May 2008
Farmers Meet With Lawmakers in Harrisburg
Nearly three-hundred county Farm Bureau members traveled to Harrisburg to meet with their state lawmakers on priority issues of importance to agriculture during Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s annual State Legislative Conference. The farmers, members of county Farm Bureau State Legislative Committees, discussed agriculture’s concerns and recommended specific action on legislation dealing with the state budget, renewable fuels, health care, highway funding, Sunday hunting and other topics.
PFB Calls For Biodiesel Incentives at News Conference
At a news conference in conjunction with the State Legislative Conference, PA Farm Bureau President Carl T. Shaffer joined lawmakers in Harrisburg in calling for the General Assembly to enact legislation for short-term incentives to help the state’s struggling biodiesel industry. Production in Pennsylvania has fallen in the face of competition from out-of-state producers who receive financial support from their state governments.
PFB Publicizes Rural Road Safety Week
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, along with several county Farm Bureaus around the state, held news events to publicize Rural Roads Safety Week, April 19-26. The public was urged to be aware of slow-moving farm vehicles on rural highways and to practice caution and patience when encountering them.
Coalition Proposes Fair Share Funding For Bay Mandates
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau joined with a coalition representing the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, municipal authorities, conservation districts and home builders in proposing a state funding plan that would help finance improvements needed to meet Chesapeake Bay water quality mandates. The Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan calls for $500 million in state funding support over the next seven years for agriculture and wastewater plant improvements.
PFB President Testifies on Clean Water Act Expansion
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Carl Shaffer voiced opposition to legislation that would expand the regulatory reach of the federal Clean Water Act during a U.S. House Committee hearing in Washington. Shaffer said H.R. 2421 would “bring every ditch or puddle of water” under the jurisdiction of EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers.
PFB Testifies on Organic Farming
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau told the state House Agriculture Committee that the need for funding a legislative proposal to reimburse farmers for losses during their transition to organic agriculture would compete with the needs of existing agriculture programs which are already going unmet. In addition, most of the objectives contained in H.B. 2347 could be addressed under an existing state sustainable agriculture program, PFB said.
Game Commission Proposes Deer Management Change
As requested in testimony by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the PA Game Commission approved a preliminary proposal that would allow hunters with multiple deer tags hunting in areas with deer problems surrounding Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to harvest several deer at once before having to stop and apply deer tags. This would circumvent the predicament caused by deer dispersing after one shot is fired.
FARMER Holds Fundraising Banquet
FARMER, the bi-partisan political action committee operated by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau to help elect “friends of agriculture” to the General Assembly, held its annual fundraising banquet in Harrisburg. All but five of the 105 candidates evaluated and endorsed by FARMER in the last general election were voted into office.
PFB President Visits Western PA News Media
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Carl Shaffer participated in discussions with several newspapers, radio stations and TV stations during a western Pennsylvania media tour. Shaffer talked about farm and rural issues during editorial board visits with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Butler Eagle. He also took part in radio talk shows in Pittsburgh and Butler and answered TV news reporters’ questions in Erie on food prices, biofuels and other issues.
|
CAPWiz On-Line