Senate Ag Committee holds listening session in Mercer

Session is last in the Building a Vision for Rural PA series

MERCER – The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by state Senator Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), held its final listening session Monday in Mercer in western Pennsylvania.

The Committee has held eight sessions across the Commonwealth over the last five months to learn about the most pressing issues in the state's agricultural and rural communities, Brubaker said.

State Senator Bob Robbins (R-Greenville) hosted the public session at the Mercer County Conservation District, which was attended by approximately 30 people. In addition, state Senator John Eichelberger (R-Hollidaysburg) and state Representatives Michelle Brooks (R-Greenville) and Mark Longietti (D-Hermitage) were also present.

"We heard about a broad range of topics today, and the information presented will be very useful to my Committee," Brubaker said. "I was very pleased at the turnout we had in western Pennsylvania."

Mercer County Commissioners Ken Seamans and Brian Beader opened the session by discussing the rising costs faced by agriculture businesses. "Costs to farmers are high, but incomes are low," Seamans said.

Beader also addressed the need for increased funding to conservation districts, saying that he felt there could be an increase in tipping fees on garbage to help the districts and recycling programs.

"I think this could be sold as a possible solution across the state," Beader said.

Venango County Commissioner Gary Hutchinson said that he too feels that state funding to conservation districts needs to remain at its current level or be increased. In his 2007-2008 budget proposal, Governor Rendell recommended cuts of $590,000 through the Department of Agriculture and $500,000 through the Department of Environmental Protection.

Mark Rickard, District Manager with the Venango County Conservation District, concurred. "The Nutrient Management Program has been flatlined for years as well, and those grants are very important to this area," he noted.

Other speakers also addressed their concerns with funding for agriculture programs in the 2007-2008 budget.

"We need to have more funds restored under Act 38 so that we can fund more projects in western Pennsylvania," said Tom Wilson, Regional Agricultural Engineer with the Penn State Cooperative Extension in Crawford County. "We need to look at agriculture as economic development, because for rural communities that's what it is."

Joe Paxton, a dairy farmer near Grove City, spoke about the need for additional funding for the Penn State Cooperative Extension and agricultural research.

"Funding lately has been an issue," Paxton said. "The legislature graciously gave both items a $2 million increase last year, but we are asking for an additional $3 million for each this year."

Don Unangst with the Mercer County Agricultural Land Preservation Board said that additional funding is also needed for farmland preservation. "We have 46 applications, but only enough money to approve two or three of them," Unangst said. "We could encourage more farmers if we received more money."

Henry Karki, a State Board Member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, brought up several issues with the panel, including deer management and landowner liability.

"We need to leave the Game Commission alone," Karki said, "because we're just starting to see results from their plan." He spoke against state legislation that would limit Game Commissioners' terms or otherwise change the Commission's operations. In addition, Karki indicated his support for House Bill 1078, which would provide for deterrent fencing for deer, bear and elk, as well as compensation for elk damage, something he said is much needed in McKean County.

"The most important issue is landowner liability," Karki said, an issue that arises when farmers allow other individuals, such as hunters, to use their land for recreational purposes. "We need to get this done quickly, because farmers are losing $70 million each year to crop damage. We don't want to limit hunters, we want to work with them, but often people don't realize where property boundaries are."

John Courtney, a local farmer who is also a member of the Mercer County Agricultural Development Council, also noted his approval with the Game Commission's work, saying that farmers and forests need protection. He also addressed the need to have a strong support structure for agriculture, including the Penn State Cooperative Extension, large animal veterinary services and cultivating relationships with the state's USDA labs.

"Agriculture is a major contributor to local socioeconomic conditions," Courtney pointed out.

Many of the attendees shared their concerns with the shortage of large animal veterinarians in the state.

"If you raise cattle, sheep and goats, there are almost no veterinary services available," said local beef producer Jim Henry. "Most people want to be veterinarians for pets, not large animals." Helen Jackson, Secretary for the Beaver-Lawrence County Board of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, noted that it is difficult to get veterinarians for the swine industry as well.

Henry talked about a model program developed by the University of Pennsylvania that would train individuals to be veterinary assistants, much like physician's assistants. "We would need to make adjustments to the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act to make some of these things happen, though," Henry said.

One former veterinarian spoke about some of the reasons he has seen that contribute to the shortage of large animal veterinarians, including long hours, poor pay and significant liability issues.

"Also, young people who are considering careers are deterred by the high costs of training and the high academic standards," the veterinarian said. "The assistant program would help alleviate some problems, but both the veterinarian and the producer have to benefit."

"As we lose small family farms, we lose the economy for local veterinarians," said Wes Ramsey with Penn Soil. "It's very important to the local economy that we keep the small farms active. For dairy especially, the choice right now seems to be to get big or get out. The small scale farms can still be profitable, but they need more resources." If present trends hold, said Ramsey, Pennsylvania stands to lose 95 percent of its dairy businesses by 2020.

If you think your small farm doesn't matter to the community, wait until you decide to get out of the business and tell people you're laying them off or won't be buying feed anymore," said Don Koontz, who works with the local conservation districts.

Dale Rains with the Mercer County Agricultural Development Council, Pennsylvania Angus Association and Mercer County Cooperative Extension Board, mentioned the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and livestock premise identification.

"The federal government has dropped the ball on this," Rains said. "However, the state has put a lot of money into implementing this so far, and we need to continue on with this in case of a crisis so that we can control it."

Local farmer Lee Cornell expressed his concerns with NAIS, saying that the problem is that the wording is ambiguous, and that there are constitutional and privacy issues.

Randy Carper spoke on behalf of Ag Choice Farm Credit in Meadville, saying that his business is necessary to support the growth of agriculture. "State programs have also changed over the last few years to open programs such as the First Industries Fund to agriculture," said Carper.

Carper also indicated his support for Senate Bill 768, which would include farm credit system institutions such as his in the definition of commercial lending institutions under Title 64. "This is important because borrowers want help securing a guaranty, and with people who are young and just beginning, they can't always get approved without a guaranty," said Carper.

"I have enjoyed hearing from those individuals who have a vested interest in Pennsylvania's agriculture industry and rural areas," Brubaker said. "I want to thank all of my colleagues, including Senator Robbins, who have hosted us in their districts over the past several months."

"My committee and I will now use the information we have gathered to build a comprehensive agenda that truly addresses the priorities of our Commonwealth," Brubaker concluded.

Anyone who would like to submit additional thoughts or comments is encouraged to do so by emailing the Committee at SenateAgRuralAffairs@pasen.gov.

Contact:

Kristin Ebersole, Executive Director
Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
717-787-4420