
A few of the conference enterprise topics:
Deer Farming, Meat Goats, Hydroponics,
Strawberries, Cut Flowers, Greenhouse Pro
duce, Ornamental Crops and much more.
Business topics such as, Starting your Busi
ness A-Z, Financing your venture, Web-Based
Marketing, and Marketing Non-Traditional
products are all part of the morning plenary
session.
Income Opportunities for Rural Areas will
'■>. £9ij£|ucted ( qn March 29 frpm
ing 2002 production flexibility
contract (PFC) base. In either
case, you can add eligible oilseed
acres. Second, whether to freeze
your yields at the existing 2002
PFC levels or update your coun
tercyclical (CC) payment yields
for all covered commodities on
the farm.
If you did not have a PFC for
2002, then it becomes very impor
tant for you to go to your FSA of
fice and establish your bases. The
county FSA committee will as
sign a direct payment yield to
each farm with history acres for
the period 1998-2001 but was not
on a PFC for 2002.
Growers need to visit FSA as
soon as possible to choose a base
and yield option which will be the
basis of their participation
through 2007. It should be noted
that since the benefits available
for the next six years will be
based on historical plantings, this
one-time, first step in the process
is very important.
Deadline for base and yield se
lections is April 1, 2003. Should
producers who were not previous
PFC participants miss this dead
line, they will be ineligible for the
price protection this Farm Bill
provides through DCP.
Should previous PFC partici
pants miss this deadline, DCP
benefits for the remainder of this
Farm Bill will be based on exist
ing base and yield information,
and they will have lost the oppor
tunity to make adjustments in
their favor.
to promote an initial heavy
sap flow for most area pro
ducers is expected.
For 2002, the season
opened on February 22 and
closed on March 29.
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dickinson College,
Emil R. Weiss Center for the Arts in Carlisle.
The cost of the pro
gram is $35 per person
for the first person from
each household and $25
for the second.
This includes all
handout materials,
lunch, and break snacks.
Pre-registration is re
quired.
For registration forms
or additional informa
tion, please contact
Steve Bogash, Franklin
County Cooperative Ex
tension (717) 263-9226.
Registration forms will
also be available lioin
the Adams and Cumber
land County Extension
offices, . ,
The second step is for produ
cers to sign a contract for pro
gram participation. June 2, 2003,
is the final date to sign a DCP
contract for 2002 and 2003 par
ticipation. Sign-up will be con
ducted annually for each of the
four remaining program years.
Producers not participating in
the DCP will not be eligible for
direct and countercyclical pay
ments. Producers who do not
participate in the DCP program,
however, will be eligible for com
Pennsylvania Farmers Union
Receives Farm Aid Grant
BLOOMSBURG (Columbia
Co.) —Pennsylvania Farmers
Union has received a $5,000
grant from the Farm Aid Foun
dation to help promote its mis'-
sion of strengthening the family
farm system of agriculture by
keeping family farmers on the
land to produce America’s food.
Larry Breech, president of
Pennsylvania Farmers Union, an
nounced that the grant will be
used to launch the Family Farm
Empowerment Project to im
prove farm income and indepen
dence of family farmers and
ranchers and rural communities.
“The Family Farm Empower
ment Project is intended to build,
ping since records began in
1972. The extended season
pushed yield per tap to the
highest level since 1966.
This year’s cold winter
weather has encouraged a
more normal window for tap
ping trees. Typically, tapping
for the western New York re
gion starts during the end of
February. However, some
maple syrup producers may
try to tap during early Febru
ary.
• Ideal conditions for tap
ping are freezing tempera
tures at night and just above
freezing temperatures during
the day (32-40). TBfS-creates
a differential .dn'pressure of
the tree to encourage sap
flow. Typically, the tree will
generate ' 12 pounds per
square inch to encourage sap
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OF
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1970 Ford 100 & 1989 Ford Ranger Pick-Up Trucks, (2) H
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modity loans and LDPs when
they are available.
It is important to start the pro
cess now because sign-up activi
ties may require that you make
more than one visit to FSA.
FSA will assist growers
throughout the sign-up process;
however, you can greatly speed
up the process by doing your
homework. Review the informa
tion mailed to you concerning the
planting history and yields as
signed to your farm. If informa
educate and update an effective
and informed coalition of family
farmers and ranchers and rural
supporters to promote an eco
nomically viable family-based ag
riculture,” Breech said. Pennsyl
vania Farmers Union will work
with other organizations to help
train individuals on how to suc
cessfully convey the benefits of a
family-based system of agricul
ture.
“Our family farm members
greatly appelate this generous
support and encouragement to
help survive these trying times,”
Breech said. “Willie Nelson’s
support of this initiative and de
termination to the success of
flow. It takes 10 to 12 gallons
of sap to make one quart of
syrup. In addition, good sub
soil moisture will ensure an
adequate supply of soil mois
ture for sap production as
well as a differential in pres
sure. For many areas, we
have achieved these ideal
conditions for tapping trees.
We expect prices to be sim
ilar to last year as carryover
stocks are low this year.
Prices paid by consumers are
expected to range from $25 to
$45 per gallon depending on
the grade of syrup.
Maple syrup production
for the United States totaled
an estimated 1.36 million gal
lons, up 29 percent from last
year’s production. Vermont
led the U.S. with 495,000 gal
lons. Maine was the second
leading state with a produc
tion of 230,000 gallons, 15
percent more than 2001. New
York is the third in syrup
production with an estimated
228,000 gallons.
tion is missing or inaccurate, you
can take certain steps to correct
it. Evidence to substantiate plant
ings for the years 1998 through
2001 is still being accepted by
FSA. Updating your history
could greatly impact future pro
gram benefits.
Sign-up activities require that
many growers visit the office
more than once. Please contact
the office for an appointment
prior to your visit. Office staff
can then prepare for the visit to
greatly speed the process.
family farms and ranches makes
this project possible.”
Much of the money raised by
Farm Aid was the result of a
sold-out concert in September
2002 at the Post-Gazette Pavilion
in Burgettstown. Farm Aid’s
2002 grants, which were distrib
uted to many farm groups across
the U.S., will be used to fund a
variety of programs, including
emergency grants to farmers hit
by low prices and weather-related
disasters, legal and financial
counseling to help farmers avoid
foreclosure, cultivation of new di
rect markets for family farm pro
duced livestock, and crops, out
reach, and organizational
development. ,
Restaurant Equipment
Auction
Monday, Feb. 17, 2003
10 am
Ponderosa Steak House
3047 N. sth St., Reading, Pa.
No Buyer’s Premium!
Building demolition creates great auction’ Hot
and cold food bar with nice oak trim. (70)
Windsor type light blonde wood chairs, (18)
24”x24” tables, (16) 24”x48” tables, oak
trimmed booth seating, pictures and decor,
baker’s nook neon sign, Migali single door freez
er, Traulsen single door refrig, (2) Frymaster fry
ers, Volrath gas convection double stack ovens,
Manitowoc large capacity ice machine on bin,
Hobart dish washer, (3) SS prep sinks, (3) SS
prep tables, lots of Metro shelving and bakery
carts. Henny Penny warmers, Hosizaki ice
machine, interior oak and brass trim, counters,
good small items: SS insert pans, trays, sheet
pans. Walk in cooler. Globe sheer, Blakesley 20
qt. mixer.
IkMfe nrattia.
High End R«tt«nnn|t, mm <wrfy I yews
Vulcan 65 lbs jm fryers, rlwo gas table top
fryers, Ores Cbr holding cabinets, (2)
Tcaulsen refrigerated, .octagonal, revolving
pie cas©S » Qjfee MeW?>, refrigerated sand
wich tables, hot. dagger, 10' exhaust hood,
and more! Nice lot m Syracuse white china,
new stock jodte, pans, utensils, small items for
all types or food service.
Directions: Directly across from Fairgrounds
Mall. From Lancaster take Tr. 222 to Rt. 422
West, Take Rt. 12 East Exit towards Pricetown,
Take sth St./Rt. 222 exit towards Allentown.
From North take 1-78 to Rt. 61 South at Leesport.
Turn left on E. Belleview Ave, Turn right on
Allentown Pike
Terms: No Buyers Premium. 48 Hr removal,
cash and Pa. Checks.
Mark Baranowski AU 2570
(717) 657-2317
We are always seeking quality consignments of
Restaurant Equipment and Food Service Items.
Please call our offices!
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