The Hammonton Gazette 04/23/14 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, April 23, 2014 • The Hammonton Gazette The Hammonton Gazette “The Paper of Record” Gabriel J. donio, Publisher Gina rullo, Editor-in-Chief dan russoman, Sports Editor benny Mendez, Staff Artist Marysusan hoffman, paul J. Macrie iv, Michael hozik, donna brown, Joseph bruno, lauren bucci, lauren crescenzo, brian Morris, Staff The Hammonton Gazette is located at 233 bellevue ave. to reach a staff member, call 704-1940 or fax at 704-1938. the mailing address is p.o. box 1228, hammonton, nJ 08037. editorials perspective/usda The Hammonton Gazette is published Wednesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 thinking green This week’s edition of The Gazette features a “Think Green” section. In recent years, the movement to conserve natural resources and preserve the environment has become part of our daily lives. Recycling, solar energy, wi nd power, water conservation and more are now part of the dialogue on every level, from local to global. Hammonton has seen the effects of thinking green, particularly in recent years. The town has a Green Committee, selected by the mayor. Hammonton’s local landscape now features large recycling toters provided by the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, which collects the community’’s recycling. A solar array was built by the town on the site of the former sewer plant on Pleasant Mills Road. The town holds an annual Green Day each September to promote the benefits of conserving resources and protecting the environment. Because Hammonton is in the Pinelands Preservation Area (PPA), it has spent the last three decades under some of the most stringent environmental laws in the world: the regulations of the Pinelands Commission’s Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP). While those regulations have been constricting — witness the seemingly never-ending saga of the removal of the treated sewer effluent from Hammonton Creek — those same regulations have helped preserve the character of our community. In most ways, when we “Think Green” we are thinking about preserving the character of our community and our planet for future generations. We hope you enjoy our special section about environmental issues this week. amazing insight As a local weekly newspaper, we don’t often put international news on our front page. As most people know, however, the people of Hammonton have connections that reach throughout the world. One of those people is Reno Domenico, the former principal of Sterling High School who grew up in Hammonton and is now the owner of Sterling Business School in Kiev, Ukraine. Ukraine has been the subject of much global scrutiny in recent months, with Russia and the United States’ actions regarding the country – particularly about the Ukrainian port of Crimea, which has returned to Russia — make nearly daily news in this country and around the world. The Cold War era may not have returned, but recent events in Ukraine certainly recall that era. Domenico is in a position to offer amazing insights into the conflict from the perspective of a Hammontonian, an American, an educator, a business owner and someone who has dealt with Ukraine and Ukrainians since the 1980s. One quote from Domenico has a particularly Hammontonian view of events with potentially global implications: “You can’t do something like this without a lot of serious money, and there is serious money on both sides. Any way this has been played in the media, there is a lot of money by the players on both sides. It’s been extremely detrimental to business,” Domenico said. Domenico also pointed out that while images on television and the Internet may make it seem like the entire country is embroiled in armed conflict, he said that portion of recent events has been limited to a few areas of Ukraine. “You can make the analogy to how it was in 9/11. It was a huge catastrophe in New York and Washington, but if you were in Kansas, you weren’t directly affected. When I turn on CNN, it looks like the whole country is burning down, but in general it has not been like that, and I’m only two trolley bus stops from the city center,” Domenico told The Gazette. Domenico also has another connection to Hammonton. He is the husband of St. Joseph High School Principal Lynn Domenico. St. Joseph has also had a longstanding tie to Ukraine through the school’s distance-learning program. For more on Reno Domenico’s insights into Ukraine, read the full interview on page 1. The 2014 Farm Bill has already set in motion and accomplished so much for our country. With historic support for specialty crop producers across the country, the bill will touch every one of our lives through one of the most basic of human needs: food. Specialty crops make up the bulk of what we eat—all of our fruits and vegetables, tree nuts and dried fruits—as well as things like cut flowers and nursery crops. They are half of my plate at every meal, and the daily source for most of our vitamins and nutrients. For many in rural America, these crops not only provide nutrition, they are also a primary source of income. For nearly a decade, USDA supported specialty crop growers across the country through the Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) program. These grants enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, sustain the livelihood of American farmers, and strengthen rural economies. Last year, the program provided $55 million for 700 state-selected projects nationwide that contributed to food safety improvements, increased access to healthy food, and provided new research to help growers increase profitability and sustainability. The new farm bill expands support through the SCBG program to more than $66 million in grants for specialty crop growers—a historic high. With projects focusing on everything from food safety to business planning, the block grants are designed to increase the long-term success of producers and broaden the market for specialty crops. Many states select projects that dovetail with community needs, such as establishing farm to school programs, providing training in good agricultural handling practices (GAP), creating organic and sustainable production practices, and developing food hubs that will increase opportunities for small-scale growers. In Michigan, a 2009 grant helped the state Department of Agriculture and Resource Development work with partners to increase sales opportunities for specialty crop farmers in Southeast Michigan. They were able to identify and overcome barriers that prevented schools from purchasing products directly from local farmers, and ended up increasing the sales of apples, cucumbers, peppers, red potatoes, broccoli and several other crops within their state. Another grant in Idaho established a partnership between the state Department of Agriculture and Boise State University-Tech to provide workshops that helped improve food safety and implement sustainable production practices for onions, potatoes, apples, cherries, p eas and lentils. The project resulted in higher audit scores, increased efficiency and sustainability for participating companies, which both improve consumer confidence and help producers’ bottom lines in the long run. Our dedication to strengthening rural America and increasing opportunities for specialty crop farmers will help keep our nation’s economy—and people—healthy for years to come. This week, we made the next round of SCBG funds available so that states can begin funding projects. If you’re interested in applying, I encourage you to contact your state department of agriculture. You can find more information at www.usda.gov/farmbill. Quote of the Week: “What tom vilsack secretary, usda Washington, d.c. is a Weed? a plant Whose virtues have never been discovered.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson The Hammonton Gazette welcomes letters to the editor that are no more than 800 words long. All letters must include the name of the author and an address and telephone number for verification. Letters should be mailed to The Hammonton Gazette, Editorial Page, P.O. Box 1228, Hammonton, NJ 08037. Letters also will be accepted via fax. The fax number is 704-1938.  Or by e-mail to [email protected]. Deadline for all submissions is 2 p.m. Monday. The Hammonton Gazette reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions expressed in letters, perspectives or in guest columns do not necessarily reflect those of The Hammonton Gazette.  The Gazette is not responsible for factual errors in letters, perspectives or in guest columns. The Gazette retains the right to refuse any submission or advertisement.