4—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. October 17.1970 On the Changing Farm Economy Wh.n does tlu* Southern Leaf Blight and the umisualK limit puces for nearly all grains mean to the mdiMdual farmer* This question of what to do in iespouse to the unusual piam situation is confiontmg manv farmers. Southeastern Pennsjhama prows huge quantities of pram, but basically this is a vjram deficit area Most farmers feed their crops; they sell their plain indirectly, m torms such as milk, beef and pork. In addition, local farmers buy and use 'arge quantities of pram from other areas, particularly for production of eggs and poultry. Higher Feed Costs It is clear that farmers who buy most or all of their gram, possiblx m the form ot feed, are hit immediately with higher •oioduction costs With broilers in a condi tion ot oxer-supplx and prices low. this in creased cost means greater losses for the oroducer until such time as the oxer-pro duction eases or demand is somehow in creased to bring prices to the producer to a higher lex el A similar situation exists xxith eggs With egg supplx just beginning to feel the orunt of the unpiecedented laxing flock build-up in the first half of 1970. the one cent per dozen or more cost increase rep resented bx the higher grain prices couldn't hax-e come at a xxorse time The situation is different for the large oroportion of local farmers xxho groxx most of their gram These include many of the milk, beef and pork producers The crop they noxx haxe or soon will haxe in storage is xxorth more. But if this crop is fed out. the farmers max or maj not realize the increased x'alue of the crop The return to the farmer xxho feeds his crop depends on the market for his final product. Higher Costs Not Reflected So far, the market for the final product milk. eggs, poultry, beef and pork has not adequately reflected this increase in feed costs. For most local faimeis. therefore, the grain situation means eithei that the farmer is facing increased costs due to higher feed costs or that he isn't getting adequately compensated for the moie taluable gxam ne is feeding What s the solution 9 Shoit-teim it would appear some faim eis with grain could benefit by not feeding it out. but selling it Long-teim. this may oi may not prote wise One local giain dealer said he ex pects meat puces to begin to rise within six Var.ous knowledgeable farmeis and 'arm organisations particularly in the dairy industry hate been elated recently by the so-called Fiamingham study The diet =tudy in Massachusetts imoh ed cholesterol and the relationship between diet and heart diesase Prelimmaiy repoits from the study had indicated there is a definite relation ship between heart disease and diet Sup posedly cholesterol found in some foods L4NC4STER FARMING Lancaster CountVs Own Farm Weekly P 0 Box 266 Lititz Pa 17543 Office 22 E Muin St Lititz, Pa 17543 Phone Lancartei 394-3047 oi Lititz 626 2191 Robert G Campbell \d\eitising Diiector ZaneWilsoi Managing Eoitoi Subscription pi're S 2 pet yeai m Lancaster CounL S 3 elsewheie Established \o\ember 4, 1955 Published t\r \ Saturday by Lancaster Farming Lititz, Pa Second Cla-s Postage paid at Lititz, Pa 17543 Member of N tw Farm Editors Assn Pa. Newspaper Pubhsheis Association, and National Newspaper Association Framingham Says to eight months in response to the highot grain costs Also, anv cutback in production of poultry and livestock mm could cause a decreasing supply at a time when demand for meat and meat products has been on a long-term upswing. Wliile the livestock and poultry situa tion could change dramatically within the next year. so could the gram situation While the USD A this month has projected a crop 13 per cent under its July 1 estimate, some authorities disagree, claiming the loss is greater; it is generally agreed that no one will have clear picture until the harvest is complete. Strong Meal Demand Under the USDA's current estimate, the corn crop would be the smallest since 1966 But corn usage has increased substantially since 1966. Americans are learning to de mand meat on the table. Corn is a basic ingredient in continuing expansion of U S beef, pork and poultry production. What will happen to the farm economy when more animals have less corn? In pait. the answer will be higher corn prices, usage of corn now in storage, and substitution of other grains. The question for the individual farmer who is in a flexible position is this: should he take a short-term profit now bj, selling his grain, or should he wait and hope that the increase in the price for his finished product comes soon enough and big enough to pay him to keep on producing? The decision will hinge on manv factors, including the farmer's overall operational set-up, his financial ability to pass up sure short-term gains in favor of more risky long-term prospects, the farmer's evalua tion of whether he wants to have his facili ties idle, whether his grain profits would be substantial enough to carry him for awhile. A State of Flux The only sure thing is that these are unusual times for the farmer. Costs and re turns are both in a state of flux. The farmer must be prepared to re el aluate his own situation periodically in relation to the changing farm economic situation The farmer who properly e\ abl ates both costs and returns in relation to his own farming operation is the farmer who is giving himself the basic tools for success. Unfortunately. the job for the farmer is being made considerably more difficult by the fact that the economic situation which exists today likely will be considerably dif ferent a few weeks or a few months from now built up in the body, making a pei son more likely to have a heart attack. But the final \ersion of the Framing ham study was released recently and it concluded that DIET HAS LITTLE OR NOTHING TO DO WITH CHOLESTEROL BUILDUPS and heart attacks. This conclusion has caused a great sigh of relief among knowledgeable farm pro ducers and farm organizations, which had previously been compelled to defend their products against the charge that they caus ed build-ups of cholesterol in the body and therefore contributed to a high late ot heart disease. Remember, for instance, all that scare about cholesterol in eggs and how egg men were trying to convince the housewife that hubby wouldn't die of heart disease if she fed him plenty of eggs? The egg men were right, sa\s Fram ingham, because diet has little or nothing to do with cholesterol buildups. Repeat that Diet has little or nothing to do with cholesterol buildups Remember egg producers, meat pro ducers and dairymen; Framingham says diet has little or nothing to do with choles terol buildups. To House Farm Machinery Pool management is indicated when faim machmeiy is per milted to in-I oat rathci than to weai ou Snoc many pieces of machine)\ will not be used until next spiing it should be placed untlei i oof in oide" to piotect it fi oin mm and snow Rust is still the majo' etuniv of most ma- and w 11 -hoi ten its life A machine)> shed with at least a i oof and tw o s des is a good place to keep equipment dm mg the wmtei Barns will offei the protection but eoncentiates the investment in one place in case ot fue All wo’k.r.g paits should be giea ; ed a s‘o age tune in oiclei to pieven; rust poison bait stations should dis courage a gi eater lat population. . , , The storage of corn this fall To Obsene Electnca e s mc i U( j fc ioden;; protection. Manj farmers con inue to add All faimers aie mged to take now pieces of equ.pment both in special effoit now to keep then* the bain and m the home In premises free fiom all rats and many cast' :u original w’nmg mice They aie filthy and may not be neac.v enough to dangeious WHY THE BIBLE? Lesson for October 18,1970 othy tells us that this scnpture (“sacred writings”) is inspired ItK TXf uWu A* h ? 7 \°on Vcor- fey God (3 16), To inspire means mthiois 12 si through ui, 2 timothy to “breathe into ” Thus we are p.aims U 9 33 48. that God has breathed in to these writings his own life- Xeaily every home has at least giving spmt They come alive in one Bible There is hardly a mo- people’s hearts because he In tel or heel room without one. fuses them with his power and Eveiy libiaiy has a collection of life. Bibles m various editions and c , oser fo God translations You will find Bibles ~ _ . , , * in most conns of law and Blb^D 13 abAav s intended magistiatos’ offi- to servP as a channel through ces Thcv will be "Inch God is able to speak to tis found on the anc * be lP us ,s iJke a window bookshelves of in tllat legaid its purpose is to doctois and law- allow us t 0 scc something beyond vers „nd thev aie e J10 * ; concentiate on the frcqucntlv the ic- window, but on what we can see source for jour- through it So it is with the nahsts and auth- Blble it’s put pose is to point We ors yond itself. The water of 2 Timothy makes Rev. Althousc J s ,he this dear when he lists the vafi- Blb ’ e - _ ous functions of Bible study. It Yet, thougn the Bible is so uni- is “piofitable for leaching” (3: veisal, there is often gical disa- 16). The puipose of this teaching gicement when Chastians at- is not so that we will come to tempt to define what it is or de- “know” the Bible, but rather lineate its authority For some that we will come to know God people the Bible .s simply a in Christ good book that contains some Its pm pose is also “reproof/* worthwhile religious or moral says the writer. In other words, teachings For othcis, it is a the Bible helps us to combat that kind of magical book of sacred which is untrue. 'Whenever the puzzles and mysteries for which Christian seeks to combat a popU they alone hold the key lar c\il, the Bible is always his Some people value it as liter a- best resource . It is a yardstick fry true, praising its poetry and nar- which we measure both men and xatne Still others regard it as a the world in which we live, book of enlightened fan y tales , and nnths that weif> helnfnl In on outlines copyrighted by 4h« ~ L ft pUI I Division of Chnshon Educohon, Nahonoi IOSS Ll\ lluca pt'OpJC, hult «UC* of Council of the Churches of Christ are an object of reverence, but because they bring us into communion with the One whom we do revere. Christians do not w orship a book, but the God to whom the book brings us closer. Secondly, the writer of 2 Tim-