04/22/24 - 117 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/9bh4zbtr
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Farm Bureau Clears Air Over Misinformation About Environmental Stewardship
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While hundreds of farmers from across Pennsylvania were meeting with members of the General Assembly inside the State Capital to discuss priority issues affecting agriculture, PA Farm Bureau hosted a news conference this week to address the significant role farmers are playing to maintain and improve land and water resources.
“It should come as no surprise that farmers are proactively caring for our land and water resources, because the farm is not only a place of work, it is the home of the farm family. Farmers drink the water and breathe the air on their farms and are committed to being good stewards of the land for their community and future generations on the farm,” said PFB President Carl T. Shaffer.
Farm Bureau is concerned that some people may have the wrong impression of agriculture due to inaccurate claims and misinformation about environmental practices and how farms are regulated. The reality is that farms are heavily regulated and farmers are committed to conservation improvements.
In fact, a recent report from the Natural Resource Conservation Service revealed that 96 percent of farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed have implemented erosion control practices on cropland acres in production. The report also found that sediment contributions from cultivated cropland to the Bay's rivers and streams have been reduced by 64 percent, while phosphorus was reduced by 43 percent and nitrogen reduced by 36 percent.
“Pennsylvania farmers have been able to better prevent soil erosion, preserve and restore wetlands, and clean the air and water by implementing various conservation projects. Those projects are costly and farmers often pay for the projects themselves or participate in cost-share and other conservation funding programs,” added Shaffer.
Farm Bureau noted that advances in research and technology have also sparked productivity and efficiency on the farm.
“With global positioning systems, we have reduced the use of chemical compounds in our fields and orchards, while improvements in technology have allowed us to use fewer pesticides on weeds and pest-resistant crops. Agricultural research is generating even more remarkable practices that will enable the production of more food on less land with even fewer impacts on soil and water resources,” said Shaffer.
PFB added that Pennsylvania farmers have helped pioneer conservation programs by embracing practices that benefit the environment. For example, Pennsylvania introduced the first and largest farmland preservation program in the nation, Pennsylvania enacted the first Nutrient Management Program in the country and Pennsylvania farmers lead the nation in the use of no-till cultivation, a cropland system that reduces land erosion and water runoff.
“Farmers realize that more work needs to be done to meet environmental goals, but they also believe their efforts to improve water quality, decrease land erosion and maintain strong rural communities should be recognized,” concluded Shaffer.
Also participating in the news conference were Sen. Elder Vogel (R-Beaver) Majojrity Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Rep. John Maher (R-Allegheny), Majority Chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Lebanon County farmer Bonnie Wenger and Lancaster County Conservation District Administrator Don McNutt.
A copy of the Farm Bureau presentation is available online.
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4/4/2011 |
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