Lancaster Farming: Ephrata, PA
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:58pm.
 Chris Torres
Staff WriterEven in a down year for turkeys, Cliff Lindgren, president of the Pennsylvania Independent Poultry Producers, is upbeat about his business. “So far, so good. It’s challenging, but I think we’re still in good shape, especially when I look at the turkey market in general in Pennsylvania.” Lindgren, who raises nearly 60,000 turkeys in Perry County, is one of 13 farmers involved in the Pennsylvania Independent Poultry Producers, a turkey cooperative which started a few years back as a result of the farmers wanting more control of their business and a more secure future. “We were at a point where we didn’t know what was going to happen to our integrator.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:55pm.
Chris Torres
Staff WriterHERSHEY, Pa. — The president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau thinks the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new approach to dealing with the Chesapeake Bay is one that will harm agriculture in the long run. Carl Shaffer addressed the media Tuesday during the bureau’s annual meeting at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, saying that he favors a more cooperative approach to dealing with farms and the Chesapeake Bay — mainly working with local and state agencies on nutrient reductions. “We want to be helpful, not confrontational,” Shaffer said.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:54pm.
Jennifer Merritt
Virginia CorrespondentMONETA, Va. — Even the people who were pulling for Bev Eggleston didn’t really think he’d make it. “They thought we were too early and took too big of a bite,” said Eggleston founder of EcoFriendly Foods in Moneta, Va. Eggleston, along with his wife Janelle, owns the small multi-species abattoir featured in Michael Pollan’s book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” Pollan’s book and Eggleston’s own dynamic personality have brought him notoriety.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:53pm.
 Maegan Crandall
Central N.Y. CorrespondentSYRACUSE, N.Y. — Hungry visitors arrived last Saturday and Sunday at the state fairgrounds to indulge their taste buds and celebrate locally-made and produced New York products at this year’s Pride of New York Harvest Fest. “The crowds have been great.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:52pm.
Marilyn Hershey
CorrespondentHERSHEY, Pa. — Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s highest award, the Barn Raiser Award, was presented this week to the former Pennsylvania Ag Secretary Dennis Wolff and former Penn State Dean of Ag Sciences Robert Steele. The presentations were made during PFB’s 59th Annual Meeting Tuesday here at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Both Wolff and Steele received the honor for their “strong voice, dedication, and outstanding leadership to the agricultural community,” said PFB President, Carl Shaffer. As state ag secretary, Wolff’s “number one priority was to address the concerns of Pennsylvania’s agriculture, benefiting farmers of all commodities.” Wolff served as secretary for more than six years, before leaving his post this past August.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:51pm.
 Marilyn Hershey
CorrespondentHERSHEY, Pa. — Michael and Katie Flinchbaugh of York County are the winners of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s 2009 Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award. The award was presented to the couple Tuesday at PFB’s 59th Annual Meeting here at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Several couples from across the state sent applications that went through a selection process.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:50pm.
 Jennifer Merritt
Virginia CorrespondentHUDDLESTON, Va. — It is not as good as a larger milk check, but it is a little good news for dairy farmers. Cornell University recently released a study stating that dairy farms today have a much smaller carbon footprint than their 1940 counterparts.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:49pm.
 In livestock judging contests conducted the weekend of Oct. 31 in Kansas City, Mo., MVS Maximus of Mountain View Farm near Gettysburg, Pa. was selected as the grand champion purebred Simmental bull of the American Royal Livestock Show and Rodeo and the national grand champion purebred Simmental bull of the American Simmental Association. Maximus was bred and born at Mountain View Farm and raised by Tom and Barbara Vossler who produce purebred breeding cattle of the Simmental breed.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:48pm.
 Dick Wanner
Lancaster Farming StaffLANCASTER, Pa. — If you wanted to be cheered up about the current state of the dairy industry, last Thursday morning was not a good day to attend the monthly Ag Issues Forum sponsored by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Farm and Home Center. Three keen observers of the dairy business talked to the group of assembled farmers and agribusiness people, and all three had the same message. It’s bad.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 4:47pm.
 Chris Torres
Staff WriterHERSHEY, Pa. — The state’s first ethanol plant will start receiving its first corn shipments by the end of the month and will start producing fuel by January. At least that’s what Roger Schmidt, general manager of Bionol Clearfield LLC, hopes will happen as his company plans on opening the state’s first ethanol plant in Clearfield County. The 110-million gallon facility, which sits on 35 acres, will have the capacity to receive 40 million bushels of corn a year which will be converted into fuel. Most of the corn, 80 percent, according to Schmidt, will be brought in by rail from out of state.
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