10—Lancaster Farmini
Farm Commentary
Praise the carpenters
Disasters are destructive, ugly, and
bone-chilling Yet. despite their
frightening effects, there’s something
about them which brings out the best
in people
Good neighborlmess ana a strong
community spirit rings out loud and
clear from time to time when tragedy
strikes whether it’s clean-up after
a flood, a fire, or a community getting
together to pick corn for a family
which suffered an accident
A hideous barn fire, such as oc-
Don’t forget firemen
Not to be forgotten in any tragedy
or emergency are the volunteer
firemen who risk their lives and well
being in an effort to lessen the losses
of disaster victims
A barn fire breaks out and news is
made A barn raising takes place and
it’s more news There are usually
some spectacular pictures of the
flames and destruction and well
deserved praise for the fellows who
unite to do the rebuilding But how
about the firemen 7 They too are a
part of the community who
routinely battle their neighbors’
disasters
Pond is important too
Farmers who don't have a pond or
stream close to their buildings should
give some serious consideration to
correct this situation Ponds are more
than a site for swimming and ice
skating they’re vital for fighting
fires
That fact was dramatically pomtec
out this past week by Mrs Joseph
8011, Lititz R 2, whose family lost a
barn due to fire “We’re so glad we
had the pond,” she exclaimed, “the
In pursuit of nonsense
As if the nation’s food producers
don’t already have it tough enough to
turn a profit in the face of inflation,
high production costs, bad weather,
and a buyer's rather than seller's
market farmers are constantly
having to live with a bad image
problem because some glory-seeking
scientist or doctor wants to grab a
headline in his trade journal
All this talk and research going on
about meat, milk, butter and eggs by
the so-called experts in the white
laboratory coats strikes me as being
nothing more than nonsense
Generally speaking, the healthiest
people on Earth are farmers They’re
the same people who can eat a dozen
eggs for breakfast, along with a half
pound of bacon and a quart of milk
According to some doctors and
health-food nuts, however, such a
diet is practically self-destructive
Magazines are constantly filled
>. Oct. 25. 1975
Saturda
By Dieter Krieg
with such bad propaganda which has
undoubtedly turned many potential
customers away from the farmer’s
products The damage suffered by
agriculture because of this uncalled
for and often irresponsible kind of
publicity is uncalculateable and it will
take years of education and research
to correct the situation
This unfortunate circumstance a
thorn m every farmer’s side is like
a person’s character It takes a
lifetime to build a good one, but only
an hour to have it all go down the
dram It’s tragic that the farm
products which have sustained life
since the beginning of time can be
blamed for a variety of ailments
Because of this, agricultural
marketing organizations are con
stantly having to be on the defensive
to make their products appeal to
consumers It shouldn't have to be
that way.
currad at the Joseph 801 l farm earlier
this month, is examplary of the "Good
Samaritan spirit" for which rural
America and particularly Penn
sylvania Dutch Country is famous A
triumphant barn raising took place
there this week, which is to the credit
of the community and all of the
families involved Such acts of
friendship and cooperation deserve a
tip of the hat and a cheer. Well done,
folks 1
Like the volunteer carpenters who
erect an entire barn in a day’s time,
the volunteer firemen do their work
without charge. They don’t go on
strike, they don’t even complain.
Whether night or day, ram or shine,
they jump at the sound of an alarm,
trying their best to save lives and
property
Surely, the firemen aren’t taken for
granted, but their valiant efforts
often go unheralded. Talk about Good
Samaritans and the volunteer
fireman serves as a perfect and
outstanding example
firemen were able to save the stable
and milking parlor"
More than 2,000 gallons of water
per minute were pumped out of the
pond for several hours to bring the
blaze under control Fighting the fire
without water from the pond would
have been an impossibility As it was,
not only were the milking parlor and
lower stable saved, but adjacent
buildings were kept from going up in
flames
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THE
BIRTHRIGHT
i lur (K Ihlmt Hi. 117»
Background Scripture:
Genesis 25: 19-34 ; 27; 29.
Devotional Reading;
Philippians 2: 1-11.
The man who served as my
guide in the Holy Land, a
Palestinian Arab from
Bethlehem, told me that
shortly after the Dead Sea
scrolls were accidently
found in a cave by an Arab
shepherd boy, the most
important of these, the Book
of Isiah, was given to him for
a brief period of time. This
priceless scroll was un
suspectingly carried around
in the back of his car for
several weeks before
disposing of it as valueless.
Today, he realizes what a
valuable treasure he per
mitted to slip through his
fingers. He simply had not
appreciated the value of
what he held in his hands.
For a mess
of pottage
That true story could well
serve as a parable for out
times. How often people let
valuable possessions slip
through their fingers simply
because they have no idea at
all of the value of these
things.
This is one of the themes of
the story of Jacob and Esau.
It is not one of those “good
guys and bad guys” stories.
Neither of these men appear
admirable as the writer of
Genesis portrays them.
There is Jacob, crafty,
scheming, convetous, and
opportunist who gains
personal advantage at the
expense of someone else’s
loss.
Yet, neither is Esau very
compelling. It was evil of
Jacob’s birthright, but it was
even more monstrously
sinful for Esau to sell it. Not
only did Esau sell his
precious birthright, but he
did it without any sense of
loss. “I am about to die,” he
croaks, “of what use is a
birthright to me 9 ” (Genesis
25:32). So, as the saying
goes: “Esau sold his bir
thright for a mess of pot
tage.”
Even though he was far
mished, even though he may
have been on the brink of
starvation, Esau sold out too
cheaply and thus exposed a
fatal flaw m his character:
he was heedless of his God
given gifts. It is no wonder
that the writer of Genesis
concluded that “Thus Esau
despised his birthright”
(Genesis 25 : 34).
What have you
done to me?
There are lots of people m
this world who “despise their
birthright.” They have no
sense at all of the great
potentialities that God has
placed within them. Like
Esau they have a habit of
saying: “Of what use is it. .
to me’”
There is a strange kind of
retribution that dominates
the next episode of the story.
Jacob flees from his
brother’s wrath and settles
with his uncle Laban in a far
land He works to win the
hand of his beloved Rachel,
the daughter of Uncle Laban.
The big day arrives and
the wedding feast begins.
The bride is heavily veiled
because of tradition. So, it is
not until they retire for the
I THE TIME.. j
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To Utilize
Com Fodder
The making of com stalks
into livestock bedding at this
time of the year is a very
good practice providing we
get better weather to dry the
stalks. After the com is
picked or shelled, the stalks
can be shredded or put
through a rota-beater,
allowed to dry, and then
baled for bedding purposes.
Shredded com stalks have
good water absorption
qualities and can be used for
bedding with all types of
livestock; the one exception
would be liquid manure
systems where it should not
be used. In many cases the
animals will eat some of the
com leaves for roughage
needs. Due to the high price
of straw and other bedding
materials we urge some
attention to shredded com
fodder this fall.
To Avoid Acorns
For Dairy Herd
Dairymen should not be
grazing their milking cows in
pastures with oak trees.
There seems to be a very
good acorn crop this fall and
if the milking cows get
started to eat acorns, they
will drop in their milk
production for the rest of the
lactation. In fact, there could
be some bloating and
digestive troubles if any
bovine would eat too many
acorns. We suggest special
care of the milking herd if
grazing in woodlots con
taining oak trees.
To Protect
Milk Quality
Due to adequate moisture
on most pasture areas at this
time, the growth of forage is
going to be very lush and
succulant. Also, some
dairymen may be grazing
the alfalfa or clover fields at
this time of the year. All of
these forages are very
palatable to cattle, but some
caution should be used to
prevent bloating and to
prevent “grassy” flavored
milk. The milking herd
should be allowed to graze
only during the middle of the
day and at least 4 hours prior
to the next milking. All
animals should be allowed to
graze legumes (alfalfa and
clover) only when the crop is
dry and after some feeding
of dry matter such as silage
or hay. Legumes, and
especially wet or frosty
evening that he realizes his
uncle has put one over on
him: the trickster has been
tricked 1
It might just as well have
been Esau who said, “What
is this you have done to me’ ”
but it wasn’t. Instead, now it
was Jacob who was on the
bad end of the deal. He was
saddled with a woman he
didn’t want. Even worse, he
didn’t have the woman he’did
want. When Laban gives his
slimy excuse, Jacob must
have shuddered to think that
he had once been like that.
Whatever it is that God
puts within the lives of each
one of us, we must learn to
value our Godgiven bir
thrights, to hold on to them
and develop them and use
them in his service. For that
is why he gave them to us.
legumes, may cause severe
bloating.
To Observe
Cattle Closely
Newly purchased livestock
of all kinds should be
segregated from the rest of
the herd and watched closely
for the first two weeks. Most
types of respiratory in
fections will show up during
the first week or ten days.
Cattle feeders are especially
reminded of the importance
of observing their cattle
several times each day to
look for “slow” cattle and to
give them prompt treat
ment. The “eye of the
Master” is still very im
portant in order to reduce
losses and to get all animals
started quickly. A minimum
of stress and excitement is
also suggested for the first
week.
AREN'T SO
BAD OUR
grandparents
ALSO WORRIED
ABOUT THE
COST OF
LIVING.
Farm
Calendar
Monday, Oct. 27
. State Grange meeting
and convention in Lan
caster County, Continues
through the 30th.
Tuesday, Oct. 28
Garden Spot Young Farmers
will be meeting at 7:45
p.m. in the ag classroom
of Garden Spot High
School for a discussion on
swine finishing houses.
Wednesday, Oct. 29
Dairy Show at the New
Holland Sales Stables
beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 31
Pa. State Poultry Princess
contest and banquet to be
held at the Embers
Restaurant in Carlisle
Pike - Rt. 11. Social Hour
begins at 6:30 p.m. with
dinner at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 3
Manheim Young Farmers
meeting at the Manheim
High School ag classroom
7:30 p.m. - program on
preparation and storage
of farm equipment.
Wednesday, Nov. 5
Lancaster County Con
servation district
meeting at the Farm and
Home Center 7:30 p.m.
Pa. Young Farmers Con
vention in Mechanic
sburg at the Penn Ram
Motor Inn continues
through the 6th.
Thursday, Nov. 6
Lancaster County Poultry
Association dinner at the
Historic Strasburg 6:30
p.m
Lancaster County Holstein
Association dinner at the
Harvest Drive
Restaurant Intercourse.