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 <n th®
no moie value to man today. * SA , * clcaspd b z Community frets
i service ]
Theic aic those too who legate!
the Bible as the verbatim lian-
scupt of (bid’s pronouncements ATTCKIH TUE
to men, .vluh to othcis it is a A 1 1 ,nt
lawbook of Matules and laws rUIIDru v/MIB
\\hrlc mur umltmte to dis- CHURCH OF YOUR
agice on the nature and author- CilklHAV
ity of the Bible, it is h< Ipful OUNUAT ,
sometimes to consider what (ho
Bible often says about itself. For
NOW IS
THE TIME...
By IHdx Smith
Lancaster County Agent
stand the extra ’.oad. When
lights dicker at the time addi
tional motois k.ck on, it is a
signal that the wiring may be
too light to carry the extia load.
When fuses blow, it is a definite
sign of a shoit or an overload
and the line should be checked;
nevci insert a stronger fuse be
cause of the dangei of fire.
To Prevent Rodent Infestation
Cold weather will be here
and lats and mice will be nii
gialmg towaid faun buildings.
All possible nesting places and
souiccs of feed should be elim
inated befoie they arme. A
good clean-up piogram and
example, the suiter of 2 Timothy
refers to ‘sacied writing” (3:15).
To be * saci ed ’ is to have special
relationship to God. These writ
mgs of men aie “sacred” because
of their relationship to God, be
cause he is able to speak to men
through them. We regard them,
with reverence, then, not because
in themselves they>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-