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Letter: Thwarting the farmers of tomorrow

ISSUE | PA. BUDGET STALEMATE Thwarting the farmers of tomorrow I am a 13-year-old member of the Delaware County 4-H Club, which is funded by one of Pennsylvania State University's extension offices. Without the $46 million appropriation for agricultural programs in the 2015-'16 state budget, 4-H Clubs and the Master Gardener program will be shut down ("Threat of layoffs at Penn State," Saturday).

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ISSUE | PA. BUDGET STALEMATE

Thwarting the farmers of tomorrow

I am a 13-year-old member of the Delaware County 4-H Club, which is funded by one of Pennsylvania State University's extension offices. Without the $46 million appropriation for agricultural programs in the 2015-'16 state budget, 4-H Clubs and the Master Gardener program will be shut down ("Threat of layoffs at Penn State," Saturday).

The 4-H Club has opened doors for me and many others. My dream is to live on a farm or work in the poultry industry. Living in the suburbs doesn't provide many opportunities for young people to learn about farming.

The 4-H has enabled me to get hands-on experience and to acquire skills such as leadership, work ethic, teamwork, responsibility, and respect for farming. The clubs teach and inspire the farmers who will feed us in the future - how can we afford to stop them?

Pennsylvania deserves to be proud of our agricultural success. If the budget is not passed and the funding is not restored, there will be a negative impact on the future of agriculture in Pennsylvania.

|Michaela Freney, West Chester