Hershey makes no apology. He said he ran for the legislature in 1981 because he believed farmers' needs were being ignored. The state-funded program pays farmers to enter into agreements that prevent all future owners of the land from developing it. The farmers make money. The land is preserved.
Environmentalists are happy.
Madigan's bill could have increased the price of a gallon of milk by up to 25 cents, depending on market conditions, said Ken Bailey, a dairy economist at Pennsylvania State University. What Madigan did not say was that he makes money from a dairy operation, according to his 1998 financial disclosure statement and interviews. He rents the farm to a cousin, James Madigan, who said he uses it exclusively to grow hay, corn and alfalfa to feed the 210 head of dairy cattle he keeps on his 435-acre dairy farm next door. In his disclosure statement, Madigan listed Madadale Farm as a source of income. A spokesman for Madigan said the senator lists it because he takes timber from the land.