A 10 —Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 12,1983 After all, it’s vo-ag BYDICKANGLESTEIN It's FFA banquet season -- the time that's easy on the food budget but hard on the waistline. • But on a more serious note, these awards banquets provide an opportunity for each chapter to display its accomplishments and the activities of outstanding members before parents, friends, school officials and the community. In relatively close contact with the FFA scene for the past three years or so, I'd like to make three observations gleaned from the banquets and other events. First, for the Pennsylvania FFA to continue to function effectively and particularly in national competition when it gets to Kansas City each year, continued assistance and coordination is needed from the Department of Education in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania had some good candidates for both national office and national proficiency awards this past November, but was shut out. When competing with the more readily recognized ag states in such things as national competition, our Commonwealth youths need all the help they can get from Harrisburg. NOW IS THE TIME To Check Pastures The snow melted and gently soaked into the soil and with temperatures rising, our thoughs quicken to early spring pastures. We need to be concerned with pastures and exercise lots along rural roads for discarded junk. Unfortunately, people still throw bags of waste from their cars into nearby fields. Some of the material may be poisonous to livestock. Every producer should remove these materials before starting to graze. Also, in hay fields this material should be removed before there is much growth of the forage. Bottles and tin cans will damage equipment and be a threat to the livestock eating the hay. Be sure your animals are not poisoned through someone’s carelessness. To Be Aware of Rural Crime Crime in the rural area is climbing rapidly. Thieves are drawn to rural communities because of the attitude that crime is a city problem, so it’s safe to leave your door unlocked. As long as this notion persists, rural areas OTIS TVE BEEI THE NATO TODAY HI LOAD HO,* <=& ~ > *=»C3 [MI 'fern** ■ By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent Phone 717-394-6851 will remain a thieves’ paradise. You can make it less so by forcing a burglar to work harder. Install dead bolt locks on all exterior doors and windows. Keep in mind they only work if you use them. Get to know your neighbors; they can be a great crime deterrent. Agree to watch their place while they are away and they’ll gladly do the same for you. It’s important to identify your property. Police won’t return items unless they’re positively identified. Private gas pumps and storage tanks are popular targets for thieves. Be sure to lock these up whenever you’re not around. Exterior lights around your home, garage and barn will also do a lot to ward off burglars. To Treat Farm Pond Weeds Early Pond owners who experience weed problems last summer will undoubtedly have similar or worse problems this year. Acquatic vegetation will have a tendency to increase where no control measures were taken the year before. These weed problems AFTER TODAY. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TV DO wm A CHICKEN FOR A LONG LONG- T/AAE w « Second, is it time to take a .look at an up dating of Supervised Occupational Experience (SOE) projects? How about at least a pilot SOE program in several different areas involving FFA interns. As their SOE, a few students could intern in such areas as ag communications, banking or legislation. Each would spend a specified number of hours with an ag publication, banker or legislator. These agribusiness cooperators could help set up a sup plementary study plan for the students to follow. These special SOE's should not replace the more traditional projects, but supplement them. We still need and will always need the more traditional ag production projects. But more and more these days, the future of agriculture is being shaped off the farm in such areas as communications, finances and legislation. Participation to begin could be limited to students who show a particular interest in these areas. Suggesting these new SOE’s is not meant as a criticism of the existing program. The SOE visit to this area from the National FFA headquarters last year shows that Penn sylvania’s program is held up as a model. But let’s look to keep it in the lead. And third, while ever moving into the future, FFA must not lose sight of its basic roots. Its theme this year has been “Educating through Experience." It disillusions me a bit when I read the biographies of the national officers and find all are in the midst of their college careers. How long has it been since a non-college FFA’er held high office? I hope in the selection process for these coveted offices that equal weight is given to the qualifications and attributes of each youth -- no matter if they’re polished in academic circles or honed just as well in the world of experience back on the farm or in agribusiness. After all, it is still VO-AG. HI TILUE , WWfITS 7W£ SPECIAL TODAYI A unfortunately multiply, according to Arnold G. Lueck, County Agent and Agronomist. Early in the growing season is the better approach to gaining control of pond weeds. Aquatic plants-are more susceptible to control by chemical herbicides when the plants begin growing and grow rapidly; if mechanical controls are to be used, there will be less bulk in plant materials to contend with; control of the un wanted plants before flowering and seed setting occurs has benefits; early treatment means less interference with fishing, boating, swimming or whatever other pond activities are involved. Always follow label directions carefully where chemical controls are used. To Prune Fruit Trees Whether you have a few or several hundred fruit trees, or chard pruning need not be delayed until spring. It may be started in colder weather. But it is a good practice to work on the hardiest trees first. (Turn to Page Al 2) THE “FRIED \ CHICKEN It % DINNER" /' OT/S /'JSS V/— 9r^ <s4 % u- T / o •I^S, o 5 J> <S w< m Background Scripture: Numbers 11:24-29; J0e12:2542; Acts2:l-42. Devotional Reading: Ephesians 1:3-10. For the multitude of “devout men from every nation” who experienced the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, there was amazement, perplexity and an overwhelming need to ask: “What does this mean?” There are still large numbers of people who are perplexed about, the meaning of Pentecost. Like most of the events in the Bible - as well as in our lives there are many layers of meaning. Let me suggest some answers to that question: “What does this mean?” The Promise Fulfilled 1. God Fulfills Christ’s Promise. Although the weeks between thO| first Easter and the Day of Pen-* tecost may have seemed a long time to the disciples, it was not all that long that they had to wait until Jesus’ promise that “you shall receive power. 2. The Power Belongs to God. Secondly, Pentecost made it very clear that the fulfillment of Christ’s command to be his wit nesses would depend, not upon the resources of his followers, but upon their willingness to accept the power God would give them. 3. Inspired, Not Drunk. Although much of being a Christian is living Your recent article, “Additives - Then and Now” is a very misleading and possibly harmful bit of information. While some of the world's population can tolerate the chemicals added to our food supply, an alarmingly growing number cannot. Dr. Benjamin T. Feingold’s work with hyperac tive/leaming disabled children through nutrition therapy (the removal of preservatives such as BHA, BHT & TBHQ, additives and artificial coloring & flavoring from food supply), has proved to hun dreds of thousands of families just how adversely chemical additives affect their children and them selves. Yes, even some natural “chemicals” that occur in food can be troublesome to some. Every person is chemically sensitive to one thing or another. With the rapidly expanding demand for foods processed without chemical additives, far mers’ would be wise to stay tuned. In our area, there are several pure food co-op’s, and more starting everyday. We purchase entire Chester Co. Maple Sugar Festival, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Hibernia Park New Jersey Sheep Breeders management seminar, Gloucester Co. Office Bldg. Monday, March 14 2 i 9 Pa. Rabbit Producers mtg., PDA Office, Room 103, 7-9 p.m., Harrisburg V % r- Cumberland Co. Farmers’ Assn. Spring mtg., 7 p.m., South Middletown Fireball WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? March 13,1983 OUR READERS WRITE, AND OTHER OPINIONS Watch additives Farm Calendar Saturday, March 12 out his teachings in our everyday lives, there are times when be lifts us out of our normal state of consciousness into something mysterious, ecstatic or inspired. Sometimes we need to be stirred up in some way by God’s powerful presence and Pentecost was one of those times. The Mission Given 4. A Festival Transformed. The traditional observance of Pen tecost in the Jewish religion celebrates the giving of the law by God to the people of Israel through Moses. One of the meanings of the New Testament-is that, just as Jesus' death and resurrection transformed the Jewish Passover, so Pentecost was transformed to commemorate the giving of something even more important than the law: the Holy Spirit. 5. A Call to Commitment. Having heard Peter’s sermon and wit nessed the wonderful things that were happening on that day, the people at Pentecost asked, “Brethren, what shall we do?” And Peter had an answer ready for them: “Repent, and be bap tized...and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 6. The Plan of Outreach. As people from all parts of the Mediterranean heard the good news that day in their own tongues, there was an indication of the path of growth which the gospel would be following: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the world! 7. More Signs and Wonders. The wonderful things performed by Jesus would continue to be per formed by his disciples through the power of. God’s own Spirit. “And many signs and wonders were done through the apostles” (Acts 2:43). Pentecost is ever a story that is “to be continued.” lines of food grown & processed without preservatives and ad ditives. Our children cannot tolerate the dangerous chemicals the government has allowed in our food supply. And the parents do not want to spend their money on “chemicals” - we want the REAL thing! We’re always looking for local farmers who will supply us with “clean” foods (grains, vegetables, chicken, beef, etc.) & we’ll pay the price for organic food! The GRAS list is severely under attack by many concerned groups. The FDA has many so-called “safe” additives on their list to be investigated. And it seems more & more often you read of private research groups making recom mending the FDA to take a chemical additive off their GRAS list because of the harmful effect it causes in humans. Please - for the sake of mankind - offer us real - clean - chemically free food again. Great grand mother had it good! Patricia Ruby Carlisle, Pa. / *S 4*,* Poultry Servicemen mtg., 6:30 p.m., Holiday Inn, North, Lancaster Franklin Co. Conservation District, 9 a.m.. Assembly Room, County Adm. Bldg. Kutztown Vo-Ag Banquet, 7 p.m. Kutztown Grange Hall Tuesday, March 15 Lancaster Conservation District and Extension No-till mtg., (turn to Page Al 2)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers