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EDITORIAL COMMENTS
The two-way cow path
Much has been said and written
about the need for better un
derstanding between farmers and
consumers, but seldom is it admitted
that this process should include
having facts available from both sides
of the fence.
There’s a lack of information ap
parent, and surprisingly, people in
agriculture are sometimes lacking
facts which they in turn expect the
consumer to take for' granted.
Following are a few questions with
which the farmer can test himself;
How many dairy farmers are there
in the state of Pennsylvania?
Where does Pennsylvania’s milk
production rank nationally?
How large a part does American
agriculture play in the overall U.S.
economy?
What’s the price of milk at the
supermarket?
How much fuel do you use on your
farm in a year - or month?
What does homogenization do to
milk? 1
How many off the farm jobs are
created by American agriculture?
Which vitamin is added to milk
after it leaves the farm?
How many people does the average
American farmer produce food for?
What is the average age of the
American farmer?
How many eggs does the average
hen lay in a year?
What's the price of a ton of 10-20-
10 fertilizer?
How much better is food buying
power here, compared to the Soviet
Union, for example?
What is the tax load on your farm?
How many Cadillacs is that new
combine worth?
How does the return on investment
in your farming operation compare
with that of a business in town?
What fraction of the cost of a dozen
eggs at the store actually goes back to
the farm?
Why is fresh meat better than the
boxed or imported variety?
My point in all this is that both
farmers and consumers need facts.
There have obviously been some
misunderstandings somewhere. And
they’ve been on both sides of the
RURAL ROUTE
BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR
HURRY UP LORE ...
WE'U BE LATE FOR
CHURCH • r
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(U*<*4 jJj%* ■ 4N I I
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fence. Information is frequently taken
for granted or totally lacking on both
sides.
If a farmer can answer the above
questions and countless of similar
ones, then he’s in pretty good shape
to be his own public relations man. A
farmer who* isn’t prepared with
pertinent information about his own
business cam’t honestly expect the
consumer to know the facts.
To be in even better shape to
discus&-his situation intelligently, a
farmer- should also have some
familiarity with the living conditions
and styles of his counterpart-in town
so he can make accurate com
parisons. Naturally, this is also a two
way street and town folk should be
persuaded to familiarize themselves
with problems and facts involved in
running a farm. '
Admittedly, it’s no easy task.
There is one important aspect in
this which is frequently overlooked,
and that concerns the people from
rural and town areas who most
frequently come in contact with one
another.' They’re the students in our
society.
If young people from farms can
answer the questions previously
listed (many of them can’t) then they
can do a little bit of the leg work in
volved in creating better un
derstanding. But without the proper
facts and figures we often cause the
public relations effort more harm
than good.
No one can realistically expect to
accomplish the feat by taking the
attitude that “the consumer should
know it." They don’t usually know the
facts, and sometimes we ourselves
don’t.
It’s fair to say, that if farmers ex
pect a consumer to know how much it
costs to produce a bundle of celery,
he must first know the figure himself.
If stretched a little further for
matters of comparison, he may be
asked to know the production costs of
a ballpoint pen, for example.
It’s a two-way cow path, and with
farmers being by far the smaller
group, they’ll have to make a greater
effort to “educate" the public, in
cluding themselves.
JW
STOP HOLLERIN' SOME
THING* I ALREADY KNOW
AND COME GET ME
n LOOSE.
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GODAND
CEASAR
Lesson for June 27,1976
Background Scripture: I
Kings 22:1-28; Acts 5:21b-29;
Romans 13:1-10; Revelation
13:11-18.
Devotional Heading:
Philippians 3:12-21.
It has often been'rightly
said that, quoted out of
context, the'Bible could be
used to support almost any
teaching or religious con
cept. Used"- in a careless
maimer, various passages in
the Bible could be used to
support polygamy, incest,
mass murder, robbery,
fraud, and,a whole host of
acts that we consider to be
immoral. Thus, it has often
been said jhat when w"e
any portion of the Bible, we
need to keep in mind the rest
of the Bible as well.
“But I say to you”
Jesus himself was aware
of this problem. He knew
that certain commandments
of the Old Testament were
superceded by his pwn
message from God. Thus, at
times, he would say: “You
haveheard that it was said of
01d... but I say to y0u...”
Many of the rules and
regulations of the Old
Testament are no longer
applicable to the Christian
because has
carried us beyond that level
of religion.
Even in the New
Testament we must be
careful to interpret Christian
teachings in the context of
the whole New Testament.
Nowhere is this more clearly
illustrated than in Romans
13.
Paul is speaking of the
Christian’s relationship to
his government and his ideas
seem clear and concise:
“Let every person be
subject'to the -governing
authorities...”
. .those authorities that
exist have been instituted by
x G0d...”
“... he who resists the
authorities resists what God
has appointed...” .
“.,. rulers are not a
terror to good conduct, but to
bad...”
It would seem from these
statements that the
Christian ought never to
oppose or resist the govern
ment in any way. Yet, if
Christians had followed this
concept rigidly, the whole
course of Christian history
would have been altered.
There would have been few,
if any, Christian martyrs.
The church probably would
never have expanded beyond
the boundaries of Palestine.
Nor would there have been a
Reformation or the
American Revolution!
By Tom Armstrong
' f \t
- To Control File*
With improved moisture
conditions in the past' week
fly population lias been on
the increase/ This « is-,
especially true around
buildings housing - livestock.
The start on good fly control
is to pay attention to all good
sanitation practices; flies
like filth and when this type
of material is removed, the
flies do not have, good
breeding places. To dean out
all manure weekly and to
treat manure piles With
Dimethoate fCygon) will
keep the fly maggots from
developing. There are
several residual f}y sprays
that may be used on the
buildings, but we suggest
that the materials be
changed from y carlo year in'
order to prevent the build-up
of resistance in the strain of
flies. 'Additional details are
available from insecticide
dealers or from any Penn
State Extension Office.
To Spray Or Dust
A number of office calls
have related to the practice
of either spraying or dusting
to control, insects and
diseases. Both methods may
be used but generally
spraying is more effective
and at less cost. To dust
plants means doing the job
when the plants are moist
with dew (very early mor
nirig) in order to get the dust
to cling to tbVplant tissues;
also', it usually costs more
money for dusts thanit r does
wettable powders* ’ or
emulsions. To spray plants
,we usually get better
coverage, especially on the
under-side of leaves, it can
be done at any time of the
day, and-at less, cost for the
entire growing period.
Personally, I favor spraying
plants, for the best job of
disease or insect control.
To Operate Combines
Carefully
Barley' harvest is un
derway and soon wheat will
be ripe enough to harvest.
Those who are combining the
grain should make every
effort to get the grain in the
bin and not throw it out with
Paul’s words in Romans,
however, must be kept in the
context of his concern for
Christian citizenship. Paul
would not want his words
about obedience to be con
strued to mean that the
Christian ought' never to
. resist or oppose his govem-
ment. Paul’s own actions are
indicative of this. There
were a number of times in
his life what he was in op
position to the local govern
ment and was put in jail for
various ' reasons- When
conscience demanded, he
resisted the government.
Nor was Paul alone in this.
In Acts 5 we find the story of
Peter and John being thrown
in jail and resisting the or
ders of Jewish Council.
Though respectful, Peter
clearly draws the line bet
ween obedience to the state
and faithfulness to one’s
God. When it is a conflict
between the state and what
God-lays upon our hearts:
“we must obey God rather
thanmen.” . . • -
"S"
NOW IS
THE TIME...
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
the‘Straw; volunteer gf owt)l
of the grain later th»
summer in the field •
reflect just how much of th.
grain went out with the
straw. Too much speed «
often °the reason for loss of 1
grain; also, trying to com.'
bine when the grain is too
moist is another reason for j
poor job of getting the gran,
out of the head. We urge'
operators to have their
machines adjusted properly
(Continued on Page 29]
Farm
Calendar
Sunday, June 27
Testimonial Dinner for NJ.
Ag. Sec., Philip Alampii
Cedar Garden
Restaurant, 6 p.m.
Monday, June 28
Schuylkill County PFA.
directors ' meet at the 1
Extension'Office, 8 p.m.
PennAg Industries holds!
grain conference at
Shcraton-Conestoga Inn,
Lancaster, 1 pm.
-Grange Leadership School at
Gettysburg College, lasts
through Thursday.
Nat.'-Holstein Convention
begins-in Philadelphia.'
Tuesday, June 29
Hunterdon County (N.J.)
dairy princess contest
and dinner, Stanton
Grange Hallr 7 P-m-
Wednesday, June 30
Deadline for registering bee
colonies for possible
pesticide damage. Must
register by today with
day with ASCS office
at the Farm and Home
Center, Lancaster.
Thursday, July 1
Schuylkill County DHIA
directors meet at the
Extension Office, 8 p.m.
Women’s
Calendar
Saturday, June 26
Society 1 meeting at 6:30
p.m. Covered dish sup
per. Middle Creek
Church Pavilion.
Society 4 meeting at 1:30
-p.m.- Bicentennial
program.
Sunday, June 27
Society 5 of Berks Co.
meeting at 1 p.m. Family
picnic
Society 26 meeting. Fig
Roast.
Tuesday, June 29
Society 3 of Lebanon Co.
meeting' at 7:30 pjn-
Entertaining Society H
at Palmyra Municip* l
Building.
Wednesday, Jane 30
Society 1 of Chester Co-
meeting at 1:30 p-®-
Food protection - safety
Society 24 meeting to travel
. to Longwood Gardens
Thursday, July 1
Society 20 meeting at ll® o
a.m. Covered dish noon
luncheon Hasting s
Cottage
Society 17 meeting at 7 P®;
Family picnic. Holtwow
pavilion. N ,