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State Council of Farm Organizations

Legislative Priorities

The Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association is an association of commercial vegetable, potato and berry growers with over 890 members representing an industry that annually produces crops valued at over $125 million on 3,500 farms with 50,000 acres of farmland across the Commonwealth. 

The following are the Associations state legislative priorities for 2007.

Immigration and Farm Labor Reform – Our members overwhelmingly listed immigration reform and labor availability as their main legislative concern.  Our growers need affordable and dependable  labor to stay in business.  We recognize that immigration is a federal issue and we feel it should remain a federal issue – that is, we do not need state and local laws governing immigration issues.

Landowner Liability and Tort Reform – Much of the hunting land in the state is privately owned.  These landowners cannot afford to be held liable for the actions of hunters on their property.  Furthermore, tort laws need to eliminate joint and several liability provisions.

Property Tax Reform – The agricultural community needs real property tax relief that significantly reduces or eliminates school property taxes on farmland and buildings.

Penn State Agricultural Extension and Research - Funding for Penn State Extension and Research is critical to maintain agriculture’s cutting edge and should be continued at least at current levels. The vegetable industry has given over $680,000 to research in the past 19 years, but we need the extension and research infrastructure that is supported by state appropriations.  The Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Program is another important source of research funding for our industry and needs additional funding.

Farmers’ Market Development Act – We support the appropriation of $1 million for these grants to develop farmers’ markets.

Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program - Both the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) and low-income senior citizens coupons have greatly increased farm market sales while providing nutrition to needy Pennsylvanians.

Crop Insurance Premium Subsidies - More than half of Pennsylvania farmers now use crop insurance for risk management because the program is now compatible with Pennsylvania agriculture and more importantly affordable – in part due to state subsidies.  Financial support for crop insurance is a much better investment for the Commonwealth compared to crop disaster payments.

Department of Agriculture Promotional Programs - The “Simply Delicious” Produce Promotion has given Pennsylvania produce unprecedented consumer acceptance and recognition – the Department of Agriculture needs the necessary funding to continue it. Likewise, the Agricultural Product Promotion Matching Grant program has allowed the Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research to double grower assessment dollars used for promotion and is thus a great help to the vegetable industry.

Health Insurance - Most of our members are self-employed and/or small employers.  Spiraling health insurance costs threaten their ability to expand or even maintain their operations. 

Wildlife Crop Damage - The Game Commission should be partially funded by the state General Fund because they are managing the Commonwealth’s wildlife on behalf of all the citizens, not just hunters.  Our growers are not in favor of allowing hunting on Sundays in order to preserve one day a week without hunters on their properties.

Taxes – The state inheritance tax should be permanently eliminated.  At the very least, farmland should be valued at its farm use value for transfer inheritance tax purposes and preserved farmland should be valued at $1 per acre.

Farm Show – Our booth at the Farm Show is an important source of revenue for our Association.  In order to maintain the Farm Show as a free public showcase of Pennsylvania agriculture, we feel the Farm Show Commission should remain within the Department of Agriculture.

Processor Bonding – Vegetable processors (both in-state and out-of-state) should be required to be bonded for the value of the vegetable crops they purchase from Pennsylvania growers.