Alo—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 24,1982
It was bound to happen
Actually, it comes as no surprise.
So then why does it make us so angry to
learn that the minute a national help-program
for farmers Is announced, consumer groups
across the nation raise their united voices in
protest?
True, the 1983 wheat program announced
by U.S. Agriculture Secretary John Block last
week has some shortcomings even in the eyes
of most farm groups: but it does offer some
relief to those of us who are already feeling the
economic crunch of another record wheat
crop.
With less money in the bank from this year's
harvest, a September acreage-diversion
payment may be the ticket many farmers need
to stay in business at least one more year. But,
the payment certainly won’t be the
consumer groups are shouting about.
It seems a bit unfair that 99 percent of the
farm community can sympathize with these
consumer advocates who carry the torch to
hold down prices. What farmer wouldn't be
tickled if the price of cars, gasoline, and other
merchandise would hold steady or even drop
during a year’s time? Unfortunately, that
doesn’t seem to be as much the case for these
items as for farm commodities.
As U.S. House Ag Committee Chairman E.
Kika de la Garza says, it’s not the farmer’s
responsibility to subsidize the American home.
But, hasn’t that been the case for decades?
Last week I had the opportunity to chat with
a New York City native who was attending a
leadership convention in Hershey. To my
surprise, this labor union leader was quite
knowledgable about the current farm
dilemma. His farm “education,” he said, was
learned through the television media.
Although he could not confess to being
sympathetic, he was aware that farmers were
going out of business and as a result farm
equipment dealers, feed companies, and other
agri-businesses were suffering from the ripple
effects. And, this labor leader had the cause
for this economic turmoil all figured out. Like
other businesses, he realized agriculture was
feeling the impact of too-high interest rates.
Knowing what caused the problem for
farmers, however, didn’t change this man’s
feelings about food prices. When asked if he
felt city dwellers would be more willing to
accept higher food prices if it meant keeping
farmers in business, he just smiled.
With a shrug of his shoulders and a lift of his
Saturday, July 24
i a Angus Field Day, 9 a.m., South
Branch Farms, York.
Pa. Nut Growers Assn. Field Day,
Dry Run.
Bradford Jersey Club picnic,
Bruce Andren’s farm, W.
Burlington.
Cavencrest Canadian Classic Red
& White Sale, 12:30 p.xn.,
Lancaster Guernsey Pavilion.
Shippensburg Community Fair,
QJJ£ ooeoeoeoeeooopoeoa
Off the
Somdimg
By Sheila Miller, Editor
The right
Farm Calendar
Cumberland County, coun
tings through Saturday.
Brown Swiss and Jersey Field
Days, Frederick County, Md.
Fairgrounds.
Lancaster County Swine
Producers Association annual
pig roast, 6:30 p.m., West
Lampeter Community
Fairgrounds.
Sunday, July 25
Md. Angus Association Field Day,
medicine?
hands, he answered, “Why should they care.
Most everyone doesn’t think food originates
any further away than their corner super
market. They don’t worry how it got into the
can or carton: just so it's on the shelf when
they need it."
As far as their willingness to pay more for
food, this Teamster leader said city consumers
would be willing to pay more for food only if
they earned more money so that groceries
wouldn't take a bigger bite out of their
budgets.
“If they get a raise, they don’t mind seeing
the farmer get one too. But, if they see the
farmer getting more money and they are
getting less, they'll condemn the farmers.
They’ll think the farmers are holding back food
to drive up prices. They won’t think any fur
•ther than that."
To say farmers are caught between a rock
and a hard place is quite an understatement.
We need higher prices for our products in
order to stay in business growing costs keep
going up. But the minute steps are taken to
add a few coins to a farmer's income, the
population masses rebel. And we ail know
whose voices carry the most weight behind
them in our nation’s capital not the farm
organizations’ who represent the meager
three percent of the nation that feeds and
clothes the protestors.
It's interesting to hear how city-folks feel
about farmers. Through our brief tete-a-tete,
this New Yorker and I both came away from
the conversation with a better insight into
each other’s situation. But, it also pointed out
how vast a separation there is between city
and country, and how wide a communication
gap exists.
As this particular person stated, his
knowledge of the farming situation was
learned, correctly or incorrectly, through
information broadcast by television. It's im
perative that farmers and their organization
representatives stop talking to themselves
and instead make sure their city cousins are
getting the true story of agriculture.
The story about the farmer, which usually
ends up with a not-so-funny punch line, can no
longer afford to be the butt of jokes shared at
dinner or in the office. Although it may not
make the most exciting newscast transmitted
into our urban neighbors’ homes, the real-life
saga of farmers and their committment to the
land may be just the right medicine for making
higher food prices easier to swallow.
12:30 p.m., Wye Research
Center, Queenstown, Md. '
Clarion County Fair, New
Bethlehem, continues through
Saturday.
Monday, July 26
Butler County Fair, continues
through Saturday.
Goshen Country Fair, West
Chester, continues through
Board
(Turn to Page Al 2) *
>■ >
J / /
THE JAILOR SAVED
BY HIS PRISONER
Ju1y25,1982
Background Scripture:
Acts 16:6-40
Devotional Reading:
Acts 28:16-28
In the New Testament and m the f us situation, and he comes
years that followed in the life of the perilously close to giving up and
early church, * Christians often calling it a day.
found themselves imprisoned tor What Must I Do.' _
openly following and teaching It is in this crucial moment that
Jesus Christ. If you’ll read these ke hears Paul calling loudly to
various passages in the New Tesla- him: ‘Do not harm yourself, for
merit; you’ll note that Christian we ai< - a h here, In amazement,
prisoners usually were unique, to he calls tor lights and finds that, in
say the least. They weren’t like truth, his prisoners are waituig
other prisoners. In tact, although quietly within the jail.- It is a pic
these men were physically confm- lure of contrasts: on the one hand
ed to a jail, thee was a lingering ap- he is scared hnd desperate; on the
prehension among their jailors ether, even though he is the jailor,
that it was the prisoners who seem- h l5 Peter and Silas who seem to be
ed to be the free men. hi control. Men, he asks
The Prisoners Were Listening desperately, what must Idoto be
That’s the way it vyas with Paul saved,'” The jailor needs the help
and Silas at Philippi (Acts 16' 1 prisoner.
Having been beaten and hauled ,Wow otten you-' and I tmd
before the magistrates upon thier . ourselves either tnghteiied or ui
arrival in Philippi, Paul and Silas deepest despair and we turn to God
were put in jail. One would have 10 what we must do to be sav
expected the prisoners to be either e d- Whether our danger is physical
discouraged or humiliated, or spiritual, we want to be redeein
perhaps even both, instead in the ud ot all this. It seems we just can I
midnight 1 stillness ot the prison go on one more hour, that we have
there was heard these two men reached the end ot our .faith, that
praying and singing hymns, nothing is workuig out the way it s
What’s mure, we're told, "and the supposed to. '■
prisoners were listeiung to them.” ffut bie answer is as simple and
Suddenly there is an earthquake -omplex. as it has ever been:
and both the prisoners’ tetters and Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
md you will be saved.' ’
NOW ISTHE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Unc«Uf County Afnajlture A*en*
Phone 717-394^851
To Control Canada Thistle
Canada Thistle is listed as a
noxious weed in Pennsylvania;
this means they should be con
trolled and not allowed to go to
seed. Too often we see what some
people, call “summer snow flakes”
floating through the air. These are
not snow flakes but thistle seeds.
We should insist that these be
mowed or sprayed to prevent seed
formation.
Most townships have noxious
weed ordinances to prevent the
spread from farm to fann, ot
Canada thistles and other noxious
weeds. These ordinances should be
enforced for the best interest of all
farmers. You can spot spray with
Banvel for control. Be sure to
follow all label instructions. We
urge everyone to do something
about this problem.
To Control Erosion
We were blessed with tuneiy
rains this spruig and early sum
mer, but some of the rams have
been very heavy and created
considerable run-ott. It em
phasized the need for terraces,
contours and strips to control these
large amounts of water.
The use ot diversion ditches and
sodded waterways above the area
to be protected should be con
sidered.
When surface water is not
controlled around the premises we
also have the added danger ot
surface water entering our well
supplies; this can cause the water
to be unlit tor human consumption,
and in some cases, increases the
nitrate content ot the water supply.
We need to be concerned with
controlling these large amounts ot
cell door are sprung open. Waking
with a start, the jailor jumped to
the conclusion that the earthquake
had made it possible for Paul and
Silas to escape. The thought of his
prisoners having escaped
devastates turn. Some commen
tators think that his despair arose
from the fact that the town
'magistrates would execute hun for
allowing the prisoners to escape.
Others lay his extreme reaction to
his senses of humiliation. His pride
was crushed.
Whatever his reason, the jailor
soon finds himself -where we
sometunes find ourselves; he is
overwhelmed with despair, he
finds hunself unable to cope with
water on tbe land and around farm
buildings.
For Hot Weather Feedbunk
Management •
During hot weather, nature often
works against you in getting rapid,
efficient gams, reminds Chester D.
Hughes, Extension Livestock
Agent. This is usually the result of
soured, moldy or overheated feed
and dirty water. Some special
precautions will help those cattle
gaining.
U) Clean bunks at least twice
per week. Mure often if moldy feed
is observed.
(2) Be sure you are feeding
enough silage or high moisture
gram each'dayjo prevent spoilage.
Ammonia-treated silage has
lunger bunk life before heating and
tnuiduig.
(3j Kegulate teed uttered so that
feed is nut allowed to accumulate
in the bunks.
UJ Feed two or three tunes per
day rather than only once.
[S>t Feed earJy in morning and
late in day. Avoid the hut early
afternoon.
(6) Clean/ watering devices at
least once each week.
To Consider Early Castration ut
Foals
Early castrations ui ponies, even
at 1U days ut age have been dune
successfully and is a good practice
tor these reasons:
1 1 ) Less distress and trauma to
the anunal.
1 2) Easier to handle at this age.
(3; Quicker recovery from the
surgery, with fewer post surgical
complications. (The mare ex
cercises the foal and' supplies
mural suuDorli.
(Turn to Page Al 2)