COCHRANVILLE – PA State Grange President Betsy Huber testified this morning before the House Agriculture Committee at the Cochranville Fire Company.  She explained the Grange’s thoughts on HB 2801 and HB 2608.

“HB 2801 allows commercial equine activities to be eligible for the farmland preservation program,” explained Mrs. Huber.  “…The Grange has always supported Pennsylvania’s successful farmland preservation program,” she said, “In fact, we were one of the organizations that actively lobbied for the program’s enactment.”  She went on to say that, “Our support of farmland preservation includes promotion of all farm operation possibilities and alternatives.  Our goal is to give the farmer tools to make the farm profitable.”

Pres. Huber told the Committee, “The Grange believes that commercial equine activities are part of farming.”  She gave two examples to support this belief.  The first, she explained, “In my home county of Chester, there are a growing number of horse owners. Farm owners board horses and teach riding regularly.”  One of her neighbors, she said, owns one of these farms.  “They definitely operate a working family farm; the wife has created and maintained a successful full time farm operation contributing to the county’s agricultural community.”  She went on to say that, “We encourage our agricultural community to find a niche.  Well these folks have done just that.”

Her second example was a farm owner who has permanently preserved his or her farm and now finds it necessary to sell the farm.  Betsy stated that, “If he is in a populated area, such as parts of Chester, Montgomery, or Bucks Counties, the land may be too valuable for a crop or livestock farmer to afford.” “However,” she continued, “There are wealthier people who want to purchase the land and have an equine operation there.  Under current law this is not permitted.” 

Mrs. Huber said that, “Our philosophy is that if there is a choice between houses or horses on the land, we believe that the horses have the inside track!”

In her closing remarks on HB 2801, she said, “Since the agricultural community has promoted finding new and profitable ways to expand our industry, we need to change our way of thinking as well [to include commercial equine activities as part of farming].”  “Therefore the Grange supports HB 2801 and urges the House Agriculture Committee to allow for commercial equine activities to be eligible for the farmland preservation program.”

The second bill under consideration was HB 2608 which allows interest funds from Clean and Green rollback taxes to be used to develop conservation plans and to monitor and enforce agricultural conservation easements. 

Mrs. Huber stated that, “We understand the conservation districts have a problem.  Traditionally the NRCS staff assists farmers in creating a conservation plan for their federal programs.  Since farmers in this case need a conservation plan to participate in the statewide easement program, it is a low priority for the NRCS technicians who are already hard pressed to accomplish the conservation plans needed for their programs…HB 2608 tries to recoup some of the district costs of creating the conservation plans required to participate in the farmland preservation program.”

She went on to say that, “The Grange does not believe that the state should be asking the local governing unit to pay the districts for these additional duties that are state mandated and are for the benefit of the entire community, not only the preservation program.”  “We believe that this legislation is robbing Peter to pay Paul,” she continued.  “It seems a better option is to distribute some of the Growing Greener II funding to the districts for the development of conservation plans.”

“However,” she said, “The monitoring and enforcing of the program is a different story.”  “These costs are directly connected to the permanent preservation of farmland, and funding should be provided for enforcement of the easements.”  She told the Committee that, “Permanent agricultural easements require expenditures for maintenance of the program above the initial purchase of the easements, and this money should be provided through some dedicated source.”  “We believe this is a necessary expense that could reasonably be paid from the interest paid by landowners who break their Clean and Green covenant.  Therefore we support this section of HB 2608.”

In closing, President Huber stated that, “We believe HB 2608 is addressing a real dilemma.  The Grange can support the use of Clean and Green rollback interest money for monitoring of the farms under conservation easements, but we need to look for another alternative for additional funding for the conservation plan.”

The Grange is a family fraternal organization dedicated to the betterment of rural America through community service, education, legislation and fellowship.  The Grange represents approximately 20,000 rural Pennsylvanians across the state.  It is the oldest agricultural organization of its kind in the United States. The National Grange (Patrons of Husbandry) began in 1867 and the PA State Grange was chartered in 1873.