From staff reports
CLARION – A local group of 25 4-H members and parents traveled to Harrisburg to join with over 500 other supporters to rally for support for the Land Scrip Fund item in the Pennsylvania budget.
Gov. Tom Wolf cut the funding for the Land Scrip Fund with a line item veto.
This fund is where the funding for many agricultural programs sponsored by Penn State University and the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service comes from.
The elimination of these funds will cause the closing of the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service beginning in as early as May 1.
These closing will bring to an end the 4-H program in Pennsylvania, as 4-H is directed through the state’s land grant university and this was their link to the university.
Anyone who has ever been involved with 4-H or has used the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service should contact local representatives, and especially Governor Wolf,and ask them to support the Land Scrip Fund and reinstate the funding to the Penn State University and the agricultural programs throughout the state.
In areas like Clarion and Venango Counties, these programs as essential to the youth who are involved with them.
These programs have provided hands-on opportunities to learn and practice agricultural practices which prepare them to become the next generation of agriculturalists.
These youth will help feed this nation in the future, please help protect their 4-H program.
