A publication of the Pennsylvania Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union
Issue 2, Spring 2014
Pennsylvania Farmers Union Hears from Gubernatorial Candidates on Why Each Deserves the Farmer’s Vote! We recently connected with all five gubernatorial candidates regarding why Pennsylvania's farmers should vote for them in the upcoming Primary Election. Here are the responses of Governor Tom Corbett, State Treasurer Rob McCord, Katie McGinty, US Representative Allyson Schwartz, and Tom Wolf.
Tom Corbett
Katie McGinty
Tom Wolf
Agriculture and farming is a significant part of Pennsylvania’s history and culture, and I have been proud to fight to preserve and strengthen farming during my time in office. As Attorney General, I fought for the passage of, and was the first to enforce, the provisions of the Agriculture, Communities and Rural Environment (ACRE) Act to protect family farmers’ way of life. As Governor, I was proud to work with the
Agriculture is a vital component of Pennsylvania’s heritage and future. When I served as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania became a national leader in renewable energy and conservation. On my watch, we became the first coal state in the nation to pass an Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, increasing the use of biofuels. A McGinty Administration will take an aggressive approach to
I want to give Pennsylvania a fresh start. I know capitalizing on the strengths of our thriving agricultural sector is key to achieving this goal as agriculture remains the Commonwealth’s top economic driver. As Governor, I will work to develop new markets for Pennsylvania products. This will allow agriculture to take full advantage of the Commonwealth’s own major markets in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as well as those in New York
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Rob McCord Pennsylvania has a rich agricultural heritage. For farmers, though, production agriculture is more than just a way of life – it’s a business. As governor, I want to help farmers and agribusinesses succeed by securing affordable financing to grow their operations, reach new markets, and provide a safe supply of food from farm to fork. We’ve failed to invest in agriculture for (Continued on page 2)
Allyson Schwartz I’ve spent my lifetime standing up for families, and that’s what we need in Harrisburg: a proven champion for families. As Governor, I will invest in education, including pre-K and kindergarten; expand economic opportunity, and job training; rebuild our roads and bridges; and push for economic development in our smallest towns and rural areas. I am known as the “mother of CHIP” for my leadership in helping pass the (Continued on page 2)
www.pafarmersunion.org 717-576-0794 pafarmersunion@gmail.com
Your vote matters in the Primary on May 20th ! Visit www.VotesPA.com to confirm your polling location.
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legislature to eliminate the crippling “death tax” on family farms to ensure those legacies could be passed on to future generations. I have also supported efforts to preserve more farmland and ensure the Farm Show and our county fairs have the resources necessary to market and showcase our products to the world. I will continue to fight for Pennsylvania’s #1 industry in a second term, and I hope to have your support for four more years. (Continued from page 1)
too long. Years of budget cuts have decimated programs at the Department of Agriculture for conservation, market development, crop insurance, food safety, and ag research. Plus, cuts to Penn State’s cooperative extension have made it harder for farmers and everyday citizens to receive service. This is no way to manage the state’s largest industry. I will be the “invest and innovate” governor. For agriculture, whether it’s a traditional family farm, a small niche operation, or the local CSA, I want the people who bring us healthy and delicious food to have the resources they need to succeed. (Continued from page 1)
strengthen them through strengthening PA Preferred and expanding the Alternative Portfolio Energy Standard. We will fully fund vital programs to feed the less fortunate because it is the right thing to do. As a strong proponent of transparency, I will push for more stringent labeling of food. I had the honor of working with the farming community when I was DEP Secretary, and I guarantee that you will have no stronger ally should I be fortunate enough to serve as your next Governor. (Continued from page 1)
Children’s Health Insurance Program, and as governor, I will ensure we expand Medicaid to cover 500,000 hard working Pennsylvanians. As a member of Congress, I have a strong record of support for Pennsylvania’s agriculture sector, including championing into law the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which will expand grocery stores into underserved rural and urban areas; support for open space conservation, and sponsorship of the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act.
Secretary Vilsack Focuses on Farm Bill benefits to Small Farms in his NFU Address USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack keynoted at the National Farmers Union's 112th anniversary convention in Santa Fe earlier this year. As a “card carrying” Farmers Union member in Iowa, Vilsack knows this audience well. He knows that what sets us aside in “big-player member-based agricultural organizations” in our nation, is our singular mission of serving the interests of family farmers. The focus of his address was the Farm Bill and its implementation through its associated programs. What was refreshing and inspiring was Vilsack’s attention to the strategies outlined in the bill that address the needs of small, mid-sized and diversified family farms. In Pennsylvania, a state filled with farmers who tend to mitigate risk through something like diversification, conservation practices, and direct farm-toconsumer relationships over traditional crop insurances, the content was fresh and wellreceived. And where our members also benefit from crop insurance and other traditional safeguards, the refinement of the program in this last bill has been reassuring. NFU president Roger Johnson offered, "The administration's efforts to reinvigorate family farmers in the shrinking middle will provide valuable resources to the family farmers and ranchers who most need education, credit and technical assistance and build the future of the rural economy.” For a great analysis of Farm Bill benefits to sustainable farms, follow the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s Farm Bill Drill Down on its blog at www.sustainableagriculture.net/blog. Secretary Vilsack’s entire speech is available on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FarmersUnions
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and the Baltimore-Washington region. Additionally, I will launch a Growing Greener III initiative so we can continue to preserve farmland and encourage production practices that preserve Pennsylvania’s natural resources. I appreciate the value of education and will work to ensure the sustainability of the Extension Service and school-based agricultural education. Further, I will streamline the regulatory process and make it easier to access funding opportunities. I salute the hard work and sacrifices of those engaged in Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry, and I am looking forward to helping them expand their contributions to the Commonwealth.
USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsack, speaks with PA Farmers Union’s Hannah Smith-Brubaker about the Farm Bill’s renewed focus on small and mid-size family farms as a strategy for strengthening agriculture.
On the Road: Women Farmers ‘Making Waves’ at Leadership Meeting in Florida Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of meeting with a dedicated group of women farmers and ranchers who are actively taking on leadership roles in farm organizations, cooperatives, and in their communities. They had gathered in the sunshine state for the National Farmers Union Women’s Conference to discuss opportunities and challenges on their own operations, what they believe the future holds for agriculture, and the role of women in that future. Women face a unique set of challenges. They must find ways to balance the demands of family, community and the responsibilities to their businesses – all while being strong leaders within and for their communities.
Earlier this year, 10 women farmers from Pennsylvania traveled to the National Farmer Union Women’s Agricultural conference.
At the conference, I had the privilege of speaking with Jane Alexander, a pioneer for women in leadership roles. Jane began as a state lawmaker in the 1960s and went on to become the first female deputy secretary of agriculture in the United States, serving in the state of Pennsylvania. She has been an inspiration for so many women – not just in agriculture. She encouraged women at the meeting to follow their dreams and gave guidance on overcoming obstacles. I was inspired by the diversity of the women I met at the conference. There was a South Dakota rancher who had Jane Alexander, Esq., gone through the challenges of the early winter storm last PA Farmers Union year. A young woman and her mother who were Board Member and our attending the conference together. This remarkable girl is nation’s first female state deputy secretary home-schooled on her family’s farm and helps with all of agriculture aspects of running and caring for her family’s farm – in addition to running her own salves and balms company. There was an Iowan transitioning her farm – a CSA farmer from New Hampshire – and so many more working tirelessly to manage their businesses and make sure their needs are represented as decisions are made that affect their lives and livelihoods. These excellent women are serving on boards, starting USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta committees and bringing their experience Harden and Chandler Scott-Smith and expertise to the agriculture policy table.
Pictured above, our contingent included (left to right, back row) Megan Rulli of Piney Mountain Orchard (Adams Co.); Audrey Wanca of Fulton Center of Sustainable Living (Franklin Co.); Judi Finkenbinder Radel of Yeehaw Farm (Perry Co.); Jane Alexander of J&J Agri-Products (York Co.); Dru Peters of Sunnyside Farm (York Co.); Katie College of Stoney Creek Farm (Dauphin Co.) and (left to right, front row) Hope Brubaker, Hannah SmithBrubaker, Chandler Scott-Smith and Allison Glick of Village Acres Farm & FoodShed (Juniata Co.). Pennsylvania gratefully acknowledges the National Farmers Union Foundation, as well as other private donors, for their financial support in making this opportunity possible.
Talking with these women made it clear to me: the time is now to be planning and building the kind of future we want to have in agriculture. Farming and ranching is full of new, diverse thinkers who have experience, passion, and can contribute expertise to the future. But those of us in agriculture have to be ready to share tools for leadership with this new crop of leaders– and to support them as they work towards success. As Deputy Secretary, I want to meet this challenge head on. We have an obligation to our future and those who will inherit our farms and ranches to build a tomorrow that works. Think about your own families and neighbors – what will they need and want twenty years from now? How will that affect what we do today? The impressive women in Florida had a vision for that future. The diversity of people that I have met as I have traveled across the country have a vision. Let’s build upon the successes of agriculture by opening the doors wide to these new thinkers. The future of American farming and ranching will be a bright one – everyone who loves the land and wants to make a living on it should have a spot at the table to decide how that happens. Reprinted with permission
Pennsylvania Students Attended NFU College Conference on Cooperatives
Are you looking for Cooperative Enterprise Development tools?
More than 135 students from the United States and Puerto Rico participated in the National Farmers Union (NFU) College Conference on Cooperatives in Minneapolis in February. The students learned how cooperative businesses are adapting to changing environments in order to succeed and heard from cooperative experts from across the nation on why member-owned businesses are thriving in industries ranging from senior housing to healthcare. Students heard from cooperative leaders, farmers, and government experts who explained current challenges they face. Presenters ranged from members, directors, employees and managers of traditional and value-added agricultural cooperatives to representatives of electric, housing, and worker-owned co-ops, as well as consumer cooperatives such as credit unions, REI and natural foods co-ops. These professionals offered insights on cooperative development here and abroad.
Check out this new manual available through New England Farmers Union’s website at newenglandfarmersunion.org. This manual covers everything: history, setup options, first steps, governance structures, legal issues, practical tools and many other resources.
Attending from Pennsylvania were Hana Uman and Shauna Kerns, both of the Falk School of Sustainability and the Environment, Chatham University (also scheduled to attend, but prevented by severe weather, was Kelsey Schlegal, daughter of lifetime member Karl Schlegal). In Hana’s words, “The NFU College Conference on Cooperatives was a great opportunity to meet other people from around the country that were interested in cooperatives of all kinds! The site visits and tours, and the speakers taught me so much about the wide reach of cooperatives, and I feel that I have many more resources for my research on food cooperatives for my thesis. Minneapolis is a great city with a rich cooperative history, and I didn't realize how influenced the city has been on agriculture and food production prior to the conference. I was really impressed with how willing all of the conference participants were to learn about sustainability from the conference speakers, and from each other. It was evident that the National Farmers Union and the state chapters have been to extremely beneficial to many people and their families, and I am excited to now be a part of the PA Farmers Union, too!”
The Keystone Development Center publishes the MidAtlantic Guide to Cooperative Development Resources available in a downloadable PDF at http://www.kdc.coop/resources/ resource_guide.
Are you a farmer in need of improved access to Organic grains? Are you a farmer who grows (or would be willing to grow) Organic grains at the wholesale level? Let us know! We are exploring the feasibility of establishing a state-wide grain cooperative collection and distribution system and are looking for a few committed members to participate in the process. Contact Hannah SmithBrubaker at 717-576-0794 | pafarmersunion@gmail.com
Peggy Fogarty-Harnish, Executive Director of the Keystone Development Center, has recently been named as a Pennsylvania Farmers Union Liaison for Cooperatives. We encourage our members to contact KDC for support on forming and strengthening cooperative enterprises at peggy@kdc.coop or 717-7330522.
The guide is a reference for individuals and groups engaged in forming and sustaining cooperatives. Resources are organized by state and topic and include videos, books, contacts, and helpful websites.
A Look Back at the PA Farmers Union Convention with an Excerpt from John Ikerd’s Keynote... Family Farms: Our Promise for a Sustainable Future Did you miss the Annual Convention? If so, you missed several remarkable speakers including world renowned Agricultural Economist John Ikerd! We are pleased to provide this excerpt from the paper he presented and which inspired so many of us. ...the emergence of a new sustainable food system is but one aspect of the emergence of a new worldview, including a new set of social and ethical norms and values that reflect the essential principles of sustainability. This means the creation of sustainable regional, national, and global networks of local, community based food systems will coincide with the emergence of a new “cultural imperative” of sustainability. The ethical and moral values that define such cultural imperatives evolve from social relationships among people and relationships between people and their natural environment. The social and ecological relationships that are formed and sustained on family farms, and the community-based food systems they sustain and are sustained by family farms, provide the ideal environment for creating and nurturing a new cultural imperative of sustainability.
for happiness, as is a sense of being treated with equity and justice within society. And perhaps most important, they concluded our happiness depends on our having a clear John Ikerd, PA Farmers Union sense of purpose and meaning in Convention Keynoter life to define what is right or wrong and good or bad – our sense of ethics and morality. The challenge for Americans today is not to restore economic growth, but instead to learn to live “wisely, agreeably, and well” – ethically, socially, and economically.
This challenge can be met only within the context of a new worldview: A worldview of humans as a part of the earth, not apart from the earth; as critically interconnected with each Some may question whether it is naïve or idealistic to expect a other and with the earth; whose health and happiness is new cultural imperative of sustainability to halt and reverse in inseparable from the health and happiness of other people and the dominant trend toward industrial agriculture. It might be of the other living and non-living elements of the earth. Only idealistic if the great transformation in agriculture was taking when we accept this new ethically, socially, and economically place in isolation from the current transformation within the interdependent worldview will we find the courage to cease our larger economy and society. People are beginning to understand futile striving for wealth and return to the pursuit of happiness. there is simply no logical reason to continue giving the pursuit of This is not some New Age utopian vision that is unattainable. income and economic wealth priority over the pursuit of The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that happiness happiness. For the skeptics, a few quotes from arguably the was a natural consequence of “right relationships” among th most widely respected economist of the 20 century, John friends and within families and communities. Alex Des Maynard Keynes, may shed some light on the prospects for a Tocqueville, in writing about democracy in America in the early reversal of priorities. Back in the early 1920s, Keynes wrote, “the 1800s, termed concern for the well-being of others as “selfeconomic problem may be solved, or be at least within sight of interest rightly understood.” The Dali Lama calls it being “wisely solution, within a hundred years. This means that the economic selfish” – understanding that our well-being is dependent on the problem is not… the permanent problem of the human race.” well-being of the other living and nonliving things of the earth. Man’s permanent problem will be “how to use his freedom from It’s simply time to return to those things people of great wisdom pressing economic cares … to live wisely and agreeably and have always known to be true. well.” I can think of nothing that better epitomizes this new As it turned out, Keynes was right. The “economic problem” has worldview essential for sustainability and happiness than a been solved for the vast majority of Americans, as well as most good family farm. The social and ethical relationships that are of those in the rest of the so-called developed world. In fact, sustained on good family farms will be essential to sustaining most Americans probably had as much material wealth as we relationships of integrity within community-based food systems needed as far back as the 1950s. A 2003 British cabinet office that eventually evolve into the new cultural imperative that will report confirmed that “Despite huge increases in affluence be essential in sustaining a new global sustainable food network. compared with 1950, people throughout the developed world Certainly, family farms of the future will be different in many reported no greater feelings of happiness.” A 2004 review of respects from those of the past, but the most fundamental and more than 150 scholarly studies indicates that as developing essential characteristics will be the same as they always have national economies grow, beyond some very modest level of been. The pendulum of industrial agriculture is losing its material well-being – around $10,000 to $15,000 per capita – momentum. Nature is demanding a reversal – a return to the there is little if any correlation between increasing wealth and ecological and social reality. Real family farms are the best hope the overall happiness or well-being of people in a nation. for a sustainable future for farming and for humanity. These and other studies have consistently found that personal Full paper available: www.pafarmersunion.org/ikerd relationships – friends, family, and community – are necessary
Long-Time Pennsylvania Farmers Union Member Dale Snyder is in Need of a Kidney Transplant: Could You Be a Potential Donor?
Insurance Made Simple
According to the National Kidney Foundation, nearly 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a Kidney Transplant. Dale Snyder of Bedford County and long-time member of Pennsylvania Farmers Union is one of these people.
Cindy Stillwell, Stillwell Insurance Agency
No one in Dale’s family is eligible to donate a kidney, so Dale is at the mercy of finding an unrelated living or deceased donor. The waiting time for a cadaver kidney is four to six years. Dale is currently surviving by having kidney dialysis during his wait time. Could you be a potential donor? Matched Donor: Dale’s blood type is A+ and a donor’s maximum age is 65. If you are not a match, you can still help through the “paired donation” program. Paired Donor: A donor who is not a match for Dale could be a match for someone else. A donor who is not a match for someone else could be a match for Dale. In this case, two people would get transplants. Dale’s insurance will pay for all testing costs and he personally is happy to cover costs associated with travel, lodging and meals. If you feel the call to donate a kidney to Dale or to act as a paired donor, please contact Nancy De Santo, Pinnacle Health Donor Coordinator, at 717-231-8255.
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The Robert J Stillwell agency is working with the Pennsylvania Farmers Union and its members because we share a belief in the importance of the family farm. Family farms are integral to their local communities – and to our nation as whole – because of the high quality food you grow right here in America. We are proud to serve the members of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union by answering your questions, helping you to understand your coverage, and by providing you with comprehensive insurance solutions. Insurance is a complicated issue for those of us who work in the industry – and even more so for those of you who don't. Our mission is to help you understand what coverage you need, why you need it, and explain your options for minimizing the price you pay without sacrificing the coverage you need to protect you, your family, and your business. The first step in a review of your insurance is understanding what coverage you need. This includes a wide range of coverage options, such as whether you need a Homeowners or a Farmowners policy, what limit you need on your Home and what liability limits will protect your assets. We walk you through this process by asking detailed questions, and then explaining what coverage you need, and why it's important. The next step is a review of your current policies. What coverage do you currently have in place? Does it provide you with enough coverage? Are you over-insured? Are your assets protected from lawsuits? We'll help you to answer these questions, then provide recommendations for coverage and options for saving money. We'll give you the knowledge you need to make an educated decision. The Robert J. Stillwell Agency is family business in its third generation, and we have been in business for more than 40 years. Our business is built on developing relationships and earning your trust through honesty and integrity. Please do not hesitate to call us at 215-643-3490.
Pennsylvania Farmers Union executive vice-president Hannah Smith-Brubaker met up with Farmer-Veteran Coalition executive director Michael O’Gorman at the National Farmers Union Convention in March to convey PA Farmers Union’s intention to work more closely with the organization to support farmer veterans in our Commonwealth.
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Pennsylvania Farmers Union Membership Invitation If you care about family farms, because you are a farmer yourself or you just plain care about your local farmer… Or, if you are willing to share your knowledge and passion on the legislative front and make sure family farms have a fighting chance, not only to survive but to thrive… Or, if you believe in cooperative business structures as a strategy for a healthy, equitable, vibrant economy…
JOIN OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE PENNSYLVANIA FARMERS UNION AND YOUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD! Farmers Union continues to be the nation’s premier farm organization dedicated to family farm agriculture, cooperative businesses, and local community economies. By becoming a part of the Farmers Union family, you can expect a powerful and respected voice representing you on critical issues. Grassroots Policy & Education: Farmers Union policy is written and approved by our members. The issues that are important to YOU can be debated and become policy.
Receive updates on food and farm legislation, as well as briefs about agricultural news from around the United States.
Accept your invitation to the state annual convention. Come together with other farmers that are facing similar challenges and opportunities. Meet in a social atmosphere to share ideas and solutions to common problems.
legislative fly-ins; travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress and their staff.
Someone working on your behalf to secure farm-relevant insurance benefits: Property & Casualty Accident & Health - Farmowners - Individual Health - Auto - Life Insurance - Homeowners - Medicare Supplements - Umbrella Liability - Group Health - Rental Properties - Disability - Business Insurance
Advocacy: Access to the Farmers Union legislative team in Pennsylvania and Washington, DC
Business & Family: Myriad benefits such as discounts at Office Depot, Constant Contact, Wyndham Hotels…
Visit www.pafarmersunion.org for more information.
Access to travel funds to participate in semi-annual
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Come visit us at this summer’s FarmFest event at the Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall, PA on August 1-2. Proceeds from the silent auction benefit PA Farmers Union. Contribute an item today at farmfest.paorganic.org/silentauction or visit the site for more information.
The United Nations has declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF). National Farmers Union is proud to be leading the U.S. National Committee in support of the year. With family farming in the spotlight on an international stage, now is the time to capitalize on this opportunity and spread the word about the work family farmers are doing each and every day. As Farmers Union continues to celebrate family farming, we encourage you to get involved. Be on the lookout for future events and other activities where you can make an impact! Is your Farmers Union membership up-to-date? Membership is the first step in bringing your voice to the table on many levels, opens the door to educational opportunities for you and your family, and continues to support the future of family farming in our country.
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Lela Reichart, PDA Bureau of Marketing & Economic Development director, shares with Mary Wirth, Director of College Relations & Communications for Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences, that Cameo apples are one of her favorite varieties. Farmers Union offered apples from Three Springs Fruit Farm in Adams Co. (home county to Lela’s family farm) at a recent State Capitol Cornucopia event hosted by the PA State Council of Farm Organizations (PSCFO).
Did you know PA Farmers Union members are eligible for these new benefits?
Members without a current subscription to Lancaster Farming are eligible for 50% OFF a new subscription ($49 value for $24.50). Contact John Betz, Circulation Manager, at 717-721-4411.
J&J Agri-Products offers Member Pricing as well as a donation to Farmers Union with each purchase of its Soil Conditioner, Ni/Cal and Guardian products. 717-432-4040 or www.jjagriproducts.com. Lifetime member, Jane Alexander, is president.
Members are eligible for $50 off (normally $100) the new subscription cost of a Small Farm Central website for your farm (also free for 30 days). www.smallfarmcentral.com/pafarmersunion.
Do you have an idea for a new member benefit? Please let us know!