AlO—Lancastar Fanning, Saturday, February 6,1982
Recently, American farmers have seen
various members of the USDA and the Reagan
Administration frantically waving the 'export'
flag in front of their noses a ‘golden carrot'
dangled to entice them into following current
policies and foreign diplomatic decisions
unthinkingly.
But, like the horse who’s taken a nibble of
that carrot only to have it yanked away,
American farmers aren’t biting. Memories of
the 1980 grain embargo are too fresh in their
minds for them to be gullible to all the export
salvation rhetoric.
USDA optimistically forecasts foreign sales
of agricultural exports will reach 180 million
metric tons in 1982—an increase of nearly 10
percent or 17 million tons from 1981 which
would boost the value of sales to $45.5 billion,
up 4 percent from last year's sales. But this
increase in volume is offset by the fact that the
real value of our farm products has diminished
on the world market due to lower commodity
prices blamed on the American farmers'
ability to produce bumper’crops year after
year rather than the Administration’s failure
to demand the needed higher prices so that
cash returns correlate more closely with
production costs.
Despite the cheaper prices being asked for
U.S. farm goods, the chances of foreign
countries cashing in on the bargains are not
that promising. One reason is the inflated
value of the U.S. dollar coupled with economic
and social turmoil in European countries.
Previous importers are watching their pur
chase power slip because of high interest rates
and the dramatic rise since last January in the
foreign exchange value of the U.S. dollar. Last
December, some importing nations were still
paying more for U.S. farm goods than they
were a year earlier, despite the lower U.S.
prices.
One of our chief markets for U.S. farm
products, the U.S.S.R., has been stymied from
buying our grain despite last year’s embargo
lift even in the face of their 50-million-ton
reduced 1981 harvest—their lowest grain
harvest since 1975. Tp fill their need for 43
million tons of grain, the Soviets are looking to
other nations. The U.S. has only offered to sell
them 23 million tons of wheat and corn in the
sixth year of the grain trade agreement, and so
fat they've only brought about 11 million tons
NOW IS THE TIME
To Transfer Silage
Many temporary silos were used
last faU to store the real good com
crop that was harvested. Our
agronomy specialists tell us that
any silage to be moved from a
temporary storage to an upright
storage should be done in cold
weather. When moved in warm
weather (over 40 degrees) there
will be more danger of heating and
molding. Make the transfer in cold
weather and do it as rapidly as
possible. No additives or
preservatives should be needed in
this process. By transferring to the
upright silo, you can utilize the
mechanical feeding equipment in
your upright silo.
To Control Wild Birds
The problem of starlings and
other birds in farm buildings and
in feedlots is quite common and
Off the
So maing
By Sheila Miller, Editor
Paid on delivery
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
one that is very difficult to solve.
Due to the heavy snow cover
most of the winter, birds are
searching for feed in buildings and
feedlots. One suggestion is a
special bait for starlings called
Starllcide; other people use noise
makers. One farmer puts about a
half inch of salt in a shallow pan,
then puts a thin coating of lard
over the salt as the bird pecks
into the lard it picks-up salt. The
excess salt is fatal to the bird. The
use of window screen over open
ducts, windows and doors is
another way to keep them out of
buildings. For the open feedlot,
control is not easy.
Birds not only consume feed, but
are unsanitary and carry lice,
mites and disease.
To Correct Drainage Problems
The recent quick thaw provided
Board
of U.S. grain and 500,000 tons of U.S,
soybeans worth about $2 billion.
But the Soviets haven't held their breath
waiting forU.S. negotiations to put more grain
on the market. They've gone shopping on the
world market and have found reliable sup
pliers elsewhere. So the chances of U.S.
farmers finding a 23 million ton buyer in the
Soviets is slim. An additional $1 billion income
for grain exports as a result of this U.S.S.R.
buy seems about as elusive as that dangling
carrot.
And, because of the trouble in Poland, the
U.S. leaders, in all their wisdom, have called a
halt to further grain talks with the Soviet
which had been scheduled for early this year.
These talks were called off last December at
the same time the U.S. knowingly allowed the
Maritime Treaty with the U.S.S.R. to run out.
Now, in order for Soviet ships to enter U.S
waters to pick up future grain purchases, they
need to get special approval U.S. leaders
are playing a hard-nosed game and denying
their requests.
Japan remains our top market, buying an
estimated $6.4 billion in U.S. farm products in
1982. But this represents a drop in import
value of about $3OO million from last year's
sales to Japan. Why? Some say because of the
lower value of farm commodities. Others
blame it on Japans' tough import restrictions,
with Japanese negotiators very carefully
keeping the deficit balance in their country’s
favor.
Here at home, the value of farm products is
expected to rise only 1 to 4 percent. Food that
in 1981 averaged a retail cost of one dollar will
now cost $1.07 in 1982. But of that additional
7 cents, only one penny will go to farmers as
higher gross returns. Facing growing sur
pluses and bumper crops, U.S. farmers won't
find a favorable forecast in weathering this
nation's economic slump and demand for
cheap food through internal markets.
Perhaps as a skillful diversionary tactic, our
political leaders are encouraging U.S. farmers
to look abroad for the source of all their
marketing problems when in fact much of the
climate for,the dipping farm economy is being
created by factors here. It's time the American
farmers tell these elected officials they’ll be
‘paid’ with votes only when they deliver a
program and policy that show a fair return to
the farm.
a good chance to observe the water
drainage problems around many
bams and farmsteads. If surface
water drained into farm buildings
or into homes, then something
should be done about it in the next
few months. Surface water should
be directed away from buildings
by way of terraces or diversion
ditches.
Water should not be permitted to
flow down against buildings from
upgrade. This will weaken the
structure and wash soil away from
the foundation. Water that seeps
into a building from underground
is a different problem and more
difficult to control.
However, the surface water can
be directed around and away from
farm buildings. Also, the area
around wells should be protected
0 urn to Page Al 2)
THE RIGHT
MOUNTAIN
February 7,1982
Background Scripture:
John 4; 7-26.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 96:1-9.
Of course the Samaritan woman
by Jacob’s well at Sychar didn’t
realize to whom she was speaking.
Nevertheless, we can hardly
escape the feeling that she missed
the opportunity of a lifetime.
Confronted by the man whom she
was later to recognize as God’s
Messiah, instead of asking a truly
profound and troubling question,
she contented herself with a
question that was trite and in
significant: “our fathers wor
shipped on this mountain (Mt.
Gerezim); and you say that in
Jerusalem is the place where men
ought to worship” (John 4; 20).
Who Is Right?
It was not a unique issue: for
centuries the Jews and the
Samaritans had carried on this
dispute. The right place to wor
ship, said the Samaritans, is Mt.
Gerezim. Certainly not, retorted
the Jews, God’s Holy City is
Jerusalem and only Jerusalem. In
a sense the dispute could be
likened to two small children
protesting, “My mountain is better
than your mountain!” Recognizing
that Jesus was possibly a prophet,
the woman was curious to see how
he would settle this ancient
dispute.
OUR READERS WRITE
Your coverage of the 1982 Farm
Show was very good. Pictures of
every champion Hereford, Angus,
Charolais, Duroc, Cheviot,
Belgian, etc. were represented.
Then why didn’t you have a the capable officers of that fine
representative at the outstanding group. Pictures of the local can
53rd F.F.A. Convention at the didates and officers would have
Forum building on Wednesday? been as appropriate as the pictures
The pictures you printed could of each animal class winner. Too
have been gotten a month ago. bad you missed this fine event.
The 4 candidatess for the Star Mrs. Elizabeth B.Myer
Agribusiness and the Regional Womelsdorf, Pa.
That volunteer spirit
In this period of inflation and
budget slashing, I think it’s an
appropriate time to reflect on
America’s volunteer spirit.
HAV HAWS
‘‘Just the same, I'd feel a lot safer if I knew those termites
were locked up in a tin box."
To use today the whole dispute
sounds silly. Indeed! Whose
mountain is the "right” one? How
ridiculous! Yet, at the same time,
the question has a
ring to it and, if we substitute the v
word “church” for “mountain,”
the question can be as em
barrassing to us as it should have
been to the Samaritan woman. Oh,
we may not state it so plainly as
“Which church is the right
church?” but we raise it never
theless. Or, perhaps, we assume
we know the answer: “My church
is better (or ‘truer,” "more
Biblical,” “more holy,” etc.) than
yours.”
False Doctrine
Layman Beecher was a famous
preacher in New England during
the 18th century. It is told that he
became very disturbed when a
somewhat unorthodox (in his
judgement, at least) church was
begun in the same neighborhood as
his. His judgement against the
neighborhood congregation was
that it taught “false doctrine.”
Thus, when one day the church
burned to the ground, on the
following Sunday in his sermon,
Beecher declared that the fire was
God’s judgement of the church’s
false doctrine.
Before the week had ended/,
however, Beecher's church burned'
down too!
We need to let Christ tell us again
what he said to the Samaritan
woman when she asked her silly
“which mountain?” question:
“The hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshippers will
worship the father in spirit and
truth” (John 4:23). The true
worshipper is the one who doesn’t
worry about "which mountain?”
or argue over “which doctrine?”
but knows that “God is spirit” and
thus worships him “in spirit and
truth” alone.
Missing out
Star Farmer awards could have at
least been named.
I was very impressed with the
excellent organization of the
F.F.A. Convention and feel that
credit should have been given to
America has a great tradition of
voluntarism. For example, when
an Amish person’s barn is
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