Not much separated an antagonistic government agency and a perennial pest for local farmers who gathered recently for the Chester Delaware County Farm Bureau spring banquet. Both have gone beyond an inconvenience and are now considered threats to agriculture.

“The Farm Bureau is concerned that the Environmental Protection Agency is increasing its role over water and land management by making decisions on how and when states need to take action, which exceeds its authority under the Clean Water Act” — including the potential to require a permit for standing rainwater, Chadds Ford Live paraphrased Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Rick Ebert as saying in its recent coverage of the meeting.

The group also promoted a free movie event at 7 p.m. on April 22, when the Lyme disease film “Emergence” will be presented at Sykes Auditorium on the campus of West Chester University.

Read more about the pressing Farm Bureau issues and Ebert’s challenge to bridge the gap between producer and consumer in Chadds Ford Live here.