Latest news with #PennsylvaniaFarmBureau
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Huntingdon County highlights local beef farmers during National Beef Month
HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — May is National Beef Month, and officials in Huntingdon County are highlighting the importance of farmers throughout the country. Agriculture is one of America's top industries and certainly Pennsylvania's. Rodney Davis is a sixth-generation farmer who helps put food on the tables of many Americans, but not without uncertainty for future prices and a growing need for younger farmers. 'To actually get them to experience it. The reward, when you look down the pasture and the cow and calf are together. I realize that I'm helping feed people and helping make their lives better,' Davis said. A cut above the rest: Butchers showcase their skills in Penn State competition Pennsylvania has more cows than some other states have residents. According to State Board Director for District 12, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Marty Yahner, Pennsylvania is the top cattle-producing state in the Northeast with over 1.6 million head of cattle and calves. Many Americans don't realize what the process is from the time the cow is born until the time it hits the grocery store shelves. We're told it can take about 18 months. Not only are officials trying to show what farmers do, but they are also educating them on how big the industry actually is. 'About not only where our food comes from, but also policymakers and the public. We want you to know that beef is a big industry and a big part of our economy in Pennsylvania,' Yahner said. Davis emphasized that many don't know where their food comes from and this is why education is crucial on this topic. 'I don't understand what somebody experiences in the inner city, and it's important for me to hear from them and to understand why they think what they do. But I also appreciate when they're willing to listen to why we do what we do,' Davis said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Part of the community': Migrant workers support region's, nation's agriculture industry
About 700 cows need to be milked three times a day at Pennwood Farms. Hundreds of replacement heifers must be cared for, too. There are also the numerous day-to-day tasks that are required to keep the whole operation running smoothly. And a lot of that work is done by foreign migrant laborers. Faces of Immigration logo Glenn Stoltzfus, who co-owns the business in Berlin with his brothers, said there are usually a half-dozen or so Hispanic laborers employed on the dairy farm. He said they are in the country legally, but that he can 'almost guarantee you' that they are not citizens. 'They do a great job,' Stoltzfus said. 'We were struggling to find people because we milk pretty much around the clock. We're milking 700 cows three times a day, and each shift is anywhere from six to seven hours long, so there's not a whole lot of down time between milkings. 'It became very difficult to find people who were reliable that would do that work on a consistent basis.' Stoltzfus said Oscar, the first migrant laborer who started working on the farm about eight years ago, is still there and is respected as a leader among the workers. Others, mostly family members from Mexico, have come and gone over the years. Whenever a replacement is needed, Stoltzfus said Oscar brings somebody new to the farm. 'It sure has taken a load off of us as far as finding new employees, finding people that are willing to do the work,' Stoltzfus said. 'We haven't looked for an employee for a long time.' Somerset County Farm Bureau Legislative Farm Tour | McWilliams Farm Glenn Stoltzfus, Somerset County Farm Bureau dairy farmer representative, speaks during the Somerset County Farm Bureau Legislative Farm Tour at McWilliams Farm in Somerset County on Friday, August 2, 2024. The current group lives together in a six- bedroom farmhouse. They generally keep to themselves when not working and a language barrier does exist at times. But, as Stoltzfus explained, 'They have become part of the community.' He described them as 'good honest family people like we are.' 'A lot of Hispanic labor' Migrant labor is an integral part of the United States' agriculture industry. Approximately 68% of the nation's 2.4 million farmworkers are foreign-born, with the overwhelming majority coming from Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's National Agricultural Workers Survey for 2019-20. The same report found that 44% of those migrant farmworkers were undocumented and lacked work authorization. Area students experience hands on Ag education Tommy Nagle, right, and Marty Yahner, talk to eighth-grade students from Cambria Heights about harvesting corn that was planted at Yahner Brothers Farm in the spring in September 2023. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Vice President Tommy Nagle, a beef cattle farmer from Patton, and Cambria County Farm Bureau President Marty Yahner both pointed to the same reason as to why legal migrant labor is used so prevalently. 'For decades, there has been immigrant Hispanic labor in agriculture in America, all over the nation, because the sad reality is Americans won't do the hard job that it takes in many cases on farms, whether it's picking vegetables in the hot summer sun, or pumpkins, or watermelons in California, or working on a dairy farm, or in a mushroom facility,' Yahner said. 'So yeah, there's a lot of Hispanic labor. That's just a fact. Americans won't do those jobs in many cases for any price, for any pay. It's true.' Nagle described the migrants as 'a reliable workforce.' 'The majority of the agriculture community is in favor of labor like that, just because they're unable to find labor elsewhere,' Nagle said. 'I've talked to several larger dairy farms in the area that are paying a very competitive wage, but they still cannot find a conventional workforce to come and work for that. It is difficult work, very labor-intensive at times. 'They're having a tough time. It doesn't really seem like wages are a motivating factor. It's more of the work that's entailed.' Both Nagle and Yahner said there is not much migrant labor in the region. 'Law-biding citizens' There are, of course, differences between legal migrant workers and undocumented people entering the country. A Pew Research Center report estimated there were 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in 2022. The number is likely higher now. President Donald Trump has made issues with undocumented immigration a focal point of his two terms and three campaigns. The number of encounters at the Mexico-United States border has dropped by a large amount since he took office again in January. Most recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 7,180 crossings in March, the lowest monthly total on record, compared to a monthly average of 155,000 over the previous four years, according to CBP. Still questions remain about policies going forward, regarding illegal crossings and migrants entering legally to work in agriculture and other jobs. Nagle said there needs to be a 'realistic' plan to meet agriculture's needs. 'As soon as we can have a comprehensive immigration reform out there that puts everyone on the same page and there's a clear vision of what we can do to get workers that would definitely help agriculture,' Nagle said. Stoltzfus said the migrants who work at Penn- wood have not communicated to him any concerns about their residency status. 'I think the administration has pretty much conveyed to the agriculture industry that they're not going to be going after migrant workers or people who work on farms that are law-biding,' he said. 'They're going after the criminals.' Stoltzfus also proposed what he called a 'simple solution' to the overarching issue. 'If someone comes to the border, wants to come in, and wants to work, and has work lined up, give them an ID,' Stoltzfus said. 'They're law-biding citizens. Give them an ID, allow them to come in and work. 'Why is that a problem? Why can't we do that? To me, it seems so simple. But when you get politics involved, whatever, I don't know.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid Trump tariff uncertainty, Shapiro tells farmers ‘we have their backs'
Gov. Josh Shapiro and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding speak to reporters after addressing members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Peter Hall/Capital-Star) Warning new tariffs threaten an 'economic calamity,' Gov. Josh Shapiro pledged to protect Pennsylvania farmers, who were hit hard during President Donald Trump's first term when U.S. trading partners placed retaliatory duties on agricultural exports. Shapiro highlighted his administration's investments in agriculture as part of a statewide economic development plan in remarks to members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Farms and associated businesses employ 600,000 people and contribute $132 billion to the commonwealth's economy each year, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding noted before the speech. While the state Department of Agriculture has helped farmers weather highly contagious avian influenza that decimated chicken flocks and threatened dairy herds, the Trump administration's tariffs have brought greater uncertainty and peril, Shapiro said. 'I'm not sure why the Trump administration is looking to screw over our farmers,' Shapiro told reporters after his speech. 'We have their backs, and we're going to protect them.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Trump on April 2 announced broad tariffs on imports from other nations, triggering stock sell-offs around the world as investors responded to uncertainty over how businesses would respond. The tariffs make it more expensive for U.S. businesses to import products and materials from other countries. They're based on the difference between the value of goods exported to and imported from another country and range from 10% to 104% on Chinese imports as officials there vowed to 'fight to the end.' 'For all of the talk about bringing companies and industries back to the United States, our farmers are already here,' Shapiro said. 'They're already doing business in this commonwealth and in this country, and I believe they are being unnecessarily hurt by these trade wars.' As other countries consider and impose reciprocal tariffs, Pennsylvania farm products become more expensive for buyers abroad, eroding hard-won markets and decreasing sales, Shapiro said. 'Understand, this is not theoretical and this is not some political statement. This is the reality, and you've already lived through it,' Shapiro said, recalling that in 2018 Trump's tariffs on aluminum and steel prompted retaliatory duties on U.S. agricultural exports causing lost income for farmers. 'The first Trump administration was forced to make $27 billion in payments for lost income to farmers in Pennsylvania and all across the United States,' Shapiro said 'All of the tariffs that were raised back then went to paying farmers for lost market share.' The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that Pennsylvania agricultural exports decreased by about $66 million in 2018 and 2019. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX And such losses are not easily recouped, Shapiro said, noting that Pennsylvania is the top exporter of hardwood products. But since 2017, U.S. production of hardwood lumber decreased 50% as a result of turmoil created by retaliatory tariffs, he said. 'That means fewer jobs in the hardwood industry here at home in Pennsylvania,' Shapiro said. Pennsylvania's dairy industry could also be affected by retaliatory tariffs by Mexico, where commonwealth farmers sell $170 million in dairy products each year. Shapiro also addressed a planned $25 million reduction in funding for the state's bird flu recovery fund. It's reimbursed farmers $13 million for the cost of responding to outbreaks, leaving $61 million in reserve, which he said is 'more than enough to meet the needs of our poultry farmers and see them through this crisis.' 'Should we need more, you have my word, I will be there to make sure our poultry farmers have what they need to get back up on their feet again,' Shapiro said.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Freedom, farming, and free-time factor into latest Sunday hunting debate in Pa.
A hunter walks across a field. (Getty Images) The topic of Sunday hunting is not new in Pennsylvania. For years, advocates, including the Pennsylvania Game Commission, have argued the state's 'blue laws' prohibiting hunting on Sundays stunt the growth of the sport. But, groups representing hikers and horseback riders have said they believe it's important to have one day a week to enjoy the outdoors without the sound of gunfire in the fields and woods. One thing that has shifted during the most recent debate are the faces and arguments surrounding Sunday hunting. While legislators behind the latest proposals say they believe this could be the year it becomes law, here's a look at the key voices in the discussion. The duo leading the charge to repeal Pennsylvania's Sunday hunting prohibition Earlier this month, a Republican state senator representing northwestern Pennsylvania and a state House Democrat representing parts of Allegheny County re-introduced separate pieces of similar legislation that could fully repeal Pennsylvania's Sunday hunting ban. Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie), who has been spearheading the issue since being elected in 2016, introduced Senate Bill 67, while Rep. Mandy Steele (D-Allegheny), first elected three years ago, introduced House Bill 851. For Laughlin, the issue boils down to freedom. 'Currently in Pennsylvania, you can stop at a liquor store and buy some whiskey, buy some medical-use cannabis, and then head to the casino and do that all on a Sunday, but you can't take a 12-year-old-kid out squirrel hunting right now,' Laughlin told the Capital-Star. His legislation would have Pennsylvania join 39 states that have no limits on Sunday hunting. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Steele said her bill this time around is very similar to the one introduced in the previous session and was constructed with the input of the Game Commission, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and other advocacy groups that 'meets everyone's needs well.' She described hunting as a 'great American tradition.' 'It is incredibly grounding for children. It's a way to get them connected to the land, understand their place in the ecosystem,' Steele said. 'It's healthy. It's wholesome. It's time outdoors.' Her legislation would remove the prohibition from state law and allow the Game Commission to continue to decide which Sundays would be added for hunting. Her proposal would also require at least one member of the commission to have a background in agriculture. In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill that ended the complete ban to allow hunting on three Sundays, one during archery deer season, one during rifle deer season, and one selected by the Game Commission. Laughlin, who was a first term Senator, also sponsored that legislation. 'It's something obviously I feel pretty passionate about and, you know, I'm going to get this done,' Laughlin said about the latest effort. 'I believe that it will be this session, hopefully even this year.' The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau was one of the biggest obstacles in years past, but after tweaks to the proposal, the group has come out in favor of the bill. Laughlin and Steele are on opposite sides of the aisle and serving in different chambers, but they said they have worked together to get specifics worked out and are aiming to achieve the same goal. Laughlin also believes passing this bill would provide economic benefits and create 'thousands of jobs' in the state, specifically rural economies. 'It gets people to their camps,' Laughlin said. 'I know there's been some discussion around the Saturday opener, whether that has helped or hurt small businesses in Pennsylvania, and having this availability for people to come in and hunt an entire weekend will bring people in from out of state to spend money in these rural areas.' Steele also cited free-time as one of the driving forces behind crafting the legislation. 'People are working sometimes six days a week, and if they can't get out on Sundays, in many cases, that means they can't hunt,' Steele said. Why hasn't it passed in previous sessions? Laughlin, who was reelected to a third term in 2024 in a purple region of the state, thinks that 'some politics may have been playing in on it.' 'You can't really separate politics out of Harrisburg too much,' Laughlin said. 'But you know, I'm not up for re-election for another four years, won by a fairly wide margin up here. I don't think anyone is going to hold up Sunday hunting at this point, over Dan Laughlin being the senator in Erie County.' Steele said last session they 'were a little bit rushed' as one of the reasons it didn't get across the finish line and expects it to be voted on in committee soon. Last June, the House passed Steele's proposal to repeal Pennsylvania's Sunday hunting ban by a 129-73 vote, but it did not make it through the Senate. She cited the amount of bipartisan support as a reason she's optimistic it will become law this session. 'When you talk about hunting within the framework of A: incredible economic opportunity for Pennsylvania and B: This… (would) be really important for the health of Pennsylvania forest,' Steele said. 'We're hearing from wildlife biologists. We're hearing from the forest ecologist that the Pennsylvania herd is too large and that we need to get more people hunting in the woods. The way to do that is with Sunday hunting.' 'When you understand that, people get on board,' she added. Farmers for Sunday hunting The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau has historically opposed legislation aimed at repealing the ban, in part due to the long standing tradition. However, Mitchell Kurek, state and local affairs specialist with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, told the Capital-Star a shift in attitude has taken place in recent years as a result of crop damage. 'The impact is devastating,' Kurek said. 'Tens of thousands of dollars could be the difference between if that farm can survive or not.' 'At this point, we're looking for any solutions, any tools that could be added to the farmers arsenal and Sunday hunting is one of those tools,' Kurek said. He emphasized that proposals that could fully end the Sunday hunting prohibition is 'not a mandate.' 'This isn't forcing anybody to open up their property on Sunday,' Kurek said. 'At the end of the day, what we're looking to do is reduce this herd size as quickly as we can…to the end of mitigating some of the damage.' For lawmakers to earn the support of the Farm Bureau, their organization asked for multiple components to be included that would provide agricultural benefits. Kurek says among them are stronger trespassing laws, agricultural representation on the Game Commission, streamlining the process of deer removal for crop damage, and connecting farmers to reliable hunters via a hunter access program. Like both sponsors of the legislation, Kurek says his group is 'extremely hopeful and optimistic' that the legislation gets across the finish line this session. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Hikers concerns remain While the politics over Sunday hunting have shifted for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the Keystone Trails Association (KTA), which advocates for hikers in the state, remains firm in its opposition. 'KTA continues to be concerned that Sunday hunting has the potential to impact the hiking experience and to present a safety threat to hikers on public lands on Sundays,' said Brook Lenker, the organization's executive director. He said a lot of unknowns remain about the measures, including how many Sundays will ultimately be approved for hunting. Lenker also views keeping the public informed about which additional Sundays will be open for hunters as a challenge. 'It just underscores our concern for hiker safety and the hiking experience, because nobody likes to be out in the woods and hearing loud gunshots, and certainly doesn't want to be in harm's way,' Lenker said. 'And it really does disrupt …let's face it… for hikers to experience the serenity of the forest or wild spaces.' However, Lenker said even if he doesn't fully agree with repealing the Sunday hunting ban, he understands some of the arguments that allow more hunters in the woods and provide young people another day to hunt. 'But I also would argue that Sundays, as they are now, are available for the very sort of safe and wholesome enjoyment of trails for youth and their families,' Lenker said. 'And I feel like this erodes that, because some of the seasons are at a time of year that's sublime for hiking, so it creates a conflict at some of the best times of year for hiking.' Lenker has described the matter of Sunday hunting to be a 'complicated issue' and added he hopes if the proposal becomes law, it is rolled out with caution. 'We also are realists and understand that if this does pass, that…we're not going to be yelling and screaming at the Game Commission,' Lenker said. 'But we are going to say, 'Okay, now that you know you've had your wishes granted, how can you do this really carefully?'' The Pennsylvania Equine Council has also historically been opposed to the legislation, but has not commented on the latest proposals. Farmers are concerned about crop damage. Is Sunday hunting the remedy? Mark Lichtenwalner's family has owned a farm for more than 90 years in Lehigh County. He told the Capital-Star deer damaging crops is a big issue. 'This deer thing is such a frustrating issue for us,' Lichtenwalner said. 'I think I can speak for a lot of other farmers. We feel helpless.' At this point in his life, Lichtenwalner said he does not have to depend on the farm for income as much in the past and most of his 200 acres is rented to a relative to grow corn and soybeans. In his plot, he tries to focus on growing vegetables and has a retail farm market in the summertime. But deer damaging crops is detrimental to his business. 'You know, we're probably losing on my little farm $10,000 a year of potential business we could have had,' he said. 'I've been working with donating some vegetables to a local food pantry the last couple years, and I'd like to do more for them,' he added. 'I can't, because the deer.' He said crop damage has gotten so bad for farmers that he's talked to some who have pretty much given up on some land because of it. But, Lichtenwalner describes himself as 'kind of on the fence' about Sunday hunting legislation, saying he sees both the pros and cons of it. In the end, he doesn't think it will have a meaningful impact for farmers. 'We have a 365 day problem,' he said. 'One day doesn't mean anything.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senator Laughlin re-introduces bill to end PA's ban on Sunday hunting
(WJET/WFXP)– Pennsylvania State Senator Dan Laughlin is making another push to end the Commonwealth's prohibition on Sunday hunting, this time with the backing of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Senator Laughlin announced this week he has reintroduced legislation to repeal the hunting ban along with transferring authority on wildlife management over to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Expanded Sunday hunting days added: PA Game Commission Currently, Pennsylvanians are only allowed to hunt on three Sundays per year when not hunting animals like foxes, crows and coyotes with the original ban dating back to at least 1873 with Pennsylvania's Blue Laws. Laughlin said the bill would address agricultural concerns like mitigating crop damage caused by wildlife and called PA Farm Bureau's (PFB) support a significant milestone to modernize the Commonwealth's hunting laws. 'For eight years, I have fought to remove this outdated prohibition and expand opportunities for hunters,' Laughlin said. 'Through open dialogue and collaboration, we've built a consensus. I am pleased that the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau now fully supports this effort and is calling for its passage.' Erie County Sheriff's Office making huge tech upgrades in dispatch system 'Pennsylvania Farm Bureau proudly supports Laughlin's bill, a key piece of legislation developed in collaboration between wildlife groups and the agricultural community to improve wildlife management and address deer overpopulation,' said Chris Hoffman, President of the PFB. 'These measures will help farmers better control deer populations, protect their crops, and support the long-term sustainability of agriculture in our state.' Additionally, he said the end to the ban would also expand access for people with disabilities who require help to go hunting or trapping that's usually only available on Sundays. 'I want to give the needed latitude to the Game Commission to increase hunting and trapping opportunities and rebuild interest in hunting, which will benefit all Pennsylvanians,' Laughlin said. 'This is about modernizing our laws, supporting conservation, and ensuring hunting remains a strong tradition for future generations.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Should the bill pass and be signed into law, Pennsylvania would join 39 other states that have no restrictions on Sunday hunting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
