AlO-Laacastar Fanatag, Saturday, April 10,1912
The old adage, “unpredictable as the
weather," was certainly apropos this week as
our spring fevers were quickly cooled by
almost a half-foot of snow, bringing our field
work to a screeching halt here in the Lan
caster area
Other sections of the state didn’t escape the
white onslaught and were buried under even
deeper coatings of snow in what was hopefully
old man winter's last temper tantrum of the
season
To most of us, this Easter surprise seemed
more like an April Fool’s prank than a blessing.
Although we all realize the benefits it provided
in replenishing our water supplies and in
sulating our winter grains, let’s face it we’ve
all had enough snow for one winter.
As I sulked my way to work through walls of
drifted snow that towered high over the roof of
my car, and cautiously plunged headlights first
into blinding screens of blowing snow, it was
hard to imagine that just last week this bleak
white landscape was a vangated display of
green plants and brown soil.
Almost feeling my way down the snow
blocked, one-lane road, I couldn't help won
dering what I would do if I met up with a car
heading the opposite direction. Would we
crash head on and wind up hurting each
other? Would I be the one to back down, or
would I cautiously continue on until I could get
by this temporary blockade? Then again,
would it be better if I just stayed in one spot
that way at least I'd be safe even though I
wouldn’t be making much headway. The only
risk I’d have would be getting buried by the
blowing snow.
These same feelings and questions can also
reflect how farmers are dealing with the
animal welfare legislation responsibility that’s
falling on the shoulders of our congressmen in
Washington.
Like April’s blizzard, farmers didn't ask for
House Joint Resolution 305 that calls for the
establishment of a 16-person Farm Animal
Husbandry Committee. Unlike the blizzard,
however, this issue isn’t likely to quietly melt
away.
As a matter of fact, Congressman Tom
Harkm (D-lowa) has told farm groups
throughout the nation that he is under
pressure from animal welfansts and rightists
to hold hearings on Res. 305. As chairman of
the subcommittee where this legislation is
pending, Harkm has two choices: ignore the
requests and face losing the bill to another
committee, or hold hearings with the risk of
opening a Pandora’s box for farmers.
Most farm organizations have adopted the
wait and see what happens attitude towards
animal welfare. That’s fine in that it doesn't
call any more attention to the issue, but
burying our heads in the snow won’t make the
BL= = ~ -—■ ,—=
NOW IS THE TIME
To Inspect Pasture Fields
It won’t be long before some
permanent pastures will be ready
to graze. I am afraid that some
may be grazed before they are
ready. However, another area that
I would like to review, is that you
should walk over the pasture areas
before livestock is turned out.
Remove all trash to prevent injury
and poisoning. Unfortunately,
people still use the rural areas to
dispose of their solid trash. Some
of this may contain glass or
Off the
Sounding
By Sheila Miller, Editor
Snow ’em under with mail
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
poisons that will be harmful to
livestock. Remove the junk before
the livestock has a chance to
become involved. If there is any
evidence on the trash reflecting the
guilty party, this information
should be given to local officials.
Most township regulations do not
permit the dumping of solid waste
on private property.
To Operate Machinery Sensibly
Farmers are always in a big
hurry when the good spring
weather arrives. As a result, they
problem disappear. To deal with the animal
welfansts, we need to see where they’re
coming from and what direction they’re
planning to take next.
Many farmers are afraid of a head-on
collision with the welfanst groups. They
therefore hesitate to plot a course and strike
out in a direction that could turn out to be a
“one-way street” where obstacles are
unknown and the outcome uncertain.
However, if we believe the reassurances of
groups like the United Egg Producers, farmers
have nothing to fear. They point out that the
Council for Agricultural Science and
Technology’s recent study to determine if farm
animals are suffering from confinement
rearing turned up no conclusive arguments
against present livestock and poultry
management practices. The CAST study, done
at the request of congressmen, utilized the
expertise of some of the nation’s top
researchers, including Dr. Michael Fox, a
person who is equated with the animal welfare
movement.
And, even if we have a head on collision with
the animal welfansts while traveling that
uncertain road of legislative lobbying, doesn't
it stand to reason the smaller “vehicle" will
sustain the most damage? By far the larger of
the two opponents, farm groups could have
the more powerful impact on Washington
congressmen and carry their message forward
“An efficient agriculture uses the best
management practices available to produce
the nation’s cheap food. Any alteration in this
management would achieve the end-result of
higher-priced food with no real measurement
of the emotional benefits to livestock and
poultry ”
The problem of waiting for the problem to
pass by .is evidenced by what is currently
happening in Washington. As farmers are
quietly waiting for their turn to continue
undisturbed on their chosen path, the animal
welfansts have been bombarding legislators
and anyone else who’ll listen with horror
stories about cruelty to animals. Harkin has
commented that most of the hundreds of
letters he’s received have come from these
folks, with only a handful of farmers taking
time to put their sentiments down on paper
It’s time for farmers to stir up their own
paper storm in Washington. Let these city
slicker legislators know you’re keeping an eye
on their Res. 305 actions and that you oppose
what it calls for a 16-member committee
that will attempt to tell farmers how to raise
animals.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to sound off.
After hearings are held and laws are passed,
the freeze on farmer’s freedoms will make the
Blizzard of ’B2 seem like a flurry.
operate their tractors and other
machinery at too high a speed.
This presents safety hazards and is
the cause of too many accidents.
Gram drills and corn planters are
designed for accurate planting, if
operated at a normal rate of speed.
Often in the rush of things, we
travel too fast and the planting job
is disappointing. We urge farmers
to take the time to properly
prepare and adjust their
machinery and then drive at a
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Board
MARYTURNED!
April 11,1982
Background Scripture:
John 20:1-20.
Devotional Reading:
1 Corinthians 15:42-50.
If you carefully read the
resurrection accounts ui the four
Gospels you’ll find that it is vir
tually impossible to put them
together in a harmonious
arrangement. There is just too
much disagreement as to just who
went to the tomb, who saw Jesus
first, whether there were two
angels, one or none, not to mention
the discrepancies as to the exact
nature of his resurrection ap
pearance.
Given the nature of the ex
perience, I do not find these
discrepancies either surprising or
troubling. If two readers cannot
agree on the meaning of one of my
columns, why should it surprise
me that four witnesses can’t agree
on the nitty gritty of the
resurrection?
I Have Seen The Lord!
The one unifying theme of the
resurrection accounts - a theme
that far out-weighs these unim
portant discrepancies - is perfectly
expressed in the testimony of Mary
Magdalene to the disciples: ‘T
have seen the Lord!” It matters
little who else saw him, or
precisely what we said or did when
we saw turn, or just what was the
nature ot the Person we "saw,” so
long as we too can say, “I have
seen the Lord.”
John the Evangelist does not tell
us how the disciples reacted to
Mary’s declaration. He tells us
that “she told them that he had
OUR READERS WRITE, '
AND OTHER OPINIONS
Farmers care
Editor's Note - The following
correspondence is a copy of a letter to
President Ronald Reagan mailed
March 27, 1982 by a Lancaster
Farming reader Her initiative in
taking the farmer's.story to the top is
commendable
On Wednesday evening March
24, 1982, at approximately 7:30
p.m. I hit an animal while driving.
I stopped and found an unconscious
dog. I picked up the dog to take it to
a vet. I stopped at a neighbor to
complete my original errand.
At that time I realized the dog
was conscious. He got out of the
truck and appeared to be all right.
I returned home, fed and watered
HAV HAWS
" THE INHABITANTS SEEM TO EE INTELLIGENT. THEY HAVE
SERVANTS WAITING ON THEM/"
Mid these things to her," but
nothing else. The very lack of an
expression of enthusiasm on their
part leads me to suspect that, even
if they did not outright doubt her
claim, neither did they seem to.
embrace it. After all, she had no
proof whatsoever; only her
And so it may be for us: no oneliln
prove the resurrection to us. Thus,
if someone claims, “1 have seen
the Lord,” we have to decide
whether or not to accept that
witness. In short, the resurrection
is a matter of faith, not proof.
Jesus Said: “Mary!”
Actually, faith had been the
active ingredient even for Mary.
At first, she did not even recognize
Jesus. She assumed that he was
the gardener. All the evidence
seemed to indicate that someone
had stolen the body of Jesus. But
then, Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Someone called her name and that
Someone, she knew, could only be
the Master. Hie resurrection
Presence stood directly in front of
her, but it was only when the Risen
Lord spoke her name that Mary
turned to him and recognized him?
“She turned and said to him in
Hebrew, ‘RabbonT (which means
Teacher).” - (l!
He was the Master she had conle
to love and revere, yet, in a way, he
was not quite the same. “Do not
hold me...” Jesus warned her. The
new relationship would not be that
of a physical presence, but a new
and even deeper one. The Presence
would not be restricted by walls
and doors, only the hardness of
people’s hearts.
John tells us that when Jesus
later appeared to the twelve,
“Then the disciples were glad
when they saw the Lord." That
must be the greatest un
derstatement m the Bible! For
when, like Mary, we hear him
speak our name and we turn to the
resurrected Christ, there are no .
words that can adequately convey j
that transforming experience.
the dog and began my quest for an
agency to take him.
S.P.C.A., Humane League, and
Dog Catcher are not listed in our
local phone book. A friend
suggested .calling the sheriffs
office. The deputy on duty was
unable to help because the dog did
not have a license. He suggested
calling our township constable.
The name he gave me was not
listed in the telephone directory.
The next step was to call the
county treasurer’s office in the
morning.
The treasurer’s office took the
necessary information and stated
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