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Cambria County farmers voice displeasure over beef imports

Cambria bureau president calls Trump policy ‘misguided’

By Matt Churella 7 min read

NANTY GLO -- Cambria County farmers outlined legislative issues with local, state and federal officials Thursday at the Blacklick Township-

based Moonshine Mine Distillery and Saloon, a family-owned business that holds the distinction of being the county's first legal distillery.

Most notably, farm bureau members voiced their displeasure about President Donald Trump's recently announced plan to import 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef with no out of quota tariff.

According to Trump's announcement last Friday, the deal will require this beef to be sold at 25% below current market prices, with the intention to reduce beef prices for Americans.

Cambria County Farm Bureau President Marty Yahner said, while Trump's idea of trying to lower costs for American consumers is commendable, the policy is "misguided" and would only reduce the price of beef in supermarkets by "a very negligible amount."

"By doing this and mandating that this beef coming from other nations, which may or may not have the good standards that we have in America, be sold at 25% of the cost of the open market, it's just devastating to the American cattlemen," Yahner said.

Farm bureau members at the local, state and federal level should ask their elected officials to tell the president, "Rescind this order; don't do it," Yahner added.

"The president needs to hear that this program needs to be stopped," Yahner said. "He needs to change his mind, and I think if enough of us in the farm bureau do it, he'll do the right thing and change it."

Kathy Gassler, U.S. Rep. John Joyce's Altoona district office manager, said Joyce is "in full support of the farmers here."

"I talked to the congressman this morning, and he supports American beef (and) American farmers," Gassler told Yahner, who then said he knows he can count on Joyce and U.S. Rep Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-15th District, to deliver the message to Trump.

Other priorities

Farmers also discussed the federal farm bill, which the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau strongly supports the timely passage of, according to a packet of information handed out at the meeting.

Yahner said the farm bill is usually a five-year bill, but the federal government is three years past the deadline for passing a new farm bill.

The legislation enacted in 2018 expired in September 2023, and while multiple extensions have been passed to keep a number of nutrition and farming programs running, Yahner said the previous farm bill has been continuously "kicked down the road" and it's time to pass a modern bill.

Pennsylvania's diverse agricultural sector -- including dairy, livestock, poultry, grain, fruit, vegetable, mushroom and specialty crop producers -- depends on strong farm bill programs that support research, conservation and market development, according to the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

The farm bill should include provisions to allow the permanent, nationwide sale of E15 (15% ethanol blends) year-round, farm bureau members said.

Farmers are also advocating for a legislative fix to California's Proposition 12, which they argue would help preserve a national marketplace, reduce conflicting state-by-state production mandates and provide certainty for livestock producers.

State issues

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau supports state Senate Bill 1362, which would establish a school milk equipment pilot program to expand whole milk consumption in schools, and Senate Bill 225, which relates to eminent domain compensation.

Carissa Itle-Westrick, Vale Wood Farms' director of business development, said Pennsylvania is one of the nation's leading dairy states. Expanding opportunities for schools to serve locally produced milk supports dairy farm families while strengthening local food systems, she said.

"A school lunch is a child's first opportunity to have exposure to the idea of supporting local farms," Itle-Westrick said. "As a local dairy farm, we really pride ourselves in providing that really great dairy experience to our youngest consumers."

Farmers want milk to be fresh, cold and good tasting, she said.

"As long as it's fresh, good-tasting milk that's cold that that child has access to, you know we're all for it," Itle-Westrick said.

Senate Bill 225, on the other hand, would ensure that private property owners are fairly compensated when their land is taken through eminent domain.

Farmers and landowners should be made whole when government projects require private property acquisition, farm bureau members said Thursday, noting they want "fair and just compensation" for their agricultural land.

Distillery hosts event

When Michael Cocho and his son, Michael Cocho II, opened Moonshine Mine Distillery in 2017, they established Cambria County's first legal distillery.

The family-owned business offers more than 100 products of rum, bourbon, whiskey, vodka and moonshine created from locally grown grains and century-old family recipes passed down through generations.

Mary Ellen Cocho, the eldest Cocho's wife, greets customers and gives out samples, while April Cocho, Mary Ellen's daughter-in-law, arranges live music performances and handles a lot of the business side of things.

Zachary and Madison Cocho, April and Michael Cocho II's children, are also active in the business, with Zachary making labels and bottling the products and Madison working there to put herself through college.

Working with her family is nice because no matter what, she has a place where she can work and be accepted, Madison Cocho said.

"I think it makes us a lot closer because we all have to work together for a common goal of success. It also helps us to communicate better as a family and stuff," she said.

"Everybody is involved in the whole thing," Mary Ellen Cocho said, adding her son -- Michael Cocho II -- works a full-time job and then works at the family business afterward and on weekends.

It's a business the father-son duo are passionate about, Michael Cocho said. They also own Cocho's Evergreen Nurseries, a Christmas tree farm at the same location along Cardiff Road in Blacklick Township, just outside of Nanty Glo.

Michael Cocho started Cocho's Evergreen Nurseries in the 1970s to support his family. It started with 20 acres of clear ground and a man on a mission, as Cocho planted one tree at a time with a dibble bar.

What began as a small family operation grew into an incorporated business, along with the distillery, saloon and kitchen, he said.

"While we have grown and changed over the years, our roots are still right here in our family, our farm and our community," Cocho said.

One of the challenges they face with evergreen tree farming is the amount of time and work it takes to produce a mature, healthy tree, he said, adding, unlike many crops that can be planted and harvested within the same year, evergreen trees require several years of growing before they are ready to be sold.

During that time, the family has to constantly maintain the trees by controlling weeds, managing pests and diseases and making sure the trees receive the proper nutrients and water, Cocho said.

Weather can have a major impact -- with drought, heavy rain, frost and severe storms potentially damaging years of work, he said, noting farmers have a significant investment in time and money before they ever see a return.

Another important part of local agriculture is growing the crops needed to produce spirits such as moonshine and vodka, Cocho said, adding those products depend on agricultural ingredients, including grains -- corn, wheat, rye and barley.

Farmers have to grow, harvest and properly store those crops so they can be used in the distilling process, he said, noting corn is especially important for many traditional moonshines, while wheat, rye and other grains can contribute different flavors to spirits.

"This creates an important connection between local farms and businesses like Moonshine Mine Distillery because the success of one can help support the other," Cocho said. "By producing these crops locally, we can keep more of the agricultural economy right here in the community."

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

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