OPINION
pus is relegating Cooperative Extension to second-class status. Uni
versity leaders apparently view Extension as a “state service agency.”
I would argue, however, that Extension is in reality an educational
program in its pure form, providing practical, research-based educa
tion and information to diverse audiences across Maryland.
Meeting the Extension budget reductions proposed by the university
will require draconian measures that would make it difficult if not im
possible to provide the practical education that so many have become
accustomed to. For example, these measures could include switching
from a county-based to a regional Extension presence and eliminating
state support for the Master Gardener program, Expanded Food and
Nutrition Education Program, and the Home & Garden Information
Center.
Such drastic actions would lead to a direct loss of county funds, a
significant decline in grant funds, and downsizing in terms of both
people and facilities. The ultimate result, I believe, would be an inabil
ity to meet our mandated obligation to serve the residents of Mary
land.
The University of Maryland is fast becoming recognized as a first
class research institution, which is as it should be. But there’s no rea
son it can’t also continue to be respected as a land-grant university
that supports America’s historic tripartite mission of research, instruc
tion, and outreach.
The bottom line is that Extension is perfectly willing to shoulder its
share of the university’s budget cuts; however, we do not think it ap
propriate to take cuts that are higher than other academic and re
search units. If some action is not taken to correct the imbalance im
posed by the proposed university budget, we might as well declare
Extension dead, close the doors, turn out the lights, and go home.
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(Continued from Page A 10)
There seems to be two ways to
tackle our current pricing situa
tion. One is CWT, which attacks
our supply and demand imbal
ance to increase milk prices. The
other is to wait for enough dairy
farmers to go out of business to
bring markets into alignment so
milk prices will increase for a
short period of time.
As a dairy farmer involved in
an 80-cow herd, I know how dif
ficult it is to invest $0,179 per
hundredweight right now. How
ever, I also recognize that CWT
will increase milk prices very
quickly. Additionally, I know
that the $.179 per hundredweight
investment in CWT will be for 12
months and 12 months only, and
the investment rate will not in
crease. The assignment form that
cooperatives or independent
farmers sign will clearly state
this.
CWT sets out to reduce the
milk supply by offering fanners
incentives to reduce milk produc
tion as opposed to forcing all
farms to cut back on prpduction.
Although it cannot restrict im
ports, CWT does attack interna
tional trade by going on the of
fensive as it will significantly
increase the amount of butter
and cheese this country exports.
There has been much work done
to try and get the federal govern
ment to help create fairer trade
for dairy farmers. That work will
continue and will be accomplish
ed if farmers find ways to work
together. However, the expecta
tion that imports will be cut to
zero is not even remotely possible
and those that suggest it is possi
ble are doing a disservice to our
dairy industry.
We dairy farmers are at an his
toric point in time in the dairy in
dustry. Right now, CWT is sup
ported by farmers producing
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June 28,9am-4pm
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(Continued from Page A 10)
75-80 percent of the milk in the
country. NMPF is very close to
having the support it needs to go
forward with CWT. As dairy
farmers, our greatest opportunity
for success is to work together
under one program. CWT will
provide us with that opportunity.
I urge you to support and invest
in the CWT program like I am
doing. Thank you for your time.
Clyde E. Rutherford,
President
Dairylea Cooperative Inc.
Syracuse, N.Y.
Editor:
The June 7 letter by Legg of
Parkesburg to me is a typical
New Age type of stupidity. The
township ran through two new
beer joints locally in the last sev
eral years with no respect what
soever to local opposition. It’s the
same in Harrisburg, where the
Casino lobby is aggressively pur
suing their interests.
Money talks, you know. Forget
the moral side.
Judgement could follow as it
did after Hurricane Agnes in
1972 when the New Agers ap
proved horserace gambling. The
next letter reminded me of mush
room farming in Chester County
and the imports which forever
changed life around here. Two
personal friends sold out one a
bankrupcy.
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Earl Elam Mast
Parkesburg
IPM Course
Offered For
Teachers
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) The three Rs and the
ABCs long have been staples of
the public school curriculum.
Now, Pennsylvania students are
required to learn their IPM. For
teachers, this means switching
roles and going back to school.
In response to the new aca
demic standards that call for in
tegrated pest management, or
IPM, to be taught as part of units
on the environment and ecology,
the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest
Management Program is offering
a course to help teachers incorpo
rate IPM into their curriculum.
IPM aims to control pests
such as insects, diseases, weeds
and animals by combining
physical, biological and chemical
tactics that are safe and environ
mentally compatible.
“IPM for Teachers: Meeting
New Academic Standards for
Environment and Ecology,” will
be conducted June 24-27 at Penn
State’s University Park Campus.
“The course will provide the
basis for teaching IPM concepts
in the classroom, as well as in
door and outdoor activities to
demonstrate real-world pest
management decision-making
skills,” says Lyn Garling, educa
tion specialist at Penn State.
For more information on the
course content, contact Lyn Gar
ling by e-mail at ljgS@psu.edu or
by phone at (814) 863-8884, or
visit the Web at http://
paipm.cas.psu.edu/schools/
ipmcourse.html. To register, con
tact the office of Conferences and
Short Courses at (814) 865-8301.
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