Lancaster Farming. Saturday. June 30. 1973
ll
Time to Speak
On the Freeze
By driving farmers out of business, the
Administration's freeze on retail food
prices could seriously curtail this country’s
food production in the months and years to
come As fast as food prices have risen m
the past year, they haven’t risen as fast as
the farmers’ cost of doing business.
The White House says it is limn.ng only
retail prices, not the prices farmers get for
their products This is a specious
argument, for it’s apparent that food
retailers can’t sell food for less than they
pay for it. Prices to farmers have
historically been pegged more to the retail
price than to the farmers’ cost of doing
business Retailers aren’t going to change
their ways in order to assure farmers of a
profit They aren’t going to change even to
help farmers break even And if the prices
of feed and other farm inputs keep going
up without a commensurate increase in
retail food prices, a lot of farmers will go
out of business.
Farmers have always been at the rusty
end of the marketing chain. They’ve
learned to live with the fact that they're
going to accept what the buyer wants to
V \
pay them for their produce, and most years
they’ve managed to make a profit. There is
no manager m the world, though, who can
make a profit when he’s selling his eggs for
six cents a dozen less than it costs to
produce them, or his milk for $l.OO a
hundred less than the cost of production.
Farm organizations around the country
have raised their voices to the powers that
be in Washington. They.’re calling for an
immediate end to the freeze, and they may
be having an effect
Even more effective, though, can be the
collective voices of farmers speaking as
individuals. Tell your Congressman how
high prices for feed, fuel and other inputs
are limiting your ability to produce. Tell the
President and the USDA what you think of
a policy that limits or even cancels your
profit without giving you protection against
crippling losses Tell your Senator why you
don’t like being a sacrificial goat in a
blatantly political gesture to quiet the
strident voices of consumers.
While you are the rusty link in the food
chain, you are the most .important link. This
may be the time to rattle that chain loudly
enough to be heard around the world.
1 Ji'LY*
REW
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I NOW IS
I THE TIME . . .
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Consider OSHA
Regulations
Last fall many farmers
received a small pamphlet
regarding the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970; for
convenience this program is
referred to as OSHA. This
regulation concerns the health
and safety of employees of
anyone including farmers.
Farmers are urged to obtain a
copy of these regulations and
become familiar with the various
requirements. If the copy
received last fall has been
mislaid, another copy is
available at our Extension Office.
One very important part of this
act is that the Safety and Health
Poster (center pages of the
pamphlet) is to be posted on the
premises where the employees
can see it. Fruit producers have
been informed about some strict
regulations concerning the
spraying of their fruit trees;
these regulations have now been
suspended Farmers should be
concerned about future OSHA
regulations because they may be
very restricting, you might let
your lawmakers know how you
feel.
To Alternate Fly
Insecticides
Fly control time is here and the
weather has been favorable for
rapid fly reproduction. Clean
sanitary premises are very
important to try and prevent a
heavy fly population When
THE
PROMISE
Lesson for July 1,1973
Background Scripture* Exodus 20:12,
Deuteronomy 6 6-9; Proverbs 23*
22-25; Marie 7:9-13, Ephesians 6*l
- 2 Timothy I*s
Devetienel Heeding: Psalms 71 1-7.
For many years I regarded the
Fifth Commandment, “Honor your
father and your mother . . as
an arbitrary requirement imposed
upon children for the sole benefit
of their parents. It seems that
way, doesn’t it? The meaning is
simple, it would
seem: Obey your
parents because
God says so.
Yet, some years
ago I discovered
that this com
mandment is not
arbitrary in the
least. Of all the
Rev. Althouse commandments, it
best spells out the
purpose behind it. Our problem
is that in pronouncing this com
mandment, we stop too soon, say
ing, “Honor your father and
mother . , and we ought to
continue on with the whole sen
tence “. . . that your days may
be long in the land which the
Lord your God gives you” (Ex
odus 20.12 )
Behind the commandment
I first realized this one day in
reading Ephesians 6-2 The writ
er of that passage quotes the
Fifth Commandment, “Honor your
father and mother,” and then
goes on to make this commentary
“(this is the first commandment
with a promise)”. A promise?
residual sprays are used in the
barn or other buildings, it might
be a good idea to change in
secticides during the summer, or
from one year to the other, in
order to prevent the flies from
developing a resistance to one
material. The residual sprays
may include either cygon,
baytex, korlan, or rabon. Any of
these should keep the flies under
control for a four to six week
period, unless there is a
resistance built up against one
material. Pyrethrins or DDVP
sprays may be used as space
sprays; combinations of Ciodrin
and DDVP can be effective
against flies when applied to
livestock.
To Keep Dogs Under Control
A stray dog can be regarded as
a menace to agriculture and to
the entire community. Many dog
owners permit their dogs to run
free and this is the cause of at
tacks on sheep, chickens, and
other domestic animals. To the
sheep producer a stray dog could
mean serious damage to his
flock; also, many local poultry
producers have experienced
considerable damage from stray
dogs. During the spring and
summer many forms of wildlife
are reproducing and stray dogs
and cats prey upon these small
birds and animals. Dog owners
are urged to keep their animals
confined to their own property
and kept tied, if they want to
wander over the community.
Some livestock producers will
shoot stray dogs on sight and then
inquire of the details
Looking back to Exodus 20, I
found it: “Honor your father and
mother that your days may be
long in the land Which the Lord
gives you.”
What this means is that when
children honor their parents, they
are much more likely to have a
fuller, richer, more fruitful life.
The writer of Ephesians expands
upon this promise: “That it may
be well with you and that you
may live long on the earth” (6:3).
Thus, once again, we see that the
commandment is given to us, not
to impose upon us an arbitrary
style of conduct, but to establish
a principle in our lives that will
be beneficial for us.
Out of respect: harmony
So, the Fifth Commandment is
not imposed upon children for
the sole benefit of the parents,
but for the benefit of the children,
too. Absolutely necessary in the
family is respect, beginning with
respect for parents. From this
respect there grows a family har
mony and unity. This doesn’t
mean that it is guaranteed for
there are always other factors
that may intervene but that
where there is respect in a home,
there is also much more likely to
be unity and harmony, too.
The writer of Ephesians makes
it clear that the commandment
did not intend for this to be a
one-way respect. Immediately fol
lowing the admonition, “Children,
obey your parents, for this is
right,” (6,1), is an instruction to
the parents. “Fathers, do not pro
voke your children to anger, but
bring them up in the discipline
and instruction of the Lord" (6:4).
It is not enough for children
to honor and obey their parents.
From the parents there must be
a reciprocal response. And for
both parents and children there
is a promise that from this mu
tual respect, there shall be a
deeper, fuller life for all.
(Based on ou'lines copyrighted by the
Division of Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S A.
Released by Community Press Service)
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