Pennsylvania farm bureau turns down solicitations to permit hunting on Sundays

The Pennsylvania State Farm Bureau is supporting farmers' preference to outlaw Sunday hunting in the state, according to the York Daily Record.

Their stance was especially prominent at last week's annual meeting in Hershey, where the summit considered 158 resolutions. Two of those resolutions were germane to hunting on Sundays.

"Pennsylvania farmers have spoken once again on the issue of Sunday hunting and, once again, they have emphatically stated that they want a day of peace and quiet on Sundays, where they can work less and enjoy more time with family and friends around the farm," farm bureau president Carl T. Shaffer told the publication.

The farm bureau stood united when turning down a motion presented on the delegate floor to adjust the Sunday hunting policy. Delegates from 54 county farm bureaus representing 67 Pennsylvania counties rejected resolutions to permit Sunday hunting.

WHPTV reports the farm bureau's 61st annual meeting was at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center from Monday through Wednesday of last week. The summit aims to establish policy for the the organization regarding issues germane to farm and rural families.

Virginia, Maryland governors aim to open Indian market to state farmers

Farmers in the Commonwealth of Virginia are poised to benefit from spade work performed by Governor Bob McDonnell in India, according to WHSV.

While on a two-week tour of India and Israel, the Republican leader secured additional shipments of Virginia exports to the subcontinent. Virginia poultry farmers view with optimism increased business opportunities to additional countries as well given that roughly one of every five chickens cultivated in the U.S. ends up being shipped overseas.

"You've got countries that are developing their middle classes that have more purchasing power, which will provide a positive opportunity for Virginia-raised poultry products to go into their markets," President Hobey Bauhan of the Virginia Poultry Federation told the news source. "It brings money back into the Commonwealth and to the farm."

India checks in at the 15th largest exporter for Virginia, an increase from the 24th spot the state held in 2008, according to the Washington Business Journal.

McDonnell is not the only mid-Atlantic governor with his eyes set on enhancing trade with India. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is scheduled to visit later this month through early December. The Democrat will be accompanied by roughly 100 business, education and elected leaders.

Grant money to be used for furthering sustainable farming in Maryland

Healthcare company Kaiser Permanente issued more than $285,000 in grant money to a model for sustainable farming and a ministry that aids youth as they grow up, according to a press release.

Both ECO City Farms and End Time Harvest Ministries have their base in Prince George's County, Maryland, a community east of the nation's capital where health concerns are apparant. ECO aims to boost the Chesapeake foodshed with sustainable strategies to make food and money. The Ministry aspires to endow young people with skills that will guide their upbringing and have a strong influence on the community.

ECO's grant is for $198,000 to build food security and increase access to farm fresh foods for residents of Prince George's County. It plans to construct an education and learning center on its farm in the port town of Edmonston as well as create a revenue building produce market stand.

The Ministry's grant is for $89,200 will bolster the Port Towns Youth Council Wellness Ambassador Public Policy Program.

In addition to Edmonston, the three additional port towns in Prince George's County are Colmar Manor, Bladensburg and Cottage City.

Prince George's County is the focus because obesity and related chronic illness rates are among Maryland's highest.

The five Cs of seeking a loan

Are you ready to buy that farm you've been looking at? First, you'll need to apply for a loan. This can be confusing for people who don't have a lot of financial experience, so it's a good idea to break down a banker's expectations into models that are easy to understand. Before you approach a credit union or loan office, use the five Cs to think about your situation - Capital, Capacity, Conditions, Character and Collateral.

Capital
Simply put, this is how much money you have on hand at the moment. This has a big impact on the line of credit that you'll be able to get, so the more cash on hand, the better.

Capacity
This refers to your capacity to repay a loan. It is affected by your loan history and credit rating, so people who have been good with bills in the past will have more luck securing a good farm property loan.

Conditions
Think about the economy in general and the type of farming you're interested in specifically. If there are a lot of farmers working with a certain crop in your area, banks might not think it's a very good investment.

Character
What kind of organization do you want to start? Knowing the basics about how a farm will be run (and proving it to a loan officer) is a good way to appeal to creditors.

Collateral
Unfortunately, banks want to make sure that even if they make bad investments, they'll be able to get some of their money back. Collateral refers to houses, equipment and other items that creditors can reclaim if a farm ends up not working out. Even a sound business plan and good investments need to put up collateral, so think about what assets you have that can serve this purpose.  

Delaware ag secretary: Encourage legal immigrant labor

The U.S. agriculture industry has been a saving grace since the financial tumult of 2008 and the Delmarva Peninsula is in a perfect position to capitalize on that boon, states a column penned by the secretary of the Delaware Agriculture Department.

Despite the successes, there are focal points that call attention to the struggle, according to the November 9 column in the Daily Times authored by Ed Kee. Poultry and livestock require feed that is expensive and is soaring in price.

Yet the industry also is doing its part to contribute to responsible caretaking of the Chesapeake Bay, Kee writes.

"I believe all agriculture asks for is fairness and recognition that we are leaders in the Bay restoration," the editorial states. "Agriculture is not an enemy of clean water; indeed, it has proven to be the most aggressive sector in improving water quality."

Kee also argues for the value of immigrant labor, underscoring the value of legal immigrant labor for harvesting fields, milking cows, processing chickens and assisting with feeding the nation.

If the nation does not encourage legal immigration farm labor, the country's food supply will be disrupted.

Virginia's workshops for advice on farms, forestland to continue next year

Official efforts to safeguard working farms and forest land in Virginia will continue next year, according to a state press release.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will continue the workshops and listening engagements it has been conducting this year. The topics of conversation circle around preserving forest and farmland and the sessions serve as a resource for individuals in need of advice and assistance.

"The land is our farmers' greatest asset, and often they have an emotional as well as an economic tie to the old home place," Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Matt Lohr said. "The tradition of passing down the land from generation to generation is getting harder and harder to maintain."

He also noted the sessions serve as a vehicle for better informing farmers of the options available to gain a clearer understanding on how best to preserve the land in regard to purposes for business, financial and estate planning. Information about farm credit can also be an important aspect of preserving farms.

The one-day workshops cost $5 in advance. For the next one, scheduled for December 13 at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, the registration fee will climb to $10 after December 10.

Dickinson College hosts conference on farming's role in liberal arts colleges

Approximately 240 professors, school officials and students made the trek to a 180-acre farm in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, to attend Dickinson College's conference on the role of farming at liberal arts colleges, the first such event to be held in the country.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, reports the participants came from 57 private and public universities across the U.S. and in Canada. During the event, current and former Dickinson students, who work the farm, offered lessons from establishing small gardens to running a farm.

Jenn Halpin, the manager of the farm, demonstrated its energy systems including a solar-hot water system for greenhouse heating and a solar-powered vehicle termed the Solar Wheeler, which was designed by a Dickinson professor and constructed by a physics student, according to the news source.

Anna Farb, a current student at the college, offered a student's perspective on the escape that working on the farm offers.

"The farm is where I clear my head, where I get to release all the trivial matters of college life and just think about the soil, the plants and the food," the senior explained.

The website of the Dickinson College Farm notes that 60 percent of the harvest is given to the campus dining hall, with the remainder going to a local food bank and members of the farm's co-op.