A 10 —Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 12,1983
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Pa. Rabbit Producers mtg., PDA
Office, Room 103, 7-9 p.m.,
Harrisburg
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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.,
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