Feds Look To Boost Economy In Rural Areas in PA

U-S Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has met with business leaders and agricultural producers in Pennsylvania about ways to boost sales and create jobs.
The trip comes two weeks after President Obama established the White House Rural Council, which is designed to protect agricultural areas and will include the departments of Labor, Interior and Transportation.
Merrigan says the effort will look at ways to curb the recent migration out of rural areas.

"We need to have young people see opportunity in rural America. We want them to raise their families there, start businesses there, continue with the family farm there. And if we want that to happen, we need to do some things differently."

She says the group will focus on stimulating rural economies.....

"They’re going to be focused on rural America and trying to increase economic opportunity there, both on the farm and ranch, but also in rural businesses of all varieties because there are a lot of issues around job training and economic developments."

Merrigan says the council is also looking to boost conservation efforts and education programs in rural areas. The council is expected to meet sometime this summer.

Hogweed Losing in PA

It has a flower that is as big as a hula-hoop and it is related to the carrot, so why is the state trying to get rid of the Giant Hogweed? Maybe its because the sap from the plant can cause burns. “It reacts with the sunlight and it actually burns a hole in your skin,” said Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Weed Scientist Melissa Bravo. The root has been known to burn the lips of goats that try to eat it.

The Giant Hogweed is native to the Caucasus Mountains and was brought over by immigrants in the first part of the 20th century as a decorative plant and a reminder of home. In 1980 it was designated by the federal government as a noxious weed because of its ability to rapidly spread and crowd out other native plants. A similar designation was made in Pennsylvania in 2001.

When the plant went on the state’s noxious weed list an eradication program was launched. "Nearly 80 percent of the known Giant Hogweed sites have been eradicated, thanks to the effective teamwork between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, our state agriculture department, and property owners statewide," said state Agriculture Secretary George Greig. "While we must remain vigilant, the goal of completely eradicating the invasive weed is achievable."

Over the years, nearly 600 Giant Hogweed sites have been confirmed in Pennsylvania, with more than half located in Erie County. There are now 133 active sites in the state. The closest patch to Pittsburgh is along a set of train tracks in Evan’s City, Butler County. “We think a flower was caught by a train and tumbled along the tracks spreading its seed’” said Bravo.

The seeds from the plant can remain viable for as many as three years before geminating. Making it even harder to eradicate is the fact that according to Bravo it can still be a while before you realize you have a Giant Hogweed growing. It remains small for as much as three years before putting out the three-foot wide leaves, stalk the size of a 7 foot length of PVC pipe and flowers with a 15-foot diameter.

Bravo and her team return to known sites several years in a row before declaring victory. The state continues to do battle yearly with the weed along Little Kettle Creek in Potter County and Le Buff Creek in Erie County. The 10,000 seeds produced by each flower can be carried downstream. “Every river and creek in impacted in Europe,” said Bravo.

Bravo believes the state will eventually eradicate the plant from all 67 Pennsylvania counties. Among the other plants on the state's noxious weed list is Multiflora Rose, Canada Thistle and Kudzu. The state is trying to eradicate the Kudzu but has given up on the rose and thistle due to their range.

(Photo courtesy PA AG. Dept.)

WIC Provides Checks to Buy PA Produce

Families enrolled in the state’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program are eligible to receive voucher checks for Pennsylvania farmers markets.

Each WIC-enrolled individual can receive four checks worth a total of $20. The money is valid only at markets registered in the state’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and is meant to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to families with young children.

Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says there are more than 50 registered markets in Allegheny County, but the checks are valid in other counties’ markets as well.

The WIC program runs from June through November of this year. Cole says it helps out both families hoping to eat healthy and farmers who need to sell their crops.

A complete list of authorized farmers markets is available on the Health Department's website.

PA Farmers Encourage Healthy Eating on Low Budget

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) members are celebrating "Food-Check-Out Week" by vocalizing across the Commonwealth that raising healthy and wholesome foods is their top priority. The Bureau's spokesperson, Mark O'Neill, says that PFB's goals are to create a bond with consumers and helping them to eat healthy while on an affordable budget.

"The family may not be making as much money as they had or their bills are higher and they have to really look around for what they buy in the store. We want to make sure that they aren't just buying a bunch of junk food that, they're buying good nutritious food, and we're letting them know that they can do that on a healthy budget."

O'Neill says that along with bonding with consumers, the PFB wants to give back to the community, so they have been collecting items such as food, money, and gift cards for the Ronald McDonald Houses in Pittsburgh, Danville, Hershey, Philadelphia, and Scranton. O'Neill says the Ronald McDonald House is a perfect collaborator in giving back to people.

"They feel that they can do something to help families and kids who are ill and need help in these facilities. That's part two of the whole thing. One is connecting with consumers, the other is giving back to the community and we believe that the Ronald McDonald Houses do such a great job."

Over the past twelve years, the PFB has collected over $656,000 in donations for the Ronald McDonald Houses.

Legislation Provides Home for Urban Agriculture

City residents will now have the ability to turn their urban Pittsburgh property into a private agricultural center under legislation before City Council.

Sponsor Bill Peduto says his bill provides balance between agricultural opportunity on private property, and the protection of neighbor’s quality of life through zoning code. If a citizen pays the required $300 permit fee, one can grow produce on their property and sell it commercially. In addition to holding more specific livestock permits, this new permit will allow city residents to house livestock on their property, too.

"People want to have chickens, they want to have bees, they want to be able not only to have a small garden, but to be able to have a garden where they can also supply a farmer's market," Peduto says. "So at the same time that it's trying to promote that, we needed to balance it against the impacts on adjacent property owners."

The last portion of the bill sets up a grant program that educates residents about the best practices and works to provide financial assistance in covering the permit fee. The money for the grant program will be taken from the Capital Improvement Program’s budget for Demolition of Condemned Buildings.

"We wanted to make sure that the cost wasn't something that prohibited people from even applying, so we created a trust fund for those that are willing to do the process right," Peduto says.

According to Peduto, the last laws regarding urban agriculture disappeared in the '50s but a continued interest has drawn the city back to it.

"People would be surprised at how much the city does have an active urban agricultural base," Peduto says.

Citizens are still allowed to cultivate produce on their property for personal use, but selling those goods commercially will require a permit.

New Senator Talks Agriculture and Security

Now that he’s been sworn into office as a statewide official, Senator Pat Toomey is working to bone up on Pennsylvania’s top industry: agriculture. The Republican admitted he’s got a lot to learn about agriculture, and that’s why he spent an afternoon at the Farm Show. “The most important thing I can do is meet with people who are actually in this field,” he said. “Meet with farmers. Meet with the growers. Meet with the producers.”

So that’s how Toomey spent the day. He talked to a beekeeper, farmers and veterinarians. He inspected a horse, hen and pig during the trip. Toomey said one thing he’s hearing again and again from farmers is concern about new EPA proposals regulating runoff into the Chesapeake Bay.
“I think we all want to see a clean and healthy and vibrant Chesapeake Bay. But again, I think we want to be careful about how much of the existing problems we attribute to Pennsylvania farms, and how we go about changing their policies."

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau filed a federal lawsuit against the EPA earlier this week, in an attempt to stop the new regulations, which seek to cut back on the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment flowing into the bay.

Toomey also listed proposed EPA regulation of carbon emissions as a concern, alongside legislation that would involve the agency in local zoning discussions.

The lawmaker was flanked by two State Troopers during the visit, but that’s standard protocol for officials at the Harrisburg event, and not a response to the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen others. Toomey called the attacks “rare and isolated,” and cautioned against reading too much into them.
“I think public discourse is too coarse. You can sign me up for that opinion,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s any evidence that the coarse nature of public discourse triggered this event. As I said before, I think the evidence is clear this individual is deranged.”

Largest Indoor Ag Show Continues Thru Jan. 15

People swarm to the Pennsylvania Farm Show for fun and food, but for the retailers manning its 13,000 exhibits, the eight-day event is serious business.
Salesmen line the show's halls pitching products as small as a bottle of mustard to as large as a tractor. On one end of the Farm Show Complex, Dauphin County-based Valley Ag and Turf set up a display featuring John Deere Products. As families took pictures of their children sitting on his tractors Sunday afternoon, general manager Tige Kutt explained he's there to sell a wide range of products.
"We'll start with the basic consumer lawn and garden. Walk-behind mowers, walk-behind snow blowers. All the way up to the largest ag equipment that John Deere provides," he said. "Self-propelled forage harvesters, combines. The largest tractors."
It's a good day for Kutt if fifteen percent of the people who stop at his exhibit ask questions about pricing, or request further information. He says this year, potential customers seem much more optimistic about making major purchases.

Another large-scale product for sale at the Farm Show: geothermal heating systems. Andrew Drebitko of Natural Energy Solutions in Schuylkill County said with installation starting around $25,000, he's at the Show to provide information, not close sales.
"We couldn't begin to sell you a system even if we did," he explained. "I need to see the property. We need to calculate the energy needs of your home. So that needs to be done on-site."
Drebitko has been at the Farm Show for four years now, and says business increases each year, as alternative energy becomes more and more popular.

Among the other items on display in the North Hall: a 12 foot by 36 foot log cabin, with a porch, kitchenette and living room, for $19,900. Horse trailers and pit barbecues are also for sale. On the other side of the complex, past the food court and the animal stalls, vendors were hawking much smaller items. At one booth, Matt Sehenuk offered nine unique varieties of mustard, including blueberry, beer, and key lime and pineapple-flavored sauces. He said his Lycoming County company, Wild Mountain Gourmet, recently won a national award for one flavor.
"We call it a sweet and spicy mustard. It has a really sweet and classic mustard taste. It's got a spicy kick to it. And it's actually just the mustard powder itself that gives it that sensation."

Around the corner, Benjamin Smith of Torchbearer Sauces was selling nine flavors of spicy sauce and dip. Smith, Sehenuk and nearly every other food vendor spend their days passing out thousands of free samples. Sometimes the lines for the sauce-covered pretzels and chips stretch more than twenty feet. Smith said about five percent of the people who stop for samples end up buying his product.
"For the Farm Show, that's pretty much standard," he said. "Because they have a line of people behind them pretty much shoving them on. So the fact that we're able to get a chance to talk to some of them and sell to them and get them to buy products, it's a really great way to for us to - bring in some extra money."
Smith's Cumberland County company sells its products in Whole Foods stores right now, but he's hoping to expand his reach.

Farm Show Starts Saturday

Final preparations are being made for the 95th Pennsylvania Farm Show which will be held at Harrisburg's Farm Show Complex from January 8th through the 15th.
The commonwealth's annual tradition is the largest indoor agricultural exhibition in the country. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding says the Farm Show spans one week, but it takes the other 51 weeks to get ready...

"It's an all-year effort. A million square feet under roof, 26 acres. In the course of the week, 500-thousand people will come through there looking at their favorite exhibit and tasting their favorite food."

Redding says the Farm Show complex has undergone a more than 4 million dollar "green" makeover ....
"We've got a solar project. We've got some energy saving measures that are inside, in terms of water, water usage, lighting."

And it will feature a new showcase for its famous butter sculpture.
"That allows us to really have a 360-degree view. It's going to be placed in a new location this year. Same hall, but sort of invert a little bit, to allow us to bring in the other agriculture commodities around it."

Redding says the agricultural exhibition will once again include a sheep-to-shawl contest, high school rodeo and a fully stocked food court
The opening ceremonies will once again include a "Parade of Agriculture".

Universal Standard for Restaurant Inspections

A new law will overhaul the way Pennsylvania’s restaurants are inspected.
The law imposes a uniform set of safety standards for every restaurant, whether it’s state or local officials carrying out inspections. Up until now, counties and municipalities were able to set their own benchmarks.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding says the law maintains local authority...

"It doesn’t change who inspects your operation. But what it requires is a universal standard. Which is the first time in the state’s history that we’ve actually had one standard for every establishment in Pennsylvania. Regardless of where you’re located, everyone’s going to have the same report card."

Redding says every report will also be posted online.

"I think that’s going to be the big change. We certainly saw it in the state, when we went to an online system. As soon as you know that your inspection is online, for the public view, you certainly are more attuned to making those little changes that are important for food safety."

The law also lets inspectors assess restaurants based on risk, so higher-priority eateries with more vulnerable food can be inspected more often than, say, convenience stores carrying pre-packaged snacks.
Redding says the Agriculture Department has been pushing for the changes for more than five years now.
The law goes into effect in January.

Stink Bug Damaging PA Orchards & Farms

An exotic species of stink bug, the brown marmorated stink bug, is causing damage to farms and orchards in Pennsylvania especially in counties in the southern part of the state. Penn State Fruit Research Center entomologist Greg Krawczyk says this bug, which has a piney or citrusy scent, was introduced to Pennsylvania 10 or 12 years ago.

He says they are not particular about what they eat...."It can feed on almost everything that is green. We have seen this on ornamental plants, on trees, on all kinds of vegetables, all the fruit that we grow in Pennsylvania. The only thing that I don't think they feed on is some conifer trees.

Krawczyk says there's not official tally to the damage to the damage caused by this stink bug but he's visited farms and orchards that have experienced damage to as much as 40 to 60% of their crops. Krawczyk says one problem is that the natural predator of the brown marmorated stink bug is not in this country and introducing the stink bug's enemy here could cause its own negative impact. "People from the U.S.D.A. (U.S. Department of Agriculture) lab are working on evaluating the possible beneficial insect that can be introduced into this country, but that will take some time. It may be awhile before we have any natural enemy (to the brown marmorated stink bug)."
This species is also spreading to West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

August is Agritourism Month in PA

Governor Ed Rendell hopes his proclamation of "Agritourism Month" will boost awareness of agricultural operations, events, and activities as well as promoting tourism in the state. PA Department of Agriculture Spokesperson Justin Fleming says Agritourism blends two of the state’s top industries- tourism and agriculture. He says PA is the nation’s fourth most visited state and it claims a top five ranking for several agricultural products. Fleming says the 115 county and community fairs are a great way to make a connection between the food on your table and it source.
55 fairs are held in Pennsylvania during the month of August. Fleming says there are other great day trips and weekend getaways that feature agriculture including a long list of wineries, farm markets, and working farms that host overnight visitors in bed and breakfast settings. The state has launched a web site to help travelers make the agritourism plans. Fleming says many of the travel ideas are not only fun and interesting but also easy on the budget.

In Pennsylvania, agriculture is a $61 billion industry and tourism is responsible for bringing in $27 billion a year.

Wine Toast Saturday Hopes to Break Record

The Pennsylvania Winery Association is hoping to set a world record Saturday by having visitors at about 60 wineries across the state lift their glass in a toast at the same time. They will have a tough time breaking the world record of 17,540 set in 2009 in the U.K. The association says even if the record is not set it will be a great way to bring more attention to the growing industry and a celebrate what it calls “another record setting year for the Pennsylvania wine industry.” Among the wineries taking part is the Greendance Winery at Sand Hill. Tasting room manager Diane Dilworth says they expect about 120 people at their small facility in Westmorland County. Dilworth says at 4:00 they will play a prerecorded toast from former Indy Car driver and wine lover Mario Andretti and then will make, “a very serious head count.” Pictures will be taken of the “toasters” to prove they were there. No employees will be counted. Dilworth says they have seen huge growth in the three years the winery has been open and she says Pennsylvania wines are starting to get the respect they deserve. She great wine makers are turning local grapes into wines worth noticing. Pennsylvania has a long history of producing sweet wine with very little character. A list of all the wineries taking part can be found here.

Dairy Farmers Continue to Call for Fair Pricing

In an ongoing effort to change the way milk is priced, farmers are asking for the approval of the Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act to bolster the price of milk. Under the current pricing system milk prices don't take into account the cost of production. Arden Tewksbury, a dairy farmer and manager of the Progressive Agriculture Organization in in Meshoppen, Pennsylvania says there's a laundry list of costs that go into producing milk. "A big one is the feed we buy, the corn--and if you don't buy it you have to grow it and harvest it; you've got electricity, veterinarians, all kinds of supplies; the value of the farm–somebody doesn't just give you a farm for free, hired labor, taxes, insurance." The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets the price of milk based on a complex formula that Tewksbury says shortchanges farmers. He says in 2009 farmers were paid about $1.12 for a gallon of milk, which according to the USDA cost farmers about $2.00 to produce. That discrepancy translated into a net loss of $15 billion to dairy farmers across the country and a $75 billion loss for the agriculture industry as a whole. He says the Milk Marketing Improvement Act (bill 1645), sponsored by senators Bob Casey and Arlen Specter would give farmers a fighting chance, though the legislation has been languishing in the Senate and doesn't appear to be going anywhere fast.

USDA Grant to Bring Broadband to Rural PA

Some Pennsylvania residents may benefit from a $3.3 million federal grant to bring broadband internet access to rural areas of the region.

The United States Department of Agriculture has awarded the West Virginia PCS Alliance money to install fiber broadband lines from its West Virginia center of operations to southern Pennsylvania.

The federal stimulus package grant is part of a USDA effort to bring high-speed internet to rural areas across the nation. $2.65 billion has been invested so far, with another $1 billion expected before October.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says he expects 1.2 million American homes to be “positively impacted” by the end of the national project. Vilsack says the measure will also stimulate business growth and global connectedness. He says he anticipates about 5,000 jobs created nationwide, some of them permanent.

The Agriculture Secretary says his Department should follow up by encouraging broadband use once the infrastructure is in place.

“Certainly, we’ve learned that with the Rural Utilities Service, and with rural electrification in the 30s and 40s, that there was at least initially some skepticism about it all, but as people saw the benefits, as they saw their neighbors utilizing it effectively to make their lives better, there was greater adoption and greater acceptance. That’s obviously what we’re going to have to continue to do with broadband.”

The Department of Agriculture website says the West Virginia PCS Alliance project “stands to benefit over 185,000 people” in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. Installation of underground broadband lines is slated for completion in 2011.

Return To Millvale Community Garden

Five weeks ago DUQ reporter Charlee Song visited a community garden in Millvale as residents were getting it together.
Allegheny County is funding community gardens in McKees Rocks and Millvale as part of the "Allegheny Grows" initiative to "green" vacant lots.
Five weeks later, Charlee returned to Millvale to check on the progress and found thriving vegetables and busy people.
Listen to her report.

Ag Dept. Submits New Dog Law Rules

***UPDATE***

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has submitted revised dog law regulations to the state's Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC).

A minor controversy arose earlier this week when State Representative James Casorio (D - Westmoreland) complained to the agency that its attempt to allow nursing mother dogs to be kept on wire flooring was unlawful according to the Dog Law (Act 119) of 2008.

Casorio said the mothers would be allowed to spend half of the year on wire flooring under the first set of rules proposed by the Agriculture Department, which he said was unacceptable. He said that no adult dogs are allowed to be on wire flooring under the dog law because it can lacerate their paws and even require amputation.

The Agriculture Department said that the nursing mothers would be on wire flooring because that type of floor allows puppies' waste to fall through, preventing infection of the young dogs' weak immune systems.

Department of Agriculture Special Deputy Secretary of Dog Law Enforcement Jessie L. Smith says under the latest proposal to the IRRC, mothers could spend a maximum of 14 weeks per year on wire flooring, with at least 50% of each cage having a solid floor in the six to eight weeks after their deliveries.

Smith says the attempt to require a split of wire and solid flooring came at the behest of Governor Rendell, due to a gap in the dog law regarding nursing mothers and their puppies. Smith says by law, mothers can whelp just twice per year and usually nurse for 6-8 weeks, after which time the puppies can be sold. The mother must give birth alone in a solid-floor whelping box.

Smith notes that since the dog law was passed, about two-thirds of Pennsylvania kennels have closed. She says that many which haven't closed have been granted waivers or extensions because they either are in the process of making significant improvements to comply with the law, or are involved in litigation obstructing their ability to comply. Smith says most of those waivers expire in October.

The IRRC is slated to vote on the Department of Agriculture's proposal August 19.

Casorio: New Kennel Rules Skirt State Law

State Representative James Casorio says new regulations introduced by the Department of Agriculture violate Pennsylvania’s dog law.

Casorio says the rules would allow adult female breeding dogs and their puppies to spend at least half of each year on wire flooring. He says this is in direct contradiction to the existing law, which prohibits wire flooring for any dog.

The Westmoreland County Democrat says wire flooring can cause paw lacerations or even result in amputation.

A Dept. of Agriculture spokesperson says the regulations were meant to prevent puppies from being infected, because their waste would fall through a wire floor where it would accumulate on a hard surface.

But Casorio isn’t happy with that justification.

“All of a sudden, the concern of the breeders and quite frankly [the Dept. of Agriculture] that puppies not be in their own waste… I just don’t understand it, quite frankly,” says Casorio. “The dogs being placed on wire flooring for six months is not acceptable.”

Casorio says the Dept. of Agriculture has also granted dog law waivers or extensions to 80 of the state’s 111 commercial kennels.

“What stake does the Department of Agriculture have in maintaining the status quo so that mass breeders can operate as cheaply and effectively, from their perspective, as possible?” says Casorio. “I don’t know, but I think that’s a question that certainly deserves an answer.”

The Dept. of Agriculture spokesperson says the regulations will be revised and resubmitted to the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission.

AG Dept. Budget Cut by 11%

This year’s $28.05 billion budget for Pennsylvania cuts funding for most state agencies.
A $5 million reduction at the Department of Agriculture means less money for county fairs, animal laboratories, and possibly layoffs.
The Department of Agriculture lost $1.4 million in general government operating expenses with 23 of its spending categories were reduced.
Among the harder hit line items is the Animal Health Commission, which provides funding for animal laboratories at Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania and the Department of Agriculture.
Secretary Russell Redding says the Commission’s budget dropped by 435-thousand dollars.

"That will be a reduction in services at those three labs. We’re going to have to cut costs, whether that be staff or reimbursements that we try and recover. But they’ll have to make 400-thousand dollars worth of adjustments at that operation."

Redding says some Ag Department employees may be laid off, but says since 67 workers lost their jobs due to budget cuts last year, he’ll do everything he can to avoid staff reductions.

Funding for county fairs has been reduced to just one million dollars.
Russell says that’s actually an improvement, noting Governor Rendell’s initial budget zeroed out the line item. But he says it will be tough to spread the funding to the 113 local fairs the money subsidizes. Two years ago, Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Department spent 3.6 million dollars on county fairs.

Heat Wave Dries Out Western Pa. Crops

Local farmers are grappling with the heat wave that recently settled over the region.

Ed Shenot of Shenot Farms in Wexford says keeping plants healthy during intense heat costs extra time and money. Shenot says many farmers are scrambling to water their crops as the heat wave dries them.

“We’re set up for drip irrigation on a lot of our crops, which requires less water,” says Shenot. “We’re not sprinkling it in the air. We’re putting it directly into the ground so the roots can take it up, but we’re just constantly going from one crop to another, doing this procedure.”

Shenot says the heat won’t affect current harvest yields in a major way, but he is still taking precautions with his plants.

“When we are harvesting, we have to get it in shade or get it in irrigation as soon as possible,” says Shenot.

Sweet corn, squash, cabbage, and zucchini can all be harvested near this time of year.

Gas Drill Wastewater Thought to Contaminate Cows

Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture has quarantined several cows in Tioga County after they were exposed to natural gas drilling wastewater.

Dept. of Agriculture spokesman Justin Fleming says after making contact with the contaminated ‘fracking’ water, the 28 cattle will be withheld from the market from six months to two years, depending on each cow’s age.

The drilling wastewater is thought to have leaked from a nearby holding pond that serves an East Resources, Inc. gas well.

Fleming says it’s uncertain if the beef cows actually drank the wastewater, but its high salinity is likely to have attracted them.

While the Dept. of Agriculture can’t test the cows without killing them, Fleming says toxic chemicals were found in the water itself.

“Tests on the wastewater found that it contained chloride, iron, sulphate, barium, magnesium, sodium, strontium, and other elements,” says Fleming. “While I’m not positively sure about what those effects could be on animals, we don’t want chemicals like that in any supply of meat that could be purchased in a store here in Pennsylvania or elsewhere.”

The 28 cows quarantined are all but two of the farmer’s stock.

Fleming says while he can’t speculate on whether events like this will become more common soon, most natural gas drilling is done in rural areas.

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection has issued a notice of violation to Eastern Resources. DEP spokesman Tom Rathbun says the company will be fined within the next month or so; he says the severity of that fine depends on the company's behavior regarding the situation. Rathbun says the DEP has finished cleaning up the wastewater.