Alo—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 28,1981
Lancaster Farming says...
There’ll be another change this
weekend m Lancaster County
agriculture Max Smith is retiring
Change is no stranger to Penn
sylvania’s Senior County Agent
Change has been Max’s constant
companion since he began extension
work in 1937 in Lancaster County
Max Smith has seen change from
three perspectives in the 44 years he
served the farmers of Lancaster
County He has been an agent of
change he has watched changes
occur around him, he has reacted to
changes in his business
Sunday at the Lancaster Bible
College several hundred of his
friends will gather for a testimonial to
honor Max Smith and the work he
has done
The young Smith was graduated
from Hickory Vocational High and
from Penn State He served a stint
with Production Ci edit, but shortly
thereafter moved east to Lancaster
County Washington County’s loss
A GOOD OFFENSE
March 29,1981
Background Scripture:
Matthew 24:36 through
25:46.
Devotional Reading
Joshua 24 16-24.
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
TO CHECK
VENTILATION
SYSTEMS
We are into the season of the
year that ventilation is very im
portant. The fans in the poultry
houses and dairy barns have been
working hard through the winter
months. They have accumulated
dust on the louvers and screens
and developed loose belts, so they
are less efficient - in other words
they are not moving as much air as
they are rated.
This is a good tune to go through
your buildings and clean the fan
blades, louvers and screens.
Tighten the fan belts and be sure to
check the inlet screens. Many
tunes, in our poultry houses, we’re
not getting air circulation because
the air cannot enter the building.
So, clean the screens to prevent
air restriction. Also, check the
thermostat to make certain it’s
working properly. A thermostat
stuck m the “on” position could
Change kept Max live and lively
was Lancaster's gam
One of his first jobs in the County
was to help members of the Red
Rose 4-H Baby beef club In over four
decades, he never quit working with
the County's youth In that time he
trained the exhibitors of 16 Farm
Show grand champs and 15
reserves
On the way, Max started annual
tours for both beef and swine
producers He personally helped
survey and flag many county farm
ponds, drainage ditches and
diversion terraces
He introduced Dairy Day in 1950,
organized the County Swine
Association in 1954, started livestock
clinics in 1964, and got the Cattle
Feeders’ Day rolling in 1970
The completion of the Farm and
Home Center stands as one of the
major accomplishments of his career
His work was recognized in his
selection as one of the nation’s top
10 county agents in 1956, USDA’s
In professional football
these days it is commonly
accepted that it is the
defense that wins the games.
Whether or not that will hold
up to all tests, I don’t know
But it is obvious that a team
with a poor defense is par
ticularly vulnerable.
At the same time there are
many areas of life where
another “The best defense is
a good offense ” It seems to
me that this is particularly
true of the Christian’s
concern for the judgment of
God. We may best defend
ourselves in that judgment
by a positive life of com
mitment to God’s service
cause chilling to poultry and
livestock. Poor ventilation can
cause health problems in poultry
houses and “off” flavored milk in
dairy barns.
TO PLAN FOR OATS PLANTING
I know some farmers are con
sidering the use of feed oats for
planting this spring. This could be
a mistake. Feed oats may contain
quackgrass, bindweed and other
weed seeds. Planting feed oats will
generally result in lower yields.
Any weed seeds planted will be a
problem tor years to come. Keep in
mind that high quality seed is the
smallest part of producing a crop.
So, saving a few cents by using
inferior or weedy seed doesn’t
make much sense
On the other hand, home grown
seed of varieties proven successful
on the farm can be cleaned,
treated and planted if the ger
mination is 80 percent or better.
(Turn to Page Al 2)
Lamps Without Oil
So it is also with the
coining of the kmdgom of
heaven As we indicated last
week, our best posture is not
one of defending ourselves
against that day, but being
about our God-given tasks to
live and preach the Gospel.
This is essentially the
message of the parable of
the wise and foolish virgins.
Their best defense against
the coming of the
bridegroom, was not an
excuse for their tardiness,
but a lamp full of oil held in
readiness.
What was the essential
difference between the wise
and foolish virgins at the
HAV HAWS
1
“Quit complaining. Once in 10 years I ask you to help rearrange
the furniture. Every year, you go out and rotate the crops and I
never say a word.”
Superior Service Award in 1957, the
Distinguished Service Award from
his peers in 1961, numerous ex
tension service awards, the state’s
master educator award m 1977, and
most recently, his being named
livestock man of the year in 1979
Max Smith, in his 1216 columns
done for Lancaster Farming, has
been a weekly change agent for
farmers thoughout our readership
area
He has seen change occur about
him, change such as the loss of
farmland —he was powerless to
stop Many times he publicly decried
the loss of farms in Lancaster County
and neighboring areas
He made an exception to the
politically neuter positions taken by
most county agents to support ac
tively the cause of land use planning
and conservation of our prime and
prized soil resources
More than anything, Max Smith
had to change himself in order to stay
wedding feast 9 It was not
that the wise virgins were
inherently “better” than the
foolish ones. They all had the
same chances and op
portunities. The foolish
virgins were lacking, not
because they hadn’t been
able to find oil for their
lamps, but in that they had
failed to do what they could
do- “For when the foolish
took their lamps, they took
no oil with them; but the
wise took flasks of oil with
them.”
Lamps without oil are like
lives without purpose, like
potentialities without
commitment, like living in
the present as if there were
£L —I
BY CURT HAULER, EDITOR
no future The wise virgins
had their eyes fixed upon the
matter of greatest im
portance, the future return
of the bridegroom and the
need to meet him with
burning lamps The foolish
virgins probably, like
Scarlet O’Hara, assumed
there would be plenty of time
to think about that later.
Be Prepared
How many of us live our
daily lives like foolish
virgins? “Someday” we will
think about the meaning and
purpose of life. “Someday”
we will give some serious
thought to God’s demands
upon our lives. “Someday”
we will get around to being
one step ahead of farming’s trends
The very environment in which he
works, the Farm and Home Center, is
a symbol of the trends to change and
moder mzation which he led
He started as a county agent in an
era when open-pollinated corn was
not unusual He educated himself,
the farmers, and the youth with
whom he worked into the age of corn
hybrids, into the chemical era,
through the tillage revolution
The 4-H steers which are so much
a part of his life went from blocky
purebreds to stretchy three-way
crosses Youth programs and their
clientele have changed
Through it all, Max Smith was able
to evaluate, accept, and change his
ideas and still lead farmers and their
children down the road to newer
methods
For all the farmers and farmers-to
be whose lives you touched, Max,
thank you Through it all, our ad
miration hasn’t changed
ready for our final con
frontation at the throne of
God There’s still lots of tune
before that “someday” will
come, isn’t there’ Or is
there’
Whatever awaits us at the
end of this earthly life, there
are none of i»s who intend to
arrive at that day un
prepared We all want to
arrive there with the best
possible defense. But unless
we take steps to be prepared
now, we may find that it is
too late for us to fill our
lamps The best protection
against that day is a life full
of purpose and com
mitment. .TODAY 1
n