Bill OBoyle: 2024 Pa. Farm Show theme announced: 'Connecting Our Communities'
Oct. 1—WILKES-BARRE — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week announced the theme for the 108th Pennsylvania Farm Show — "Connecting Our Communities."
The 2024 PA Farm Show — Pennsylvania's State Fair — will run from Saturday, Jan. 6, through Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.
"The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a living story of Pennsylvania agriculture, connecting those who are fed, nourished, and enriched by our industry to those whose lives and livelihoods depend on it," Secretary Redding said. "Agriculture unites us. It is the food, fuel, and fiber we rely on for our quality of life and our economy. Food helps define our cultures and our identities."
The 2023-24 state budget Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law includes critical agriculture investments, including:
—$31 million to help poultry farmers impacted by the hi-path avian influenza crisis pay for testing and get reimbursed for losses to their flocks. The $34 million Agricultural Preparedness and Response line item includes $3 million to help control invasive spotted lanternflies and leverages $3 million in matching funds from the USDA.
—$2 million to fund the Fresh Food Financing Initiative that will contribute to better health outcomes by improving access to PA-grown, processed, and produced foods.
—$2 million increase to the State Food Purchase Program to provide state funds for emergency food assistance for low-income Pennsylvanians. The increase to the $26.28 million line item will connect surplus food donated by farmers through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System to food banks and food pantries statewide, and will connect low-income seniors to Senior Food Boxes filled with nutritious dietary staples.
—$1 million to create a new Organic Center of Excellence, one of the first-of-its kind, to empower and support organic farmers and businesses.
The budget also invests $13.8 million in a fifth year of the PA Farm Bill, making critical investments in building the workforce, processing infrastructure, and marketing opportunities the industry needs, and in removing barriers standing between the industry and those who want to be part of its future.
The 2024 Farm Show will feature fan-favorites like the 1,000-pound butter sculpture, famous Farm Show Food Court, youth showmanship, and sheep shearing competitions (among hundreds of other competitive agricultural events), cooking demonstrations at the PA Preferred® Culinary Connection, and more than one million square-feet of hands-on agriculture education opportunities and chances to engage with the people who power Pennsylvania's $132.5 billion agriculture industry.
To stay up to date on PA Farm Show news, visit — farmshow.pa.gov — or follow the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Facebook and Instagram.
Cabell's bill would prohibit mask
mandates, proof of vaccination
on public transportation
Seeking to preserve personal freedoms and individual liberties, Rep. Mike Cabell, R-Butler Township, has introduced legislation that would prohibit certain public transportation entities from implementing mask mandates or requiring proof of vaccination for services.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the boundaries of government authority and rights of the individual," Cabell said. "While it is essential to prioritize public health, we must also be mindful of protecting the rights of our citizens. I believe my legislation does just that."
Cabell's proposal would apply to regional and county mass transit authorities; school bus and school vehicle transportation companies; and taxi, limousine and transportation network companies (Uber/Lyft).
"By preventing these modes of public transportation from enforcing mask mandates or requiring proof of vaccination, we respect the autonomy of individuals to make informed decisions about their health and travel," added Cabell. "Furthermore, such mandates would be a heavy burden on already struggling businesses and our economy."
Cabell noted that a recent comprehensive review of multiple studies on the effectiveness of mask mandates could not find solid evidence that masking did anything to slow the spread of respiratory illnesses.
Rep. Meuser co-sponsors bill to
protect privacy rights of Americans
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, recently co-sponsored the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act to protect the privacy of American citizens and ensure Congress' constitutional authority to coin money is not violated.
This legislation comes in response to a March 2022 Executive Order from President Biden that directed federal agencies to study the potential development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Meuser said such a currency would not simply be a digital version of the U.S. dollar, but would be an entirely new currency in-and-of-itself. The CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act would halt efforts to develop a CBDC without congressional approval.
Unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, a CBDC is a digital form of sovereign currency that is designed and issued by a government and transacts on a digital ledger that is controlled by that government.
In short, Meuser said a CBDC is government-controlled programmable money that, if not designed to emulate cash, could give the federal government the ability to surveil Americans' transactions.
"The Constitution is unambiguous in Article I, Section 8, which grants only Congress the exclusive authority 'to coin money,'" Meuser said. "The Federal Reserve, or any other unelected body, should not usurp this constitutional responsibility by issuing a Central Bank Digital Currency, whether wholesale or retail. Doing so would not only be a breach of our Constitution but would also create numerous privacy concerns for the American people. Americans have a right to financial privacy, and that right should not be ceded to unelected bureaucrats in Washington, DC."
The legislation currently awaits further consideration in the Financial Services Committee.
Pa's Veterans' Memorial re-opening
to the public following repairs
The Pennsylvania Veterans' Memorial is re-opening to the public on Monday, Oct. 2.
Located at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Lebanon County, the memorial was closed on Oct. 7, 2022, for structural repairs.
The memorial, which was dedicated in 2001, is nationally recognized as the largest veterans' memorial located in any of the national cemeteries. It is made of concrete, granite, and stone.
Its structure has been in good condition, but needed repairs and alterations to address areas of damage due to long-term exposure to the elements. Specific repairs included re-anchoring plaques, resetting existing pre-cast concrete, waterproofing walls, replacing flashing and upgrading drainage. Flagpoles and lighting have been added as new features to honor all services and traditions.
"This memorial is a tribute to America's veterans for their devotion, patriotism, selfless service and sacrifice on behalf of us all," said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania's Adjutant General and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). "We are thrilled to re-open it to the public in time for Veterans Day. I encourage everyone to visit this iconic structure and remember those who are part of our history and those who are presently serving."
If anyone would like to pay tribute to those who have served our country, while also helping to preserve the memorial, they can donate to the Pennsylvania Veterans' Memorial Trust Fund.
Tax-deductible donations to the Pennsylvania Veterans' Memorial Trust Fund can be made online at www.donate.dmva.pa.gov — or by sending a check made payable to the "Pennsylvania Veterans' Memorial Trust Fund" and mailed to: DMVA Office for Veterans Affairs, Bldg. 9-26, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA 17003-5002. Donations can be made "In Honor Of," "In Memory Of" or "On Behalf Of."
One hundred percent of donations go toward the on-going upkeep, such as landscaping, lighting, and fountains as well as needed maintenance for structural and cosmetic components throughout the memorial.
Sen. Casey urges FDA to take action to
prevent future infant formula shortages
U.S. Senators Bob Casey, D-Scranton, Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) this week sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, urging the FDA to take action to prevent future infant formula shortages and ensure production levels for domestic infant formula remain constant and store shelves remain stocked as manufacturers begin to upgrade their production infrastructure.
"It is imperative that we continue to address the nation's infant formula crisis by meaningfully improving the quality and safety of the U.S. infant formula factory network in order to ensure the health and safety of American infants," the senators wrote.
Sen. Casey has led the charge in the Senate to resolve the infant formula shortage and prevent future shortages.
Casey will keep pushing the FDA and working on policy changes to ensure that a similar shortage does not happen again.
"Families rely on formula, and they deserve better than what happened last year," Casey said.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
