Editor:
In your May 28, 2009 article, “Sun is shining on those interested in solar energy,” it is claimed that Pennsylvania consumers could reduce “purchase and installation costs of solar energy technology” by 45 percent.
How? By taking advantage of federal tax credits and Pennsylvania’s Sunshine and Solar Program rebates.
The case of one couple is cited […]

Editor:
I would like to comment on Al Cross’ article about USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s push to add carbon credits for agriculture to the proposed “cap and trade” system.
If the Climate Bill is truly designed to improve the environment, then it would be counterproductive to include agricultural operations, particularly any livestock operations to the credit […]

Editor:
I feel mildly abused and somewhat insulted by Ms. Seabolt’s column of May 21, 2009. Having worked in the food industry most of my life, I take strong exception to the writer’s conclusion that the food industry employs some evil genius to play “bait and switch” with package contents to bilk the public.
She is […]

Editor:
As a Farm Bureau member, the victim of one of the six Park Farms broiler grow-out operations now unable to sell my home for its market value, I do hope that Farm Bureau realizes it must treat all its members the same.
For years, I called attention to the plight of our situation by attending […]

Editor:
I recently analyzed a USDA spreadsheet for National Animal Identification System (NAIS) bribes — sanitized as cooperative agreements. These are the funds received by tribes, states, government employees and companies who promise to enroll properties for USDA.
Listed is only a scintilla of the cost; the real cost is well above published data required by […]

Editor:
I found the article from Normand St-Pierre about feeding for pounds of fat and protein to be quite interesting, and his closing comments in particular.
“In essence, dairy producers make their money on the fat and protein produced, around 7 pounds per hundredweight of milk in Holstein cows and lose money producing the remaining 93 […]

Editor:
My days in 4-H seem so long ago, yet they are with me every day. At the time, my 4-H projects were activities I enjoyed and wanted to learn more about. Today, those lessons are exactly what I hold onto to protect myself and my country.
When I started in 4-H, I didn’t really think […]

Editor:
I couldn’t believe it when I was told by my mom that Morrow County was in serious jeopardy of losing its 4-H program. I was in 4-H for 10 years.

As a parent, I have looked forward to the day when my daughters would get the amazing experience 4-H offers. This is how I spent my […]

Editor:
In his book titled The Great Awakening, Jim Wallis relates the importance of integrity and accountability in doing what’s right and proper in finding solutions to our greatest challenges in life.
Unfortunately, wrong decisions have caused chaotic proportions from our depressed economy, scandals of pork-barrel spending, the ability of special interest money channeled to determine […]

Editor:
In his commentary, “Can’t feed the hungry without farmers,” in the March 26 issue, Denny Banister makes some very valid points.
His common sense reasons for continuing direct payments to farmers with one half million dollars in annual sales include:
1. Those farms produce 75 percent of the entire U.S. food supply and we will […]