Site last updated: Friday, March 29, 2024

Log In

Reset Password
MENU
Butler County's great daily newspaper

Farmers express their concerns at town hall meeting

BUTLER TWP — Overbearing regulations, taxes, land development and a lack of public awareness all pose threats to small-time farms, farmers from around the county said Tuesday night.

The Butler County Commissioners on Tuesday held the first farm town hall event at Butler County Community College.

The goal of the event was for the commissioners to gather input from farmers about what challenges they face, what opportunities they could pursue with assistance and what services or programs at the county level may be of value.

“It is important that we share information back and forth because it helps us understand what we can do better,” Commissioner Leslie Osche said.

A crowd of more than 100 farmers weighed in on local, state and national policies that affect agriculture and the livelihood of local farms.

Several people at the event commented that many children do not get exposure to farms and are not educated about how agriculture is important to their way of life.

“A lot of people don’t know where their food comes from,” said Larry Voll, president of the Butler County chapter of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Though agencies such as the farm bureau have mobile science labs and programs that introduce elementary school students to farming, more could be done, according to Voll.

The county could look into grants, and schools and other agencies could partner with local businesses to bring more agriculture education to students, Voll said.

Karl Sparn Jr. of Slippery Rock Township said that agriculture should be included in the curriculum of public schools.

Despite agriculture’s importance to the county, Moniteau is the only school district in the county that has a National FFA Organization program, he said.

Jeff Ansell, a Forward Township resident, said that many farmers would benefit from business planning help, especially in cases where a new generation is taking over a farm from their parents or relatives.

Transferring ownership of a farm or getting into farming for the first time is difficult, he said.

“It’s not feasible to get into it as a young person,” he said.

Osche agreed that there are farms and other businesses in the county that are dealing with aging ownership.

“We have a lot of family businesses in this county that are struggling through that transition process,” she said.

Several farmers also commented that there is not enough land to farm in the county.

Because of residential development, it is now more difficult to find land to expand their operations and in some areas the cost of land has gotten too high, they said.

John DeRunk of Oakland Township said conservation efforts such as the Pennsylvania Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program restrict properties that could be used for animal grazing. He said there is a 100-acre parcel near his farm that is mostly grass, but can’t be leased to farmers.

“Why can’t these big parcels of land be available to us?” he said.

Some farmers also said they need better marketing, whether it be with help from the county or through local associations.

Sheryl Kelly, recycling and waste management coordinator for Butler County, said the county was looking into applying for a state grant that would help it promote local farmers markets, which also would be a good place to promote agriculture and provide education to the public, she said.

Commissioner Kim Geyer also gave an update about the county making the conservation district an independent organization, which should benefit farmers, she said.

“The employees were very consumed with meeting the needs of the developers ... agricultural needs were not being met,” she said.

Agricultural preservation and enforcement of environmental protection regulations for agricultural land will still be handled by the county. Officials are currently working with a consultant to iron out the transition. The regulations will be effective June 30.

Even though county officials can’t change many agricultural regulations, residents can have a voice through their local farm bureau, Voll said.

Members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, which represents 64,000 farms, will meet with both state and federal legislators in coming months to discuss issues, he said.

Another town hall event is tentatively scheduled for September.

More in Local News

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

* indicates required
TODAY'S PHOTOS