MAJOR ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED DURING AG TOUR

Potter County's annual Agriculture Tour and Picnic will be held on Thursday, bringing together members of the agricultural community with local and state leaders to promote a better understanding of issues facing today's farmers.

A multi-farm tour will begin at 2 pm at the Carl Erway farm in Gold, and continue at the Hoopes farm on Fox Hill. Among the topics to be discussed are natural gas production and challenges facing young farmers. A panel discussion will follow the tour at 5 pm.

The event wraps up with a picnic at 7 pm at the Carl Erway farm. Several awards will be presented. While the tour is by invitation only, the picnic is open to the public. Tickets cost $7.00 for adults, with a discount for children, and can be purchased from the Potter County Conservation District or at the event itself.

Jon Blass of Coudersport, chairman of the Progress Through Communications Farm Tour Committee, said one focus will be what's unofficially termed a "landowner bill of rights," concerning those who own property surface but not mineral rights.

"We want to help establish legislation that will give some protection to those landowners, and give them some bargaining power, too, so someone can't just come in and start drilling on their property without proper compensation," Blass explained.

"We're not trying to discourage oil and gas exploration," he emphasized. "We just want to be sure the landowner is protected as well."

Speaker will be Earl Robbins, a consultant and former Penn State Cooperative Extension agent for Tioga County.

Forester Stan Hess will discuss the impact of oil and gas wells on woodlots and potential revenue to be generated by woodlots in the future.

During the tour stop at the Preston Hoopes turf farm, discussion will center on issues faced by young farmers as well as "some positive things that are going on," Blass said.

"There are some incentives to help young farmers get established," he noted. "The average age of dairy farmers is probably over 55 - there is really a need for younger people to get involved."

"There still are some bright spots, although dairying is not one of them," Blass explained, noting that one of the county's larger dairy farms recently disposed of its milk stock. "Something has got to change right now."

Farmers nationwide have been taking issue with the fact that they're paid less for milk today than they were 30 years ago.

"There are always a lot of non-ag people at the picnic," Blass observed. "It gives neighbors a chance to sit down together, have a good meal, relax and socialize. In our busy daily schedules, we don't often get that."