Building a Vision for Rural Pennsylvania holds session in Lebanon

Committee rounds out week of public forums on agriculture issues

LEBANON – The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee today held its third listening session of the week in the Building a Vision for Rural Pennsylvania in Lebanon, Committee Chairman Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster) said. The Committee also held sessions in Pittsburgh and Waymart.

State Senator Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) hosted the public session at the Lebanon County Conservation District. State Senators Michael O'Pake (D-Reading), minority chairman of the Committee, and John Eichelberger (R-Hollidaysburg) and state Representative RoseMarie Swanger (R-Lebanon) joined Brubaker and Folmer at the session.

"This has been a very productive week for my committee," said Brubaker. "I am pleased that so many people recognize the importance of our agriculture and rural communities, and that they took the time to share their concerns and priorities with us."

A wide range of state laws, taxes and funding for various programs was addressed during today's session.

Luke Brubaker, the chair of the state's Milk Marketing Board, and Lebanon County dairy farmer Adam Hain, addressed the crisis facing dairy farmers.

"It's a scary situation right now for dairy farmers," Luke Brubaker said, suggesting that high grain prices are part of the problem. However, he cautioned that the Milk Marketing Board cannot raise the prices paid to dairy farmers too high or they will risk losing the market to western dairy producers, who are only a 12- to 24-hour drive away.

Hain thanked the panel for being with the group, then compared the dairy crisis to the Valentine's Day snowstorm, saying that the state should have seen it coming.

"If something isn't done by this summer, I may have to sell my cows," Hain said. He recommended that the Department of Agriculture's PA Preferred program, which identifies locally sourced Pennsylvania products to consumers, be expanded to include dairy products.

Tom Jackson and Don Welk, tobacco farmers from Lancaster County, attended with a representative of the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Company to discuss the potential impact of a tax on smokeless tobacco products, which has been proposed by Governor Rendell as part of his Prescription for Pennsylvania plan.

"The new tax could cause a reduction in the purchase of our product, and it is the moneymaker on my farm," said Welk. His records show that an acre of soybeans grossed $270 per acre, while corn grossed $305 per acre, wheat grossed $325 per acre, alfalfa grossed $525 per acre, and tobacco grossed $4,000 per acre. "Tobacco pays our mortgage, and it is a family project," he continued.

Local dairy farmer Dave Smith brought up the real estate tax, saying that reform is necessary for farmers. "It is very appealing to sell land for development in this area," Smith pointed out, "which eventually raises the taxes for everyone as new families requiring new services move in."

Lebanon dairy farmer and Swatara Township (Lebanon County) supervisor Dean Patches noted that new developments can have another impact on farmers in terms of stormwater management. "Too often, water from new developments is diverted to farms, which must then put BMPs (Best Management Practices) in place to manage the water," Patches said. He had similar feelings about the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy, adding, "everyone must do their part to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay, not just pass the buck to the farmer."

Forester Dennis Brehm discussed the difficulties he faces with local municipalities passing ordinances, in what he called an arbitrary fashion, to block timbering projects. He was hopeful that he would be able to seek protection under the state's ACRE law, a 2005 law which allows farm owners or operators to ask the state Attorney General to review local ordinances they feel restrict normal agriculture operations. Other speakers noted that the permitting process for agricultural operations can be onerous, costly and time consuming.

One Lebanon County dairy farmer addressed her concerns about the livestock market, saying that manipulation of the market by the buyers hurts farmers. In addition, she spoke about the rising costs of crop insurance.

"The price keeps going up and up, and we have to purchase crop insurance before we know what the price is," she said, while at the same time adding that crop insurance is a necessity for her farm, which saw substantial losses last year.

Linda Rose, who owns Forest Regeneration Services in Lawn, shared her thoughts about the state's stream bank fencing programs. "I am concerned that these programs are wasting taxpayer dollars because the fencing and particularly the tree tubes are not being maintained," she said. "While the program is both beneficial and necessary, the state must mandate maintenance on the projects."

Forest regeneration was also a concern for Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Audubon Society. "A recent report from DCNR (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) shows that nearly 50 percent of state forests are continuing to show no regeneration because of deer defoliation caused by an overabundance of deer plaguing the forests," he said. Schaeffer asked for the legislators' support of Representative Art Hershey's House Bill 550, which would give farmers additional tools to manage their deer problems.

Dick Shellenberger, a Lancaster County Commissioner also representing the County Commissioners Association of Pennyslvania, asked the panel for its support of several initiatives as well. In particular, Shellenberger talked about the need for a dedicated source of funding for farmland preservation in addition to increased funding in the budget for conservation districts, the Penn State Cooperative Extension and county fairs.

Shellenberger also indicated his support for House Bill 13, a Representative Harry Readshaw bill that clarifies liability protection for landowners who allow individuals to use their land for recreational purposes.

The proposed changes to the state's Dog Law regulations received attention from the testifiers as well. Shellenberger mentioned that dog sales help breeders pay for their mortgages, and expressed concern that dog breeders are not represented on the Dog Law Advisory Board or in the regulatory process.

Jessie Smith, special deputy secretary for dog law enforcement in the state Department of Agriculture, also spoke about the Dog Law regulations and took questions from the audience.

On the matter of alternative fuels, Ruth Dietz, who is the owner and CEO of J.P. Donmoyer Inc., told the panel that she would like to open and operate an alternative fuels dispensing facility that is locally accessible to the public.

"I support state and federal mandates for the use of alternative fuels by motor carriers as well as financial incentives for their use," Dietz said. "Heavy duty fleets that use alternative fuels in their vehicles can make a huge difference in our nation's air quality and energy security." For this reason, she explained, J.P. Donmoyer will be converting part of their existing refueling infrastructure to store and dispense biodeisel and e85 so that others will have access to cleaner burning fuels.

"My committee will be able to develop a comprehensive vision for Pennsylvania agriculture from the input we have received this week," Committee Chairman Brubaker said. "I am looking forward to the remaining three listening sessions we have planned, and I am sure that they will be as productive as those in which we have already participated."

Listening sessions in the Building a Vision for Rural Pennsylvania series are scheduled for April 13, April 27 and May 14. More information about times and locations is available on Senator Brubaker's web site, www.senatorbrubaker.com.

Contact:

Kristin Ebersole, Executive Director
Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

717-787-4420