Alo—Lancaster Famine, Saturday, June 28,1980 Lancaster Farming says... The insecurity of the milk security fund continues to be apparent as SB 1287 comes through the state house Pennsylvania Farmers’ Association, bound by member policy, continues to fight for a two cent contribution by dealers to the fund Most other farmer groups are eager to accept a one cent con tribution to get some Kind of security on the books for dairymen, both independents and co-op members Meantime, on Thursday another problem, this one dealing with a lack of sub-dealer bonding, was discovered and will have to be remedied Earlier, the House leadership gave SB 1287 the same treatment Senate leadership gave it only technical ammendments were approved PFA’s move to ammend the bill in committee was destroyed, 13-2 At the same time a memorandum signed by such diverse groups as THE i saisas^ A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES! Lesson for June 29, 1980 Background Scripture: Ezekiel 1 1-3,2 through 3, 17 through 19. Devotional Reading: Psalms 137 1-6 I wish I could remember TO BEWARE OF LEAD POISONING Livestock producers are reminded of the danger ol lead poisoning about the 1 farm Cattle and sheep are curious and will lick crankcase oil, paints, or old batteries Some of these may contain enough lead to cause lead poisoning Signs of poisoning from lead are blindness, retarded growth, eye or ear twitching or uncoordinated gaits Prevention is the answer, RURAL ROUTE 1~< V , - - who first said this Sooner or later, everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences. How true! And many of us fail to realize it! For, often, what we put down as the cruelty of fate, the injustice of life, or the indifference of God can be better un derstood as the banquet of consequences we have prepared for ourselves 4 The ancient Hebrews lying in Babylonian captivity are a case in point. Although they may not have proclaimed it openly, God knew what was in their hearts and through Ezekiel, his prophet, he told lead poisoning curable Keep materials awa; livestock TO CONTRi FENCES Not all electric fences will continue to function with weeds touching, some may not be of the weed-burner strength This means that weeds growing up against the electric fence will short it out and there will not be any charge in the wire Livestock producers are using electric fences as they never did previously, this is a very economical method of controlling livestock Either mowing or z*\ 'h It. Fight over pennies later Pennsylvania Farmers’ Union, the State Grange, and the six members of the Dairy Cooperative Coalition repeated the general feeling that significant modification of SB 1287 will jeopardize passage of any security fund This trio certainly is correct It’s been hard enough to get that bill as far as it is The milk dealers nearly scuttled the whole thing before most farmer groups were aware it was coming in fact, the dealers are losing only to shear numbers—not from a lack of work There will be enough concern over other provisions of the bill without hassling the contribution rate There is an alternative to PFA’s hard-line stand We should hope PFA would allow the bill to pass with a one cent rate The current squabble endangers the fund's very existence them: “...the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ 0 house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just’ (18:25,26). What God really wants is made clear in Ezekiel’s words: “.. when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has com mitted and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life” (18:27). What God really wants is the repentance of his children and their reformation “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God; so turn, and live” spraying under the wire with a weed killer will control this growth and allow the electric fence to carry the necessary charge No doubt the use of a is seldom dangerous from all WEEDS attention and give good results In the case of a double wire that requires one wire to be closer to the ground, weed control is very important TO PLAN FOR SUMMER ALFALFA SEEDINGS It seems to be early to be thinking about a late sum mer seeding of alfalfa, however, in another month this practice will be at hand One of the first steps in planning for this legume seedmgs is (a After all, PFA members want all the protection of a security bill Their argument is over contribution rates Then later, in front of the Milk Marketing Board, PFA can argue the need for a two cent contribution The bill, as written now, will allow for such an adjustment In fact, should PFA manage to put in its two cent ammendment, the one-cent group could possibly have it repealed by PMMB George Brumbaugh, the new PMMB head, is no dummy He has broad experience in several phases of dairying He, and his board members, can decide the question of contribution rates better than the bunch of congressmen from downtown Pittsburgh or center city Erie which PFA will be appealing to on the House floor PFA can get its two cents worth from PMMB, later, where the (18:32). The bitter banquet to which we eventually sit down is made certain, not because of God’s will, but because of ours. The misery is the consequence of what we have done and not done, been and not been God’s Pleasure Unless everything changes remarkably between the time this column is written and published, the world situation appears to be anything but encouraging. The threat of war, inflation, depression (“recession”, if you like), hunger, galloping immorality, crime, disease, pollution all these are a tested if it needs lime, then that application should be made as far as possible in advance of the seeding date Alfalfa still requires an farmers are still guessing at the amount of lime needed The investment in seed and labor is getting higher ; therefore, good advance planning is most important In this part of the state the summer seedmgs should be made late in July or the first 10 days of August That time will be here shortly Make good plans for alfalfa seedmgs because they should last three to five years By Tom Armstrong BY CURT HARLER, EDITOR banquet table spread before us and we would like to decline sitting down and eating. We may want to blame God or something or someone else for this unappetizing prospect, but it is really the banquet of consequences we have prepared for ourselves, is it not? A New Heart& Spirit If we don’t like the way things are going, instead of complaining, ought we not to seek m ourselves the cause of the world we face’ What is there about our way of Me, both as individuals and as a nation, that has turned the TO BEWARE OF NEW GRAINS The barley harvest is underway in this part of the country and some may be near future The feeding of new grams to livestock is possible under very, careful management. If fed in too large amounts, digestive orders such as bloatmg and scouring may occur We suggest that the grain be allowed to go through a two week curing period before being fed Then it should be inserted into the gram ration at a slow rate (10 to 20%) Farm Calendar Saturday, June 28 PA Dairy Goat Association, Big Weekend, Reedsville Holstein Association of America 95th Convention, Nashville, Tennessee continues thru July 2 Kutztown Folk Festival 1 Continues thru begins July 5 Lebanon County Dairy Princess Contest, Lebanon County Municipal Building, 7 30 p m Wednesday, July 2 l-ancasler County Vo-Ag teachers meeting, Mt. JoyAVTS,9am Cochranton Community (Turn to Page A 32) tD CN Sunday, June 29 question will be settled in a farm forum, and while farmers at least have the makings of better protection from dealer bankrupcies PFA certainly has the right to fight for two cents But at this late date, the legislature is neither the time nor the place to quibble over pennies PFA has other outdated policies, and policies which go against current realities, on its books Policies like its DDT or X-rated movie stands are not being pursued actively at the ' moment Milk security contribution rate policy, equally as important, could be relegated to the same status, to be* revived when the security bill becomes law and discussions on rates of contribution can be resumed before the Milk Marketing Board Otherwise farmers and others who have worked for a security fund, including PFA, will end up losers all around banquet of life into a meal of bitter herbs, decayed food, and stagnant drink? Yet, the message of God is still this: “I have good news and bad news: the bad news is that you are preparing a bitter banquet for your selves; but the good news i l , that you can avoid banquet of bitter con sequences if you will hsten to me, search your hearts, and change yourselves and your society; “Cast away from all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit' (18 31) *>' Barley is a very popular livestock feed in this area and is a good substitute for corn In a few weeks wheat will be ready and may also suggested that it be allowed to cure for several weeks before feeding Wheat is used as much for feeding purposes because of the greater danger of digestive problems. Smaller amounts in the ration, compared to barley, are suggested Barley and wheat can be used as livestock feeds but need special care when mixing in livestock rations Fair, Cochranton, tinues thru July 5 Monday, June 30 Maryland State 4-H con servation camp thru July 4 Maryland State Vo-Ag T eachei s conference Deadline for entries to the Delawai e State Fair con- Tuesday, July 1