A 9 4-Lancaster Farming Satin day, December 27 2003'
2003: A Year Of Big Changes
(Continued from Page A 23)
ice farms and get the product de
livered.
At its annual convention, the
Pennsylvania Holstein Associa
tion inducted Ray and Barbara
McMillan and Harold and Lena
Umble into the Pennsylvania
Holstein Hall of Fame.
March
Lancaster I arming published
a report from Cattle-Fax, a mar
ket analysis and and information
organization from Denver, Colo,
which predicted fed cattle prices
in 2003 would average $73-$74
per hundredweight, about $6 per
hundredweight higher than in
2002.
The Pennsylvania Forage and
Grassland Council conducted its
annual conference featuring the
Roche brothers of Ireland. The
Roches spoke about grazing and
forage systems in Ireland and
New Zealand.
The Pennsylvania Beef Expo
in State College included one of
the largest junior shows in the
history of the expo.
April
A conference in Harrisburg
outlined ways to prevent agroter
rorism. Penn State student Jenni
fer Flinchbaugh gave a presenta
tion, noting that the purposeful
introduction by terrorists of
harmful organisms to livestock
and/or the food supply is “a dis
tinct possibility."
Penn-Mar Ethanol, LLC an
nounced plans to begin building a
facility in southcentral Pennsyl
vania to produce about 50 million
gallons of ethanol from corn.
The Pennsylvania State Asso
ciation of Township Supervisors
gathered in Hershey
for its annual conven
tion, which included a
presentation by attor
ney Charles Zaleski.
Zaleski told the group
that townships must
allow for large-scale
agricultural enter
prises in comprehen
sive plans.
The possibility of
building a biodiesel
plant in the area was
brought to light by
leaders of the Region
al Economic Develop
ment District Initia
tive based in
Harrisburg. The
group conducted
meetings in Berks and
Adams counties to
gather farmer input
on the idea
Terry Barr, chief
economist with the
National Association
of Farm Coopera
tives, told farm credit
company officers and
ag industry represen
tatives at a conference
in Harrisburg that
dairy processors will
need to work together
to “counterweigh
what’s happening on
the retail side”
through giants such
as Wal-Mart.
Pennsylvania secre
taries of agriculture
and environmental
protection Dennis
Wolff and Kathleen
McGinty, respec
tively. met at an ag
torum to discuss agri
cultural and environ
mental issues and
how their two depart
ments can cooperate
to promote environ
mental stewardship in
the state.
The Pennsylvania
State Grange con-
ducted its annual legislative lun
cheon under the banner of
“Grange Month,” designated as
April by the Rendell Administra
tion and the Pennsylvania Gener
al Assembly.
East Cocalico Township near
Ephrata proposed to drill a test
well on the Paul B. Zimmerman
farm, which is part of a 500-acre
Ag Security Area. Zimmerman
and neighbors opposed the town
ship’s plans. After drilling, and
attempting twice to determine if
the well could produce a suitable
public water supply, the town
ship said this fall that it was
abandoning the site.
Canada announced the discov
ery of bovine spongiform enceph
alopathy (BSE), also known as
mad cow disease, in a single cow
in Alberta. U.S. cattle organiza
tions worked quickly to assure
the country that the domestic
beef supply was safe, and officials
closed the border to Canadian
cattle and ruminant meats.
Dairy producers learned about
CWT (cooperatives working to
gether), a voluntary plan created
by the National Milk Producers
Federation to reduce cow num
bers and the nation’s milk supply
in an effort to improve milk
prices on the farm. The plan met
with considerable opposition and
was eventually scaled back to
about one third of the original
scope hoped for by planners.
Pennsylvania Ag Secretary
Dennis Wolff announced the ap
pointment of a new Farm Show
team, consisting of Bill Wehry,
deputy secretary; Edward Niel
sen, Farm Show director; and
Lancaster
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June
June Dairy Month featured
stories of dairy farmers who have
tound ways to remain successful
despite record-low milk prices.
A hog farming summit in Get
tysburg drew a diverse crowd,
from environmental activists led
by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to pas
tured pork producers, direct mar
keters, and large-scale hog pro
ducers. Meanwhile, a proposed
hog finishing operation created
controversy in southern York
County, as neighbors aired con
cerns about possible odor emis
sions.
Controversy continued over
Country of Origin Label- ___
ing (COOL) legislation for
ag products, mandated by
U.S. Congress in the 2002
Farm Bill. About 150 peo
ple, representing most
commodity groups, gath
ered in Lancaster for a
meeting on the issue led by
William Sessions, deputy
administrator with
USDA's Agricultural Mar
keting Service. Thirty
speakers gave a diversity
of opinions, for and
against the legislation.
International Harvester
enthusiasts gathered in
Bloomsburg for the 14th
Annual Red Power
Roundup.
The National Holstein
Convention took place in
Winston Salem, N.C.
Eric Rubenstein,
(Turn to Page A 25)
A cornfield near Farmersville, Lancaster County, was
one of many devastated by winds from Tropical Storm
Isabel in September. Photo by Andy Andrews, editor
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