THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY HOUGHTON, BAKER, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BOBACK, BOYD, BRIGGS, BROOKS, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, CUTLER, DELOZIER, DONATUCCI, EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, HANNA, HARHAI, HELM, HESS, HICKERNELL, M. KELLER, KILLION, KIRKLAND, KNOWLES, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MAJOR, MARSICO, MILLARD, MILLER, MOUL, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PEIFER, PICKETT, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROCK, ROSS, SAINATO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SEIP, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, STABACK, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TRUE, VEREB, MANN, ROHRER, MATZIE, PHILLIPS, OBERLANDER, BRADFORD AND MAHONEY, JUNE 8, 2010

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JUNE 8, 2010  

A RESOLUTION

Designating the month of June 2010 as "Dairy Farmers

Appreciation Month" in Pennsylvania. 

WHEREAS, Dairy farming is the primary economic driver behind

the number one industry in Pennsylvania, which is agriculture;

and 

WHEREAS, Dairy farming is a proud family tradition in

Pennsylvania, where 98% of dairy farms are owned by families and

depend on family labor; and 

WHEREAS, Dairy farming is a demanding way of life that

requires healthy workers with a strong work ethic in order to

produce the high-quality milk and other wholesome nutritional

products enjoyed by Pennsylvania's families and the citizens of

other states; and

WHEREAS, There are more than 8,500 dairy businesses in

Pennsylvania, both large and small, and 555,000 cows, which

produce more than 10 billion pounds of milk each year; and 

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania dairy industry and related

businesses contribute more than $4 billion annually to the

State's economy, supporting 40,000 quality, family-sustaining,

stable jobs for individuals in rural communities; and 

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania dairy farms produce milk locally and

export it to cities and other states along the east coast of the

United States, and this revenue is then reinvested in the local

community; and 

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's dairy farms serve as the ideal model

for sustainable rural economic development, providing

stimulation to both State and local economies; and 

WHEREAS, Studies show that dairy foods, when consumed as part

of a healthy diet, improve overall diet quality and may help to

reduce the risk of certain diseases; and 

WHEREAS, Generations of Pennsylvania farmers have been

dedicated to the preservation of the environment, helping to

maintain the high quality of this Commonwealth’s natural

resources; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's many picturesque dairy farms have

been a mainstay in the renowned beauty of the rural Pennsylvania

landscape for centuries; therefore be it 

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the

month of June 2010 as "Dairy Farmers Appreciation Month" in

Pennsylvania and recognize the outstanding contributions of

Pennsylvania's dairy farmers to the historical, cultural,

environmental and economic success of this Commonwealth.