10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 25, 1977
EDITORIAL COMMENTS
Brmg’em to the farm
Chicago’s newspaper food editors,
representing a combined circulation
of over two million, were invited to
tour dairy farms in their region last
Summer, and the idea appears to
merit consideration in other parts of
the country.
According to information furnished
by the National Dairy Council, one of
the food editors described the ex
perience in these words: “Before we
came here, all we knew about dairy
farming is that you produced milk and
that you were always raising prices.
Now we know what's involved in dairy
marketing and,' most important, we
know you better. We hope we can
keep our lines of communication open
so that there will never be any
misunderstandings."
A similar effort, aimed'at con
sumers was underaken by Inter-State
Milk Producers last Fall. There again,
leaders of consumer groups came
away impressed and a gap of
misunderstandings was bridged. It’s
efforts such as these which will
educate the non-farm people, and if
it’s to be done, much of the planning
and work will have to be done by the
farmers themselves. In fact, no other
group of people is as well qualified as
the farmer to undertake worthwhile
publicity campaigns.
The public’s need for improved
food production information is
illustrated each time an ill-informed
housewife says she can do without
the farmer because she gets her
groceries at the supermarket The
public’s thirst for better un
derstanding is acknowledged when
requests are turned in to have far-
Boy, do we have it nice!
If my arms were long enough, I’d
want to wrap them around good old
Mother Earth and give her a big hug.
This is that time of year that you just
can’t help to think that we really have
it nice.
Last Saturday my two young boys
and I were in a strawberry field. The
week before we picked cherries.
Vegetables are maturing in the
garden and there's lots of fresh
produce for sale at roadside markets.
While enjoying those sweet and
juicy strawberries under a sunny sky
last week, it dawned on me that they
were really special. I mean very
special.
Isn’t it amazing how a bunch of soil
and a seed can get together to
RURAL ROUTE
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE HAD
SOME PROFESSIONAL HELP IN
building this new hop baRH.
BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR
jMHf with the
I RIGHT TOOLS ftHD
I EQUIPMENT WHAT
I CAN GO WRONG- ?
mers come back with their
promotional programs. Last Oc
tober's promotional efforts at the
Park City Mall in Lancaster are an
excellent example of that. The Lan
caster County Farmers Association
put on a big show; the public and
merchants appreciated it, and they
want them to come back. Con
sequently, another promotional effort
for Park City is now in the planning
stages. Such repeat projects
demonstrate that the public is ap
preciative about being fed some
knowlege which is not available to
them anywhere else.
No method is perhaps more suc
cessful in dispelling the false im
pressions and opinions some people
have of farm life than to offer them
the opportunity to see for them
selves. Farm Visitation Days are an
applaudable step in that direction.
It’s clear that farmers and their
cooperatives are doing a great deal to
make the facts of their livelihood
known.
The Chicago effort stands out as
being a little extraordinary, however,
for the simple reason that by bringing
newspaper correspondents in for a
tour, they in turn will be able to open
a new door or two to millions of their
readers. The net effect is that the
farmer reaches many more people
than he could otherwise.
Perhaps a similar project can be
tried in this area. Why not invite a
food editor or home economics
teacher to your farm or processing
plant to show them what it’s all
about?
produce such a delicious fruit 7 It’s a
miracle.
The same holds true for cherries,
peaches, and all other fruits and
vegetables. They're all modifications
of the same miracle of life, and they
provide us with nutrition and
pleasure. Boy, do we have it nice l To
think about all the plants and animals
which we have to make our life
pleasant - you can’t help but be
amazed.
Whether kneeling in a strawberry
patch, walking in a shaded woods,
wading in a cool stream, or walking
across an alfalfa field, it all points out
that God has provided immeasurable
blessings and beauties for us.
WELL ... THE SLATS COULD BE
TOO FA* APART PER OWE THINC^
Background Scriptures:
V Exodus 14 through 15.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 136:1,13-26.
Just about one year ago
our nation was in the midst
of'its two hundredth an
niversary. The July 4th
weekend was the climax of a
celebration that some said
“Never really got off the
ground.” There will be
varying opinions on that
subject, bid few would deny
that at best the birthday
party was subdued*
somewhat akin, perhaps, to
the celebration of a person
who no longer is anxious to
call attention to his or her
age.
There was an effort put
forth to encourage the
churches - local
congregations as well as
denominations-to do their
part in the celebration. And
many did, scheduling special
observances, services, and
projects throughout the
year. Still, when it was all
over (nobody seemed quite
sure when that was), there
was a feeling that the party
had been, on the whole,
disappointing.
Into the midst
Sometimes the
pronouncements made it
seem as if God were simply
one of a long cast of
characters in the great
historical pageant of
American freedom. From
time to time, it seemed, God
did “his part” -whatever
that is or was. It was as if
God deserved no more than
mention among the “patrons
list” on the official program.
So, maybe one of the reasons
that the celebration was such
a dull party was that many
people didn’t know what the
celebration was all about.
This is a problem the
people of Israel do not have
when they celebrate the
Passover. Although they
revere and honor Moses and
the Israelites who followed
him, there is no question as
to who or what was the
LETTERS TO THE EDI
Promotion vital for self def
Editor, Lancaster Farming:
Recent letters to the editor
in opposition to the Beef
Referendum mirror the
same old misunderstandings
By Tom Armstrong
TO MAKE MISTAKES
ON PAPER
Fanners who are planning
on some construction to their
existing buildings, or new
buddings, should take the
time to put their plans on
paper first; many times
farmers will not take the
time and effort to explore all
possibilities and then change
their minds during the
construction process; this
costs extra money and
delays the operation. We
urge folks planning new
construction to visit other
similar operations and talk
to the farmer. In this
manner, mistakes can be
source and author of their
freedom: “And Israel saw
the great work which the
Lord did against the
Egyptians" (Exodus 14:31).
God alone was the Liberator
of the people of Israel and
their historic response to
that recognition has always
been in the spirit of
celebration expressed by
Moses’ sister, Miriam: “The
Lord is my strength and my
song,, and he has become my
salvation” (15:2).
He has triumphed!
Should we not also view
our freedom as a gift from
God? Should we not also
regard him as our
Liberator? Instead of
assigning God a “part” in
our celebration, ought we not
to knowledge that he is the
great author and source of
our freedom?
This takes nothing away
from the “fathers” of the
Revolution. It takes nothing
away from the rag-tag ar
mies of Continentals who
endured incredible suffering
against fantastic adds, nor
from our French allies and
others. Without Moses there
probably would not have
been an Exodus; without
these mem there might have
been no Revolution. But
behind it all, it is God who
moves men and nations
toward freedom.
and half-truths that have
beclouded the main issue all
along.
One correspondent states
that consumers don’t need to
Farm
Calendar
Today, June 25
Schuylkill County dairy
princess pageant, 6 p.m.
at the Fairlane Village
Mall, Route 61 between
Pottsville and St. Clair.
Adams Co. Dairy Princess
contest at the Biglerville
High School at 8 p.m.
| Continued on Page 251
avoided and costs rei
mistake that is n
paper, or on the i
board, can be chang(
and with little exp e
TO RECOGNIZE P
potential
A number of ]
farmers in this pat
country plant ter
Summer forage crc
as sudan grass, or o;
sudan-sorghum 1
These crops gro
during the Summer
and provide good gt
green-chopping, f
there is an element (
the possibility of pru
poisoning if the crc
handled properly,
crops are grazed o
chopped too soon, 1
danger of poisonu 1
growth of sudian gras
be at least 18 inchei
the sudan-sorghum
the growth shoi
24 to 30 inches
same growth is
the aftermath .
the field has bee)
and grown back
hybrids carry mi
of prussic acid
than the sudi
varieties.
TOBEWAI
“STRANGER”!
Again, we
suggestion tha
should be on tl
against the “I
salesman, or
stranger that si
peddling a “ban
of the materials
represented, and
salesmen may
but in case they
buyer is left “1
bag”. We suggest
farmers continue
with reliable cor
area that are
good service
future. We havi
these kina of
business who
port. The travel
that comes and
cut-throat prices
[Continued on Page
be persuaded to
is dead wrong!
promote our pr
defense to countt
efforts of other
based on the (
scare. “Who is
respond to the
barrage of char
beef? Who will
against its gi
detractors”,
Journal asks’
producers the/
Certainly no)
this man sugg<
have no clout'
The governmeni
doesn’t really
fanners and if
good living
Congressmen ai
[Continued on