State’s biggest industry may lose funding

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LEWISTOWN - No matter how you slice it, Pennsylvania's agricultural community is looking at taking a substantial hit from proposed cuts in the 2009-2010 state budget.

The Republican-backed Senate Bill 850, which was rejected by the House Appropriations Committee, called for a 13-percent reduction in Department of Agriculture funding. Democratic Gov. Edward G. Rendell's proposed budget calls for an 11-percent cut in agricultural spending, according to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a nonpartisan research project that provides independent analysis on state budget policy.

Both budgets propose eliminating funding completely for farm show revenue, farm safety and numerous youth agriculture programs, such as junior dairy shows, agriculture and rural youth, and 4-H club shows.

Mifflin County Farm Bureau President Frank Bonson said every aspect of agriculture would be affected negatively by the proposed cuts in the state budget.

"What is good for ag is good for everyone - it affects everyone," Bonson said.

The agricultural community is in no position to pay more taxes, however things still seem to work out each year when the issue of the state budget arises, Bonson explained. It will take about a year for the effect of the cuts to be seen in the agricultural community, he said, but as far as funding, groups will have to raise money another way and ask local businesses for support.

"I've been around long enough to know something works," Bonson said. "There always seems to be a way."

A risky business

Crop insurance provides a vital safety net for area farmers, but Rendell's proposed budget plans to cut 60 percent from insurance funding, and SB 850 would cut funding completely.

Farmers need crop insurance because when there is a drought, flood or other natural disaster that could cause crops to be destroyed, it pays for a portion of the financial investment that is lost, said Thomas Walker, director of the Penn State Learning Center and its Mifflin/Juniata county extension offices.

Bonson said farmers shouldn't go without crop insurance, but without state assistance, many just can't afford it.

"Either they have it or they don't. There are just going to be people without it," Bonson said.

Along with crop insurance, farm safety programs may see their funding eliminated, with both SB 850 and the governor's proposal calling for massive cuts in this area.

"Agriculture is one of the highest-risk jobs in the commonwealth, and educational programs designed to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries to youth and adults are extremely important," Walker said.

Also on the chopping block is funding for agricultural research. Rendell's proposal would decrease funding by 72 percent, while the Senate bill would eliminate funding completely.

"So much of the education that comes into the farm community comes from research," Walker said. "The less funding there is, the less research there will be, and that can hurt new trends in crop production, such as genetics and herbicide resistance."

Walker said a long-term lack of funding would create an environment in which it will be harder for unbiased research to keep up with the latest agricultural developments, while corporate farms will continue to fund their more specific research.

Future farmers in jeopardy

Agricultural youth programs also are looking at a major loss in funding. The Republican budget would eliminate funds for a widely known ag club - Future Farmers of America. Rendell's budget plans to cut youth program funding by about 42 percent.

Bonson said the agricultural community would be willing to give up some of this funding if it meant there would be no tax increase, however that may not be enough to keep the programs afloat.

Greenwood FFA Chapter Director Krista Pontius said the cuts would eliminate funding for members to travel to the National FFA Convention and other conferences, and also double or triple registration fees for Pennsylvania leadership conferences. Members already struggle to pay these fees, and increased costs would likely lead to a drop in participation for the chapter, Pontius said.

"If costs of conferences and conventions increase, local chapters will not be able to attend. It is that simple," said Diane Glock, director of the Juniata FFA Chapter.

"The life skills and connections made at these area, regional and state FFA functions cannot be duplicated locally. It is the diversity from different areas that makes these experiences so unique," Glock explained.

Pontius said the cuts also potentially would lead to the elimination of the FFA's executive manager position. She said having a person to fill this position in a full-time capacity is one of the reasons the Pennsylvania FFA Association "has become one of the premier associations in our country."

Glock said the local FFA members and chapters need guidance and organization from the state association, and connections to the National FFA Association, in order to survive.

"Without our executive manager, Pennsylvania FFA would be paralyzed," Pontius said. "The proposed budget cuts will negatively affect every FFA member in Pennsylvania."

Walker said these youth programs provide leadership training and vital work force development opportunities. He said they help youth to become more responsible, and the programs also incorporate the volunteer leaders as positive adult role models.

"It costs so little to provide positive programs that help to develop life skills in youth," Walker said. "Spending a little money on these programs ... is much more cost effective than having to be reactive to problems associated with youth that get into trouble."

'What most farmers do'

Farm, livestock and other agricultural shows, which serve as a means of displaying the fruits of the farmer's labor, also may see cuts in funding from the state government when the 2009-2010 budget is passed.

Walker said the loss of support for these shows could eliminate a prime venue for showcasing the latest developments in animal production, advances in agricultural technology and new trends in equipment. These events are not just for the benefit of the agricultural community; they also help to provide non-farming residents with firsthand knowledge about what goes into producing the food that they eat, he said.

"So many residents in the commonwealth don't understand the sources of the food they daily expect to find on the shelves of their local retail stores. These shows help better educate them to become informed consumers," Walker said.

Food marketing and research, and Agriculture Excellence programs are two more areas that could suffer from cuts in funding. Walker said that not knowing where all the cuts could come down, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will probably have to make cuts in the number of its enforcement and regulatory officers.

"This could have an adverse impact on overall food safety," and by extension, food marketing, he said. "Pennsylvania has always had a good reputation in this area."

Agriculture Excellence is the umbrella under which centers and programs such as Dairy Excellence, Beef Excellence and Farm Transfer Excellence reside. These groups support, promote and expand the different types of farming in the commonwealth, according to the Department of Agriculture's Web site, www.agriculture.state.pa.us.

"Most of these programs have some aspect of marketing, regulatory and education dollars, and they rely on that funding to provide services to the agricultural community," Walker said. "Any cuts will have an adverse effect on the level of services these programs provide."

Despite the probable loss of funding and cuts in programs, Bonson said members of the local farming community are trying to keep their heads held high.

"We have been through this many times before. We do the best with what we got, that's what most farmers do," he said.

Sentinel Managing Editor Frank Jost contributed to this article.