Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 1:13pm.
 Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade
Special Sections Editor HARRISBURG, Pa. — The past two years have marked a roller coaster ride for feed and grain prices. From the highest of highs in early 2008 to the dramatic drop that followed, the impact has been significant both for farmers that produce feed grains and those that depend on them. Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff welcomed feed producers from seven states Wednesday to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex to discuss key issues at the first summit organized by the Pennsylvania Feed and Grain Task Force. Pennsylvania Sen.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 1:06pm.
Chris Torres
Staff Writer LITITZ, Pa. — Accidents can happen at any time. But most of us don’t think about it until the accident strikes close to home. It struck close to home for Jeff Stoltzfus last November, when a farmer he knows was involved in an accident with his combine, and the car driver was killed. It’s a big reason behind why Stoltzfus is leading a grassroots movement to change the farm vehicle transport laws in Pennsylvania. Stoltzfus, adult farm educator in the Eastern Lancaster County School District, along with Don Hoover of Binkley and Hurst, Lititz, organized a meeting last Friday to share ideas on making changes to the state’s farm vehicle transport laws. Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania State Police, as well as farmers and representatives from several state ag associations, came to share their ideas on the issue. The goal, according to Hoover, was to gather ideas for changes to the current laws, which he said are past due for a change. “Farming has evolved to the point that some of these codes are not practical today,” Hoover said. The issue for many in attendance is that the current laws on the books are unclear and confusing, leading many farmers to unwittingly break the law, putting safety at risk. According to Stoltzfus, the farmer he works with was cited and found to be at fault when the combine he was driving was slammed into by a car that skidded while coming across a bridge in East Earl Township, Lancaster County, last November. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s guide to the operation of overweight and oversize vehicles lists a maximum width of 8 feet for any vehicle traveling on a state highway. There are exceptions for farm implements, but that’s where the confusion comes. For example, any implement used for “highly perishable crops” is allowed to operate on highways (other than freeways) so long as it is not wider than 14 feet, 6 inches and operates between the dates of May 20 and October 15.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 1:02pm.
Chris Torres
Staff Writer Cheryl Cook, deputy secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) since 2003, has been appointed as deputy under secretary for rural development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nicole Bucher, a PDA spokesperson, confirmed Thursday that Cook had been selected for the USDA post.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 12:55pm.
Nearly 200 People Attend Event On Biosolids Use Chris Torres
Staff Writer KUTZTOWN, Pa. — When Andy McElmurray and Bill Boyce decided to accept biosolids on their fields more than 20 years ago, they thought they were getting a cheap but adequate alternative to synthetic fertilizer, which can be expensive. Little did they know that two decades later, they would be warning a crowd of the potential dangers biosolids can have on farms. Nearly 200 people came to hear the two farmers and an expert from Cornell speak on the topic at the Janelle Hall near Kutztown Tuesday.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 12:45pm.
Steve Taylor
Correspondent A class action complaint filed in a U.S. District Court last week claims dairy farmers across the United States were deprived of rightful income over a five-year period because of misrepresentation of dairy product pricing data by a California entity that markets nonfat dry milk (NFDM) to over 40 countries worldwide. The suit alleges that DairyAmerica from 2002 until 2007 misreported dairy product prices to the USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), resulting in lower payments for the sale of raw milk to producers. Under the federal Dairy Market Enhancement Act of 2000, NASS collects specific information about price trends in the marketplace.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 12:39pm.
Shenandoah Valley Hosts Innovative Ranchers of Direct-Marketing Beef Co-op Andrew Jenner
Virginia Correspondent HARRISONBURG, Va. — It was during the farm crisis of the 1980s, when the bank threatened to sell off some of their cattle, that Oregon ranchers Doc and Connie Hatfield realized they had to stop living at the mercy of the commodity markets. Instead, they decided to gauge local demand, and found that people were willing to pay a values-based premium for sustainably and humanely raised, hormone-free beef that’s healthy for the consumer, for the land, and for the family ranch.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 12:29pm.
Charlene M. Shupp
Espenshade
Special Sections Editor LANCASTER, Pa. — Energy was the theme of the day as poultry producers and industry representatives gathered at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center on March 5. For the last decade, the state’s utility companies have had their rates capped. Starting this year and through 2010, the majority of these utilities will have the caps removed.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 12:24pm.
Chris Torres
Staff Writer Another $10 million is expected to be made available to farmers who chose to participate in Pennsylvania’s Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) tax credit program. Mary Bender, administrator for the State Conservation Commission’s REAP program, said during an online seminar Wednesday that she expects applications for the third round of REAP tax credits to go out on July 1, when the new fiscal year begins. Gov.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 12:17pm.
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week announced USDA will be delivering its first actions implementing the $28 billion provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). “President Obama responded extraordinarily to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression and his efforts and that of the USDA will have a significant impact not only in rural communities but in communities across the country struggling with today’s tough economic times,” said Vilsack.
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 12:13pm.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — To assist dairy producers struggling to manage cash flow in a cash-negative milk sales environment, the Center for Dairy Excellence is offering $1,500 “Cash Projection and Business Budgeting” grants. The 40 grants are being made available as an initiative of the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force’s Business Management Committee through a federal grant. “As many producers struggle with negative cash flow during this economic downturn, we know having professional help to assist with cash flow management can lead to improved margins for the dairy,” said John Frey, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence.
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