[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TODD RUSSELL PLATTS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 8, 2009

  Mr. PLATTS. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2997, the Agriculture, 
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Todd Russell Platts (PA-19), along 
with other Members
  Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
  Account: SRG
  Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Penn State University
  Address of Requesting Entity: 117 Old Main, University Park, PA 16802
  Description of Request/Justification of Federal Funding:
  Penn State University--Improved Dairy Management Practices: Penn 
State is a public university. Some of the most important challenges 
facing the dairy industry today lie in the areas of nutrient and 
emission management. Penn State faculty will use this funding to 
research nutrient management through cow nutrition modification and the 
impacts of emissions from dairy operations. In addition, funding will 
be used to develop new technologies to address problems associated with 
dairy production in Pennsylvania in an effort to improve water quality, 
lower impacts of air emissions, and use energy more efficiently. This 
is a good use of taxpayer funds because the sale of dairy products 
accounts for nearly half the farm gate value of Pennsylvania's 
agricultural income. The profitability of Pennsylvania dairy farms is 
inextricably tied to management decisions that are being made by 
farmers. ($243,000)
  Penn State University--Milk Safety Program: Penn State would use this 
funding to identify issues in milk and dairy products safety and seek 
interventions that can be transferred to producers, processors, 
distributors, and retailers to continue to improve consumer confidence 
in the quality of their food supply. This is a good use of taxpayer 
funds because dairy is the single largest economic component of the 
Pennsylvania agricultural portfolio. ($771,000)
  Penn State University--Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources: 
Penn State University would use this funding to create a new 
collaborative research and education program that will help diverse 
farm operations better adopt more sustainable farming practices. 
Investment in this special grant would increase field research and 
demonstration to increase the exposure of farm advisors and farmers to 
sustainable cropping system practices. Practices to be further 
investigated include: crop species and cultivars for inclusion in crop 
rotations that improve the performance of sustainable and organic 
cropping systems, especially for the Northeast; fine tuning of 
management guidelines for mechanical control of cover crops and weeds 
in conservation and no-tillage systems to reduce or eliminate 
herbicides; factors that better promote conservation of biological 
control organisms and beneficial soil microorganisms for weed seed 
predation and management of other pests; and practices that increase 
soil organic matter. This is a good use of taxpayer funds because the 
demand for increased farmer understanding and adoption of sustainable 
farming practices continues to be a high priority in the agricultural 
community. ($133,000)

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