4—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. December 27,1969 From Where We To Keep A Base Of Farm Land At last, farmers who have with horror watched Lancaster County’s rich, deep, food-producing soil being run over and ruin ed by urban infiltrators have found a friend. That is what the committee for the pre servation of Pennsylvania’s agriculture land must be called a friend of farmers. As reported last week, this committee, including two Lancaster County men Amos Funk, Millersv ille R 1 and Larry Skromme, New Holland presented a 40- page report to Gov. Shafer recommending that areas of the best farm land be set aside for farming purposes only. County commissioners would be authorized to es tablish farm-only areas of at least 4,000 acres of adjoining farm land. Lancaster County has as much at stake in the recommendation as any area in the State. According to OrvaJ Bass, local Soil Conservationist, more than 75 percent of our land is rated in Class I, II or 111, all good for producing food. Unfortunately, good farm land is also good for building houses and highways. In fact, figures show that in the nine year period from 1958 to 1967 (the latest available) County cropland decreased 83,580 acres, while urban and build-up acres increased 54,600. This shows what we have known for a long time Lancaster County will fast become urbanized if the trend is not reversed But now there is hope. One of the fastest propellent of urbani zation into farm areas is taxes, w'e believe. True, much land is given over to those who simply want to live in the county and for roads to accommodate these people. But we see in the near future another enemy of the farmer who wants to continue to produce crops on his fields. This enemy is taxes , based on land values. It will not be long ' before the rising revenue needs of govern ments will force legislators to tax farm land at its market value for urban and industrial use rather than on farm-use value. And we doubt any farm family can continue farm ing under these kind of taxes though the ur ban oriented governing bodies are already applying pressure for such taxes. Fortunately, the new recommendation of the land preservation committee offers relief in this vital area also. The plan as it is envisioned would offer land owners in the set-aside areas to enter into 10-year con tracts with the County to keep the land for farming purposes during the contract dura tion. The advantages under this con tract would be that the tax accessors would be required to consider only the value of the farm for agricultural use. In addition, the landowner would be compensated for allow ing hunting and fishing on the land and maintaining watershed protection The heirs of the landowners would continue to partici pate and would be eligible for state inheri tance tax exemption for land under con tiact. Farm News This Week Solanco Twins Follow Father’s Footsteps As Keystone Farmers Page 1 The ’69 Agriculture Census To Be Taken By Mall In Jan. Page 1 Dairymen Vote No In Milk Referendum Page 1 LANCASTER FARMING Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly P 0. Box 266 - Lititz, Pa 17543 Office 22 E. Mam St, Lititz, Pa 17543 Phone Lancastei 394 3047 or Lititz 626 2191 Eveiett R Newswanger, Editor Robert G Campbell, Ad\ ei tismg Du ector Subscription puce $2 per year in Lancastei Countj S 3 elsewheie Established November 4, 1955 Published evei v S itmdav bj Lancaster Fanning Lit.tz Pa Second Class Postage paid at Lititz, Pa. 17543 Membei of Newspapei Faim Editois Assn, Stand ... Almost as gratifying as the recommen dation was the apparent open ear given the committee by Gov. Shafer. “I am hopeful that a significant start will have been made on your recommendations by the end of my administration,” Shafer told the committee. “It's important that prompt implementa tion be started —.” That is true. Recent figures show that hundred of acres of good farm land has been converted to nonagricultural uses in the last 10 years. The same report shows that an average of 115 acres of agricultural land, including 99 acres of cropland have been transferred to other uses each day. This pattern has been accelerating and is likely to continue if nothing is done. We think local farmers should and will welcome the plan. Although we are noted for our distrust of government interference, here is an honest attempt to keep a base of farmland in Lancaster County and we all know that is good. Good both for our fami lies and for the public economy in general. Since this plan is an attempt to provide a basis where farmers can be left alone with our families to farm as they have always wanted to do, local farmers will be the first to go along with the committee’s recom mendations. At least that’s the way it looks from where we stand. Ten Commandments Of Human Relations 1. SPEAK TO PEOPLE. There is no thing so nice as a cheerful word of greeting. 2. SMILE AT PEOPLE. It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile. 3. CALL PEOPLE by name. The sweet est music to anyone’s ears is the sound of his own name. 4. BE FRIENDLY and helpful. If you would have friends, be a friend. 5. BE CORDIAL. Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure. 6. BE GENUINELY interested in peo ple. You can like almost everybody if you try. 7. BE GENEROUS with praise cau tious with criticism. 8. BE CONSIDERATE with the feelings of others. Thei e are usually three sides to a controversy; yours, the other fellow’s and the right side. 9. BE ALERT to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others. 10. ADD TO THIS a good sense of humor, a big dose of patience and a dash of humili ty, and you will be rewarded many-fold. From the Guernsey Breeders’ Journal Across The Fence Row True Teacher to geography class: “Where is the capital of the United States?” Junior: “All over the world.” The whiz who is always on the verge of making a million dollars never realizes he has to make the first thousand first. Today’s youth are more sophisticated. If Booth Tarkington were to write “Seven teen” today, he would have to call it “Twelve.” Union Register, Ore. Progress consists of swapping old troubles for new ones. Local Weather Forecast (From the U. S. Weather Bureau at the Hanisburg State Airpoit) The five-day forecast for the next five days calls tor temperatures to average near normal with daytime highs in the 40’s and o\ cr-mght lows in the mid 20’s. Cold thioughout the period Precipitation may total onc-loiuth to one-half inch water equi valent occurring Tuesday and Wednesday as snow or rain. WHOSE COP OF TEA? Lesion for December 28,1969 B«ckf r«tn4 Scri»lur«Mo!oihl3:t *4, MoIlh«w3j!« 12 JI 7-10 D«v«h«n«t Pjolms 9S 1-7, The Pulpit Committee of First Church was looking for a new pastor. Not Just any minister would do. After all, First Church was the largest and most influ ential church in the area. It had that boasted of eminent pulpit orators. Crowds were drawn to First Church on the reputations of its preachers. That is what had interested them in John B. Someone had told Ben Adams, the Pulpit Com mittee Chairman, that they had heard a certain young preacher was "packing-them-in” in one of the nearby rural communities. Ordinarily, the Committee would not have been interested in a country preacher. But the crowds he was reported to be drawing might very well be an indication that this John B. was ready for the "big-time” (meaning First Church)! The way he dressed So the Committee made some discrete inquiries and on Sunday morning drove to the place where John B. was reported to be preaching. When they arrived there, the members of the Com mittee were astonished to find, not a country church, but an old picnic ground. Obviously this man was not from one of the recognized denominations. Either that or this outdoor preaching was simply a cheap stunt. The place was crowded and it was not easy to work their way forward to the old bandstand on which the minister was standing. As they drew closer, Ben Adams gave a derisive snort: "Will you look at the way he’s dressed! We could never have a man like that in our pulpit.” The "like that” re ferred to the preacher’s wiry black beard, his long, uncombed hair, and a strange robe that waa Read Lancaster Farming For Full Market Reports To Evaluate rather than a margin between ram Records purchase and sale price. It’s a The keeping of accurate farm challenge to every feeder to keep records is veiy important and the production costs down as a successful farmers are spending means for a good return oir feed more time on records than a supplies, capital and labor. Good decade ago The useful know- management is essential for low ledge of profit or loss by entei- feed costs which also includes prises is most impoitant but paiasite control good recoids should be used to Tn r .„ d . „ plan for the future At this time rw T j d of the yeai when summarizing Corres Pd« front animal •kini. Having leen thU wu enough for Hen Adame and hie com* mlttcc. They would have left right then, if it hadn’t been difficult to push back through the crowd. .Since they had little choice, they decided to stay and endure it to the end. After all, the man was rather humorous-looking. The experience would be good for some laughs at least. Some of them began to smirk. Indelicate language A* they listened to him, how ever, their smirks froze on their faces. His message was down right insulting. "Repent,” he chal lenged them, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Didn’t he realize that the crowd was mostly made up of good church people? should respectable people like that be told to repent? Who ■was he to sit in judgment of them? Apparently he was another one of these professional trouble makers! Suddenly, looking dlrecllv at the men of the Pulpit Committee, John shouted, "You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to try to escape God’s wrath? Conduct yourself as repentent men and don’t rely on your church membership to get you through. I’m warning you that God’sjudg ment is going to hit you hard!” Just as suddenly he turned away and stepped down into the water to baptise some people who were waiting for him. Ben Adam and the men of First Church were too embarassed and angry to utter a word. “Some kind of a nut”! As soon as it was possible, the red-faced men beatahasty retreat They wanted nothing further to do with this preacher. They were appalled by his appearance "Looked like a Communist,” con fided one of them. They liked his words even less. "Repent!” That was no message for the people of First Church. Worst of all, how ever, was his personal attach upon them! How dared he? j He was obviously "some kind of a nut,” they decided, a crazy man making crazy promises and charges, a religious fanatic. John the Baptist was just not their "cub of tea.” But then, neither was Jesus! (Based on outlines copyrighted by the Division ©f Christian Education, National Council of Hr* Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. Released by Community Press Service) j ATTEND THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE SUNDAY NOW IS THE TIME... By Max Smith Lancaster County Agent