The rising cost of fuel is affecting how much money farmers spend to purchase goods, farm the land and export goods, but local farms see no alternative to running the tractor every day.

In terms of supply materials coming into the farms, transportation prices have definitely gone up, said Pam Harner, co-owner of Harner Farm.

Especially for materials like cider jugs, which are made from petroleum-based products like plastics and paper bags, local farms just recently experienced more price hikes, Harner said. The UPS trucks have increased their prices because of the cost of fuel, which increases transportation charges, Harner added.

"There is a fuel surcharge, probably on just about every bill we get," Harner said.

However, Harner said there is no alternative to running the tractors.

"There really isn't any way to cut the cost, or cut down how much you have to use the tractor; you just have to consolidate as much as possible," Harner said.

Tait Farms has also been experiencing an increase in fuel surcharges
on incoming supplies because of increased transportation costs from outside transportation services such as UPS, said Kim Tait, co-owner of Tait Farms.

"We anticipate that [prices] will continue to climb," Tait said.

Currently there is no impact on their transportation costs because Tait Farms sets prices and fills their fuel tanks annually, Tait said. However, they expect to feel that impact the next time they refill the fuel tanks and set prices, Tait said.

Through the holiday season, Tait Farms will decide if they must raise customer prices, she added.

For Village Acres Farm owner Roy Brubaker, the fuel cost hike has raised transportation prices for incoming goods. There have been price increases "a couple times in the last eight months," Brubaker said.

Village Acres Farm uses a truck to transport goods 50 to 60 miles away, and that is where the farm feels the greatest cost increase.

"It's just costing us more to run our truck," Brubaker said.

The cost of fuel is not affecting the way he runs his business, but "it makes me think about making some changes," Brubaker said.

Penn State does purchase a small amount of goods from local farms, said Glen Cauffman, manager of farms and facilities in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"We try to produce all the feed for the livestock here on our farm, but there are some things purchased," Cauffman said.

Penn State has not felt an increase in prices from local farms, Cauffman said, but prices have increased on goods purchased from other suppliers of fertilizer, feed and fuel.

"Any goods that are shipped by truck have gone up in price," Cauffman said.

For local farms raising livestock, the cost of hay is "very high right now," said Janice Jenkins, co-owner of Tamarack Farms.

Per bale, hay costs almost twice as much as last year to get delivered because it requires fuel-driven tractors, Jenkins added.

"We don't really have tractors, we buy our hay, so it is costing me more to get the hay because producers of the hay are claiming hardship over the rising cost of fuel," Jenkins said.

While farmers do get a tax break on off-road diesel fuel for tractors, it is only about 40 to 50 cents per gallon, said Barrie Moser, owner and operator of Moser's Garden Produce.

Also, the tax break does not apply to the most expensive feature of Moser's Garden Produce -- the cost of driving the van to and from the farmer's market, Moser said.

"I am watching how I run my business a little bit, but it all depends on the price," Moser said. "If it gets much higher, it will affect me."

However, Moser said that fuel costs would not stop him from operating his business.

"I'm really not fearing the price of fuel. I mean, I wouldn't hesitate to start a tractor to go out," Moser said.