MANDATA — The threat of milk doubling in price has been avoided as part of the compromise the White House and congressional bargainers reached on wide-ranging legislation to avert the fiscal cliff.
Buried in the 157-page fiscal cliff bill, H.R. 8, was a 9-month extension of the Farm Bill that expired in September. That bill includes language keeping milk prices from rising, but excludes other provisions like energy and disaster aid for farmers.
The extension runs through September.
“I don’t think there was ever a realistic chance that milk prices could have reached the $6 to $8 level, although I suppose it was a possibility,” said Mark O’Neill, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “Even if Congress hadn’t dealt with the issue, there were several options that the secretary of agriculture could have taken that would have indefinitely delayed the price hikes. Most farmers I know never believed prices would jump that high.”
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau had been pushing for passage of a new Farm Bill for about a year. “Ideally, we’d like to see a new 5-year Farm Bill,” O’Neill said, “but we’ve been told that Congress is still working on it. We’ll see. I think the so-called dairy cliff was dealt with now because no politician wanted to be blamed for doubling the price of milk.”
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, had pushed back on passage of a new Farm Bill for months, saying there were not enough votes to bring it to the House floor after the House Agriculture Committee approved it in July. The Senate passed its version of a Farm Bill in June.
The bill covers food stamps, farm subsidies and other assistance for rural areas.
But, the prospect of higher milk prices prompted some action. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack had said Americans faced the prospect of paying $7 for a gallon of milk if the dairy program lapsed and the government returned to a 1949 formula for calculating milk price supports.
Extending the entire Farm Bill would have included an overhaul of dairy programs that was included in the Senate and House committee bills. The new dairy programs include a voluntary insurance program for dairy producers, and those who choose that new program also would have to participate in a market stabilization program that could dictate production cuts when oversupply drives down prices — an idea that hasn’t gone over well with Boehner.
In July, he called the dairy program” Soviet-style” and said the new program would make it even worse.
Large food companies that process and use dairy products have backed Boehner, saying the program could limit milk supplies and increase costs.
Line Mountain Region
Congress takes the threat of expensive milk off the table
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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Shamrock Road near Paxinos
PAXINOS — A PennDOT bridge crew in Northumberland County is scheduled to complete a deck preservation project at a bridge in Shamokin Township on June 4, weather permitting.
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Youths prepare for trout release
MILLERSBURG — For the second year, the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art will help students complete their journey learning about the life cycle of trout.
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Sixth graders at Line Mountain perform play on Responsibility
From left, Riley Kieffer, Tash Schadel, the sports commentators; Ronee Teitter, coach, and Marissa Campbell, competitor in the Excuse Olympics.
TREVORTON — The Line Mountain elementary schools studied the Character Goal Responsibility as part of the Responsive Classroom initiative.
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Music and wine festival scheduled for June 1
GRATZ — The Gratz Fair Association’s second annual music and wine festival is scheduled for June 1 at the Gratz Fairgrounds. The event, from noon to 6, will benefit the fair’s competitive exhibits program.
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Vets to bring 'Moving Wall' to region in May
COAL TOWNSHIP — Vietnam veteran Sol Bidding made a vow to his fallen war comrades: “I would not forget my brothers and sisters, and I would not let my nation forget them.”
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'Sweet Arrival of Spring' event arrives Friday night
MILLERSBURG - The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art will host “Sweet Arrival of Spring” fundraiser at 7 p.m. April 26 in the Center’s galleries, 176 Water Company Road.
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Rededication service set
HICKORY CORNERS — The Fort Halifax Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, will hold a memorial and rededication service at 10 a.m. May 11 at Zions Stone Valley Cemetery, Hickory Corners.
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World War II memorial not forgotten in Herndon
The Herndon World War II Memorial.
HERNDON — Among “road closed” signs and traffic barriers in the borough maintenance building, the 8-foot-by-8-foot Herndon World War II memorial board stands, waiting for a new home.
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Ann Walshaw hopes that home is found sooner than later. -
Young American: William C. Grove
William Grove
Young Americans for April have been announced by the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce.
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Olympic gold medalist coming to Keystone Shooting Park
United States of America's Vincent Hancock celebrates after receiving the gold medal in the men's skeet event, at the 2012 Summer Olympics last summer in London.
Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock will host a meet and greet at 7 p.m. on April 25 at the Keystone Shooting Park as part of KSP's Open House.
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Scheeres to discuss "Untold Story of Peoples Temple"
Journalist Julia Scheeres will give the talk, "Narrating Jonestown and the Peoples Temple," Wednesday, April 3, at 7 p.m. in the Forum of the Elaine Langone Center at Bucknell University.
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Public invited to mountaintop Easter service on Saturday
PAXINOS — The public is invited to attend the annual Easter service at the “Old Rugged Cross” on the mountaintop overlooking Route 61 at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Shamrock Road near Paxinos
