—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)