C32—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, February 14,1981
Brief answers
to short questions
Sheila's
Shorts
By Sheila Miller
In Touch WithNFU
Getting the agricultural
message across to our urban
neighbors is a far-reaching goal for
fanners, and one of the toughest
chores ahead
Having the ideas heard above
the roar of consumer groups’
blasts against modern agriculture
sometimes makes farm groups
feel like their training mules it
takes a 2 x 4 to get any attention
On the other hand, urban
dwellers seem to eat up the
rhetoric spat out by consumer
groups on how farmers are
destroying nature’s delicate
balance with pesticides and her
bicides, chemical fertilizer, and on
and on
With well-planned and organized
propaganda, consumers lead the
way in preaching how modern
agronomic practices are poisoning
people and the meat is somehow
desecrated with chemical ad
ditives and preservatives
So, how do you reach the millions
of city-dwellers to set the record
straight’
That question has been the
stumbling block of numerous farm
organizations, from conservation
districts to unions Through media
campaigns and speaking
engagements, the communications
gap has attempted to be spanned
But, how do you get people
who’ve never seen a cow or a field
of corn first hand to understand
farming or sympathize with the
plight of the' arm«,-’
Sometimes, the city-dweller
seeks out information on farming
a rarity, of course, but an en
couraging fact
Just last week, I recieved a post
card from Ralph S. Rinker, 415
East 52nd Street (A-4E), New
York, New York 10022 who actually
subscribes to our farm publication
and likes what he reads.
Mr. Rmker’s request was for the
address of the National Farmers’
Union “I like their views on ag,”
he said
To keep our urban neighbors
happy and informed, here’s the
address of not only the national
organization, but the Pennsylvania
Farmers’ union address too
National Farmers’ Union
12025 East 45th Avenue
Denver, CO 80252
Pennsylvania Farmers’ Union
Suite 008, Locust Court
212 Locust Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Man O Who?
Horses most young children,
especially of the female gender,
love those four-legged creatures
And, I was no exception
When I was growing up on my
parents’ farm in Hershey, I used to
dream of someday having a horse
of my own even a pony would do
I devoured anything written on
horses during my trips to the
library, and every television senes
or movie on the elegant equmes
was on my list of must-see’s.
I was fortunate enough to have a
neighbor, who also happened to be
my best friend, who had a pony of
her very own. The brown and white
and black Shetland’s name was
Senna.
On those days when I was
allowed to go to stay overnight at
Julie’s, I’d almost die with an
ticipation until she’d bring out the
pony and we’d set to work brushing
and brushing the defenseless thing
Finally, after our elbows and arms
ached and the pony was suffering
from ‘brush burns’, we’d give her
back to the pasture where she’d
immediately roll in the mud
When it came time for bed, I’d
brush my teeth and sprinkle water
on my face but I wash
my hands (I hope the dust didn’t
come off on the sheets now that I
think back) I’d finally drift off into
dreams of horses and ponies with
Serina’s sweet scent still lingering
on my fingers
Other lessons on the equine
world came from a burro and pony
owned by an uncle in Lebanon
Stop Breaking Ice!!!
Pond Bank Installation
• Steel-Reinforced Precast Concrete •
• Available from Inventory •
• Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed •
• Delivery to Your Farm (Additional
Freight Charges) •
Other Farm Products Available
The SMITH CATTLEGUARD®
• No 1 In The Country
• 12', 14', 16' Lengths
Feed Bunks
• Centerline and Fencelme
Stock Tanks
• 200-Gallon Capacity
Licensed by EASI SET' Industries
County. Sunday trips ‘down-home’
were worth all the long gab
sessions of the adults when Mom
and Dad would stop in at Uncle
Herman’s and he’d saddle or hitch
his four-legged fun
Finally, when I turned eleven
years-old, all my annual Christ
mas requests and birthday wishes
came true My parents surprised
my sister and me with a beautiful
horse his coat was chestnut red,
his face was graced with a white
race, star, and nip, and he had one
wmte stocking. My mother picked
the name Charlie Horse for him
I secretly prefered ‘Luqky Star’
but you know whose name stuck
Charlie and I grew up together
He put up with a kid who made him
swim in puddles and jump over
barrels He patiently stood while I
practiced qymnastics and stunts
I’d seen at the State Police Rodeo
most times falling flat on my
face
Charlie is now a quarter century
old (about 125 human years) and
has traveled and moved with me
since my graduation from college
to live in Berks County and Wayne
County Now, until our farm’s barn
is readied, Charlie is back home
again in Hershey and he’s still
USE
The Automatic Freeze-Proof
Our Automatic Freeze-Proof Waterer was developed in
Missouri with the help of Soil Conservation Service per
sonnel. No external source of energy is required
because the hardware in this waterer is designed to
keep 100 gallons of water ice-free. The water supply can
be 'a pond, dam, or pressure system. A specially built
valve arm holds the intake valve above water so there is
no backflow of livestock drinking water to the water
supply.
All Our Products
as frisky and full-of-heart as he
was the first day I set eyes on him
Even though he’s a Quarter Horse,
he’s all thoroughbred
Speaking of Thoroughbreds,
Jenny Cave of Dexter, New York
has written to me for information
on the greatest race horse that
ever lived (and he was the same
color as Charlie, with almost
identical markings) Man O’
War
She writes-
“I’m in a program at my school
called Learning Lab n and I’m
going to write a book about Man O’
War, the race horse.
1 don’t have enough information
about him and I was wondering if
you would help me get it. I’m
waiting for a letter from the
Jockey Club in New York City. And
I’m going to write to Faraway
Farm in Kentucky where Man O’
War was retired.
Anything about horses will be
greatly appreciated.
Jenny, I salute your ambition
Writing a book about the greatest
race horse in history is no small
task. But, I caution you to be
careful your book is your book and
not someone else’s ideas
To help you with reference
Waterer
• NO ENERGY NEEDED
• Simple Installation
• Easy Maintenance
Please send me information on
□ cattleguards □ waterers
name
address
cit
hone
CONCRETE
SAFETY ®Tf tIVIO
Route 1095
Pressure System Installation
(717
93
material, I suggest you get in touch
with your local and state libraries.
There, you might sign out
periodicals of the times when Man
O’ War was racing and standing at
stud thousands of magazine
stories have been published on the
famous red runner.
Our Lancaster Public Library’s
reference librarian Bob Graham
cited several books containing
facts on the great race horse As a
matter of fact, one book is strictly
on Man O’ War that’s the title of
a book written by Walter Farley,
pubhshe'd by Random House,
copyrighted in 1962
Several others include David
Alexander’s -book, A Sound of
Horses: The World of Racing from
Eclipse to Kelso, published by
Bobbs-Memll, copyright 1966;
Dick Francis’ Sport of Queens,
published by Harper, copyright
1969; Who’s Who in Thoroughbred
Racing by Ned Welch, printed by
Northland Press, 1965, and David
Woods’ Fireside Book of Horse
Racing, published by Simon and
Schuster, 1963
That’s a start Good luck
here’s hoping you cross the finish
line in record time
feed bunks
state
zip
Bethel, Pa. 19507