September Ag Committee Meeting Minutes

Chester County League of Women Voters Agriculture Committee, Sept 6, 2015, 1PM-3PM

Meeting Place:  Birmingham Meeting

Present: Mary Ciarrocchi, Sarah   Caspar, Mina Johnson, Ginny Newlin, Alma Forsyth, Connie Eash

The Agenda:

• Sustainable Agriculture along the RTE 1 corridor
• Chester County Dept. of Health and Environment (issues with farmers)
• GMOs
• FDA grass fed beef  subsidy
• Contact Lancaster County League
• Develop a Facebook site for the Ag. committee

Future Programs:                

• Annmarie Cantrell: GMOs
• Speakers from the Chester County Master Gardeners program: specifically on sustainable farming

Our mission and our theme:  Save Agriculture in Chester County

• Look at laws and regulations for both small and large farms Chester County
• Information re: CRP  SAFE (FSAusda.gov/crp is 30: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/index)
• Talk to Andy Dinniman, who has long been involved in Chester County Agriculture

Previous meeting:

• Chester County Food Bank: Needed items: Whole grains (pasta, rice cereal), peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken, canned vegetables and fruit.

Follow up with Chester County Health and Environment:

• I met with Richard Johnson, Director of CCHD: it oversees testing of wells, soil erosion and testing of milk and

other items for bacteria. CCHD has neither regulatory nor statutory authority; it has no authority to demand GMO labelling or anything else that might assist farmers.  Our goal would be to find out who has that authority for the Commonwealth as well as information on the provisions of the PADA’s support for the small farmer.

Next Meeting: East Nantmeal  EAC, Oct. 15 at 7 PM at the Township Building: Biogas