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Local farm bureau supports preservation
TO THE EDITORS:
The Lancaster County Farm Bureau would like to address our organization's position which was inaccurately portrayed in the Dec. 18 newspaper.
n We strongly support Pennsylvania's existing farmland preservation program and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's position on farmland preservation.
n The county vice president, Don Ranck (who opposed using tax dollars farm preservation) was not instructed to speak on behalf of the board of directors or Lancaster County Farm Bureau members.
n At our October annual meeting, only 62 members were in attendance of our 1,666 total membership. Therefore, the statement that, "Eighty-one percent vote at the 1,400 member Lancaster County Farm Bureau annual meeting,'' as was mentioned in the article, was incorrect.
n State issues discussed and voted favorably at our county annual meeting do not automatically become the policy of the organization until adopted by the voting delegates at the state annual meeting in November. Because the resolution submitted by Lancaster County relative to farmland preservation was not approved by the voting delegates at the state annual meeting, any reference to the issue of diverting funds from farmland preservation programs to other areas would not be supported by the Lancaster County Farm Bureau.
We want to emphasize that Lancaster County agriculture is our top priority and our members are encouraged to attend our county annual meeting on Oct. 11, where resolutions are discussed. Again, we apologize for any confusion.
Deborah Benner
President
Lancaster County Farm Bureau
(Editors' note: Ranck's resolution was adopted with 81 percent of those attending the meeting voting in favor of resolution.)
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