—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 24,1977 10 EDITORIAL COMMENTS The case for the sack lunch If this country were still a nation where meals are planned at home, rather than on boxtops or not at all, we wouldn't have to be at all con cerned about the government step ping m as a self-proclaimed expert on food. My mother knows how to cook, and she’ll keep right on serving wholesome and delicious meals in her own way, no matter how the government tries to influence her cooking. My wife won’t be disturbed by USDA recommendations either. For that matter, neither will countless, other housewives and cooks. Unfortunately, there are enough kitchens in the U.S. where meal planning and related culinary talents are pathetically poor. A generation or two of Americans have been living out of tin cans, boxes, cellophane bags, and bottles To some degree, most of us have been served so-called “junk food.” Convenience has overshadowed nutrition. Quick service is our lifestyle. A lot of people don’t know much about cooking or good nutri tion. It’s these individuals -- and that may well be the majority of Americans - who will be swayed by governmental menu suggestions. They don’t know any better and are looking for help. What the government is trying to do in suggesting dietary plans may very well have the best intentions. Evidently, they’ve seen a need for it as too many of our people broaden their lazy streak and wait for Uncle Sam to give them this or that. The government is getting control or at tempting to gam control of all sorts of things. Frankly, what I eat is none of their business. And I resent LIFE on By DIETER KRIEG A number of accounts have been written and toid about men com peting against machines, and or time. Life on the farm wouldn’t be complete without such activities. For example, there's the story -- reported ly witnessed by 200 people near Mercersburg in Franklin County - about a husky 30-year old man taking a specially made scythe and cutting 12‘/i acres of wheat in a single day. The feat reportedly took place on July 12,1858 on the former Adam Hoke farm The man who accomplished it was 230-pound, 6- foot-3 Michael Cromer I never gained enough skill or experience with a scythe to want to RURAL ROUTE & * /■ > "U * BY DIETER KRIEG the idea of USDA trying to tell the public what good eating is. It’s very unfortunate, however, that there are millions of people who ap parently need such guidance. The government’s involvement with nutritional programs is par ticularly disturbing since some sug gestions are being made which can’t be substantiated. The most obvious of these is the proposal to limit egg consumption. Numerous studies have shown that eggs aren’t bad for you. In fact, there are a number of studies which conclude they're very, very good for you. In deed, there is some evidence that eggs contain substances -- such as cholesterol, surprisingly enough -- which act as preventive medicine against certain illnesses, including cancer. But how much propaganda does the government churn out on that? None. USDA’s proposals are just that so far. They have not been im plemented. However, there is a similar program going on in 15 of Chicago’s elementary schools. According to the Chicago Tribune menu modifications in these Chicago schools include the use of margarine instead of butter, reduc ed amounts of cheese and eggs, and cooking practices that reduce fat. Reconstituted non-fat dry milk will be used for cooking and meats and poultry will be served with fat modified gravies. The program is a joint effort of the Chicago Board of Education medical services bureau and food services curriculum department of the Chicago Heart Association. It looks as though we’re getting some good reasons for sending our kids to school with a bagged lunch. the farm ever compete with it. My grandfather was the expert with that. But tossing hay bales and moving corn silage by hand always proved to be good challenges. I generally looked for ward to such work as tests of strength, endurance and speed. Work which would otherwise have been boring was thus turned into fun, and any victories against steel and rubber were always especially satisfying. When we hauled hay in from the field, for example, we did just that. The modern kick baler hadn’t become popular yet, and the com mon practice of pulling a wagon along behind a baler just wasn’t fast (Continued on Page 25) Lesson for September 25,1977 Background Scripture: Luke 6:27-36; Philemon. Devotional Reading: Matthew 5:38-48. In the United States we use the designation, “in corporated,” or Inc. While in Great Britain and those parts of the world influenced by British culture and commerce, the term “Limited,” or Ltd. is used. The concept behind the terms is that the liability of the shareholders is limited to the extent of the shares they hold. Their respon sibility goes only so far. Love your enemies It often seems to me that many Christians react in much the same way to the love ethic of Jesus Christ: they acknowledge the command to love one another, but only within certain narrow limits. Their love goes only so far. Of course Jesus himself realized that tendency in human nature. In the Ser mon on the Plain he calls people to discard the limitations with which they surround their experience of giving and receiving love. In fact, for most of us, that experience may be so limited that what we ex perience hardly deserves the name of love. For example, says Jesus, it is no great achievement to love someone who loves us in return. When we love on the basis of getting back an equal amount of what we have given, or when we think only in terms of giving to the degree that we have first received, we are missing out on the real meaning of love. “If you love those who love you,” he says, “what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them” (6:32). The best kinds of relationships are those in which we are willing to give without thought of what we are receiving. Isn’t that what the cross was all about? Enlarging the circle Furthermore, our circle of loving is much too narrow. If we are truly to know the power of love, we must leam to love our enemies too: “...do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuseyou” (6:28). It is hard for me to read these words of our Lord, for they are continually a searing judgement both upon my own life and upon the church. It is only with rare exceptions that we have come even close to ex- By Tom Armstrong LOVE, LTD. TO PUT TERMS such as 0-15-30 or 0-20-20 this IN WRITING fall after the last cutting is During the fall and winter harvested. Alfalfa plants are season many farm tran- heavy feeders of these sactions and leases will be elements, especially potash, developed. Whether it be the and the fall top<iressing is terms of a sale or some lease strongly suggested. In ad or rent agreement, we dition, a similar fertiliser strongly suggest that in- application should be made terested parties do not nex t spring either when the depend upon a verbal plnnts starts to grow in agreement. We realize that April, or immediately after obligations in writing may removal of the first cutting, not make an honest person hay is a very high out of one who wants to be priced farm product these dishonest, but there will be days, and every effort should less danger of mis- he made to harvest understandings, if all per- maximum tonnage, sons have a copy. The TO WINTERIZE written document does not FARM BUILDINGS have to be a complicated Fsll is here and soon we item, but should clearly will be having colder state the obligations of each weather. Many bams will be party, and be signed by all filled with livestock. The concerned. Don’t think that problem of proper ven there will not be any chance tilation and insulation should of a mis-understanding, he recognized before the because it has happened walls and ceilings begin to many times. sweat and drip on the TO TOP-DRESS livestock. Sufficient in- ALFALFA STANDS sulation above the confined On many farms the last beef or dairy cows is often cutting of alfalfa has been lacking. In free-stall bams made, or will be made or open sheds this is not a during early October. This problem, except some vents means that the plant roots in the roof or ceiling may be may be needing extra needed to move out the phosphorus and potash in warmer, moisture-laden air. order to give maximum These efforts may not help yields next summer. We the national energy-saving suggest a top-dressing of a effort, but will result in more phosphorus-potash fertilizer, healthy livestock, longer life to farm buildings, and greater efficiency. TO APPLY LIME 4 BEFORE WINTER GRAIN? SEEDING V Many fields of winter grain such as wheat or barley may be seeded down to clover or alfalfa next spring. If these soils need lime, that application should be made and worked into the topsoil before the grain is seeded this fall. This will get the lime into the soil where it will have a chance to be working until next summer. The practice of top-dressing the winter grain with lime next winter or spring is not a good one; the lime does not have a chance to do much good before the small legume plants get started. Successful alfalfa and clover seedings start with meeting lime requirements. periencing this kind of love. Most of us congratulate ourselves when we love our own families, a few friends and have a generally cordial regard for a limited circle of others. Many deny Christ’s command to love their enemies, declaring it utterly unrealistic. Beyond that, there is so much evident hostility and outright hatred in our society, even among his followers. Isn’t it tragic that we Christians, for all our fine churches, for all our doc trines, liturgies, and traditions, still, very largely, eke out a threadbare existance on an experience of a limited love that bears little resemblance to the dynamic power that gave birth to the Gospel? Farm Calendar f Monday, Sept 26 Conrad Weiser Adult Fanners meet at the high school’s vo-ag room. Pennsylvania Junior Dairy Show, Harrisburg, Farm Show Building. Invitational Youth Dairy Judging Contest, Farm Show Building, Harrisburg. Invitational Brown Swiss Sale, Farm Show Building, Harrisburg, Lancaster County FFA meeting, Penn Manor High School, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27 Inter-State District 6 annual dinner meeting, 7 p.m. at Blue Ball Fire Hall. Elizabethtown Community Fair begins today, runs through Oct. 1. Pennsylvania All-Ameri can Dairy Show begins at the Farm Show complex in Harrisburg. Today’s shows include: Eastern National Brown Swiss Show, All- American Milking Shorthorn Show, Pennsylvania Holstein Fall Championship Show. Wednesday, Sept 28 West Lampeter Com munity Fair begins at the Lampeter Community Center, Lampeter. Activities continue through Friday. New Holland Community Fair Begins in New Holland, continues through Saturday. All-American continues in Harrisburg with the Eastern National Ayrshire Show and the All-American Guernsey Show. Dairy Show recognition banquet and Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Pageant and coronation, 6:30 p.m. Berks County Con-/- iT- (Continued on Page 13)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers