Alo—Lancaster Firming, Saturday, August 29,1981
Biting the hand?
It seems that our legislators,
both nationwide and
statewide, are looking out for
everyone but farmers.
These politicians are
concerned about food when it
comes to the welfare of people
in Poland and to the consumer
who walks into a supermarket
with food stamps gripped in
his hands, but they seem to be
forgetting the people who
make their toying with food
possible the farmers.
Just recently, lowa
Congressman Tom Harkm,
chairman of the House
Agriculture subcommittee
with jurisdiction over the
nation’s dairy program, stated
the “U.S should help ease the
food shortage m Poland by
shipping 165 million pounds of
surplus U.S. cheese to the
Polish people as a positive
sign of support for their
determination to resist Soviet
domination "
Little did most dairy
producers know they were the
chosen ones to serve as
foreign ambassadors to
Poland at their own ex
pense.
Under the federal govern
ment’s dairy price support
program, the Commodity
Credit Corporation acquired
275.9 million pounds of
processed cheese at a cost of
$392.8' million dollars. Ac
cording to Harkm, the Reagan
Administration has expressed
concern over the cost of
storing the stocks and that
there is some concern the
stocks may soon begin to spoil
Harkm said the “U S. should
use the stocks to further its
humanitarian and political
goals, rather than let the
stocks spoil and become
worthless " He said the U S
could provide the cheese
either as a direct donation or
through concessionary sales
at the rate of 5 pounds for
every man, woman and child.
At the same time, the
Reagan Administration an
nounced it had negotiated a 5
year gram agreement ex
tension between the USSR
and the U.S.. This agreement
requires the U.S. to sell at
least 6 million metric tons of
gram to the Soviets next year.
That was one vote in favor of
the farmer freedom from
the embargo.
But in the same breath, the
Reagan Administration turned
around and said the Soviets
could buy no surplus U.S.
butter instead, they ah
nounced they would sell the
220 million pounds of butter
the Soviets offered to buy at
$1.05 a pound to New Zealand
at the price of 70 cents a
pound.
Once again, farmers are the
fall guys for political
maneuvering.
As a result, the U.S. will be
selling about half of its surplus
butter to New Zealand for $5O
Off the
Somdmg
By Sheila Miller, Editor
million less than the Soviets
were willing to pay.
A Washington spokesman
pointed out that while the
contract prohibits New
Zealand from direct sales of
U.S butter to the Soviets,
nothing prohibits them from
selling their own butter to
Moscow, or selling the U.S.
butter to a third party who
could then sell it to the
Soviets.
“If New Zealand sells it at
the world price which it will,
you can be sure it stands to
make a cool $5O million."
The American dairy farmer
is providing the ammunition
for New Zealand, a country
that floods the U.S with
casein, to make a windfall
profit and at whose ex
pense 7
As if that’s not enough of a
slap in the face for the dairy
farmer, this past week the
University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine
sent out a news release over
the wire service announcing
the results of a three year
study it had conducted on
bovine leukemia virus,
transmitted in raw milk and its
possible effects on humans
This research was funded by
Pennsylvania’s Agriculture
Research Committee.
This release went out to all
the news media across the
nation Imagine the impact
this kind of ‘news’ will have on
milk consumption
remember what happened to
pork 7
Even though Secretary of
Agriculture Penrose Hallowell
"pooh-poohs” the effect of
this kind of information being
released to the general public,
we feel it could be
devastating. All the consumer
has to hear is cancer being
linked to anything and that
product will become the object
of total abhorrance. In this
case, milk has been linked
with leukemia most con
sumers won’t care two hoots if
the report did say bovine
most won’t know what the
word .means anyway. The
damage is done, perhaps
inadvertantly, but irrever
sibly.
Since the research data only
related to cattle, why m the
world did PDA and U. of P.
release that kind of in
formation to a general
audience Why not get the
story to the farmers through
their in-house magazines The
results would have been much
less alarming and more
beneficial
But, in order to get more
funding, the researchers
needed to make a big splash
get the most mileage on
their ‘discovery ’ They ad
mitted more studies had to be
done to see whether there are
any links between bovine
leukemia virus and humans.
it looks like the dairy politics, and support programs, we ar
producers will be footing truly thankful!”
Board
another research bill, whether
they want to or not
This ‘bad press’ not only
affects dairy producers but
other farmers as well
A recent new release based
on a controversial study of soy
products conducted by
University of Kansas Medical
Center’s James Cook
prompted this response from
American Soybean Association
President Charles Hamon, a
soybean farmer from Valley
Falls, Kansas:
“Scientific studies con
ducted or funded by govern
ment agencies should be
subjected to peer review by
qualified scientists prior to
their release to the general
public and news media.”
The study which is being
challenged indicates diets
containing soy protein inhibits
the body’s ability to use iron.
When will these politicians
learn you don’t' bite the
hand that feeds you 7
Stop using food as a political
‘weapon’
And, apply the ‘‘We’re
Growing Better” promotion to
the attitudes of state officials
and legislators for the farmers
they represent.
NOW IS THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717 394-M5l
To Cut Com Silage
at Proper Stage
Corn silage can provide a large
part of the stored feed needed on a
dairy farm. Therefore, it’s im
portant to keep a close watch on
corn intended for silage.
Both the nutrient content and
HAV HAWS
HONEYFROM
A ROCK
August 30,1981
Background Scripture:
Deuteronomy
31:30 through 32:14.
Devotional Reading:
1 Kings 19:9-18.
Teilhard de Chardin, the
brilliant Roman Catholic priest
and scientist, writes or tells of
“testing-tune” that he experienced
in his life, lake many of us, he
sought comfort and support in
various things and persons around
him. But one by one they were
peeled away, until it seemed that
nothing else remained.
But this experience, says
Teilhard, “did not bring me
unaileviated sorrow. On the
contrary, a glorious, unsuspected
joy mvaded my soul; because, in
the collapse of those immediate
supports I had risked giving to my
life, 1 knew with a unique ex
periential certainty that I would
never again rely for support on
anything save your own divine
stability.” (Hymn of the
Universe).
The Perfect Rock
Teilhard’s experience has been
particularly helpful to me, for I too
found God most real at a time in
my life when all other supports had
been elimated or neutralized one
by one. All my life 1 had lived by
the conviction that with diligent
thought, hard work and faith in
preservation of silage are affected
by the stage of harvest and
moisture content. For best feeding
results, dairymen should harvest
corn silage in the full dent stage of
maturity. The total com plant at
this stage has close to 70 percent
moisture which is ideal with a
God, there was no problem that 1
could not solve, no situation 1 could
not master. Then, one day, 1 was
faced with the realization that all
my clear thinking and hard work
were not sufficient for the situation
that confronted me. Like Teilhard,
I found that all 1 had left was my
trust in God.
1 came out of that experience,
not despising or forsaking clear
thinking and hard work I still
believe in them but realizing
that these, like all the other human
supports to which we look for help,
are limited and finite and
sometimes are just not enough.
When that happens, only trust m
God can bring us through. Then we
' are led to sing with Moses: “The
Rock, his work is perfect; for all
his ways are justice. A God of
faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and right is hfe" (Deuteronomy
32:4).
Found In A Desert
Sometimes it is only when we
find ourselves lost in a desert
Wilderness of disappointments,
failures, sins, and false solutions,
that we come to know God face to
face. This is how Israel first en
countered God: “He found him in a
desert land, and In the howling
waste of the wilderness” (32:10).
Destitute, despised, alone, the
people had nowhere else to turn but
to God.
Yet, in the midst of such an
experience there is often life’s
sweetest discovery; the faithful
love of God! It was in the desert
that God proved his love to Israel,
leading, feeding and sustaining
him: “and he made him suck
honey out of the rock” (30:13).
God forbid that you should have
to encounter God thus. God, if you
find yourself in one of life’s barren
deserts, remember to look for the
Rock, and the sweetness that can
be yours even in the wilderness.
grain moisture of 35 to 40 percent.
The grain content is also higher
than that of corn cut at an earlier
stage.
High moisture is one problem
that has troubled many dairymen
in storing high quality silage. High
moisture can result in a loss of
nutrients resulting from seepage of
juices from the silo. Too much
moisture also results in a bad odor,
and consumption drops.
On the other hand, com cut at a
late stage of maturity will create
problems, because it won’t
thoroughly pack...excluding the
air. Poorly packed silage will
shrink and pull away from the silo
walls and spoilage results. -
(Turn to Page Al 2)
'■fym