MO—IiHMWtT Farming, Saturday, FtbniarY 18,'1984 What’s good for the chicken is as good for the pig BY DICK ANGLESTEIN Depopulation - a word mostly foreign to this area has become one of everyday use in Pennsylvania agriculture - particularly in Lancaster County. It’s one of those cosmetic words that comes into the language through either technical or bureaucratic avenues to describe something in more socially ac ceptable terms. A more common word that everyone understands is “kill” - a bit harsher but clearer in meaning. When the weekend rolled around down on the farm, vou weren’t sent out to “depopulate” a chicken or rabbit for Sunday dinner. So what’s the difference if it’s one chicken or millions or a hatchet handle or gas. But this is not intended to be an essay on using the King’s English. Amidst the killing of the millions of chickens in Pennsylvania another depopulation is proceeding, too. But there are glaring differences in the programs. While owners of depopulated birds are receiving payments and now other kinds of financial help, the owners of hogs hit by pseudorabies are being forced to Saturday, Feb. 18 Adams County Fruit Growers dinner meeting, 6:30 p.m., Biglerville Fire Hall. Cumberland County Holstein Club annual meeting, 10:45 a.m., Penn Township Fire Hall, Huntsdale. Monday, Feb. 20 Luzerne County soil fertility meeting, 1 p.m., St. James Lutheran Church, Hobbie. Estate planning, 7 p.m., Townsend Hall, University of Del., Newark. Tuesday, Feb. 21 Delmarva safety seminar, Wicomico Youth Center, Salisburg, Md. Mid-Atlantic Direct Marketing Conference, Host Farm, Lancaster. McKean County Fair Association, 7:30 p.m., Courthouse, Smethport. Lancaster Crops and Soils Day, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Farm and Home Center. Lebanon Extension Association Otis OTIS, HOW DID \ tour CORN ) DO THIS „ Farm Calendar banquet, 7 p.m., Prescott Fire Hall. Pa. Holstein Association con vention, Altoona, continues through Thursday. Bradford dairy feeding school, 8 p.m., Extension Office. Jersey District 111 dinner meeting, 7:15 p.m., Bird-in-Hand restaurant. Northeast turf and grounds maintenance school, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Community College Conference Center, Nanticoke, continues tomorrow. Wednesday, Feb. 22 Water quality and agriculture, 7 p.m., Lower Paxton Twp. Building, Harrisburg. Managing the Dairy Business, 7:30 p.m., Lancaster Farm and Home Center. Bradford veal growers, 1 p.m., Extension Office. Plant growth regulators for fruit, 2:30 p.m., Gettysburg Holiday Inn. Bradford dairy feeding school, 8 p.m., Troy High School. depopulate without receiving one red cent of outside financial help. And, we admit there are differences between the two diseases, particularly in communicable pathogenicity or existing and potential scope of numbers and geographical spread. But the individual effect on the farmer is just the same. The economic effects have the potential of wiping out a farming operation that has required generations to build up. And that’s no different if the farm is a poultry operation or a hog breeding operation. There are hog breeders who are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a PRV eradication program that has been mandated upon them by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Is it fair? Better scientific minds than mine must answer whether depopulation is necessary. But when the principle is ap plied, it must be done in a way that is more equal to all segments of agriculture. Indemnification for depopulation should not be a matter of: -Whether one segment of agriculture has a better or louder lobbying organization. -Whether one segment of farming is more agribusiness-dominated and thus has more clout in Harrisburg or Washington. -Whether there’s someone like a Frank Perdue only a few miles away from a center of disease. And we’re not implying that the Penn sylvania poultry industry and particularly its farmers don’t need all the help they’re getting and maybe more. We simply want to point out that amidst all of the Avian it shouldn’t be forgotten that there are some hog breeders facing just as serious economic dilemmas due to a disease that is beyond their personal control. After all, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Or, what’s good for the chicken is just as good for the pig. Delmarva dairy and livestock seminar, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Sheraton Inn, Dover, continues tomorrow. Hunterdon County N.J. Ag Development Board, 8 p.m., Planning Board meeting room. McKean-Potter milker school, Ulysses, continues tomorrow. Delaware safety seminar, 7 p.m., Milton Fire Hall. Lebanon-Dauphin Corn-Soybean Day, 9:30 a.m., Founders Hail, Hershey. Thursday, Feb. 23 Bermudian Springs Young Far mers meeting on methane digesters, 7:45 p.m., high school vo-ag room. Horse radish production meeting, 7:30 p.m., Garrett, Md. Com munity College Auditorium. Grape Growers meeting, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Lancaster Farm and Home Center. Inter-State Milk Producers, noon, WELL,NOT TOO WELL IN THE NORTH FIELD R LITTLE BETTER IN THE SOUTH FIELD, BUT Hostellers, Ml. Joy. (Turn to Page Al 2) MV FEET HAL BUMPER STARVING THESOUL February 19,1984 Background Scripture Isaiah 55. Devotional Reading: Isaiah 56; 1-8, I write these words in the midst of the Christmas season. Although we’ve already been to several Christmas parties and social functions, there are still quite a few ahead of us. Despite my resolutions to the contrary, I’ve already eaten too much of the normal Christmas festivities fare. Too many sweets, too many heavy, fattening foods. Why do so many of us overin dulge at times like these? Well, for one thing, it all looks so good, so tempting. Yet, often we find, especially with many sweets, that eventually we feel somewhat unsatisfied. Perhaps we have stuffed ourselves to the limits of our capacities, and yet feel as if we still have not experienced what we were looking for. UNSATISFIED This is something we may ex perience, not only with food, but with life itself. That to which we look for our happiness or our fulfillment may prove to be empty and disappointing once we have attained it. This is what the Prophet Isaiah is referring to when he says: p w NO WIS THE TIME V l^ V '"** ft \ Lancaster County Agriculture Agent Phone 717 394-6851 To Keep Small Children Away From Machinery The spring cropping season will be starting in another month. Under current farming methods various pieces of farm machinery will be put into operation and things will be really moving. Small children like to become a part of this action and ask to ride on machinery, or even operate some of the smaller tractors. It might take nerve to refuse them at times; however, for their own protection they should not become involved. Many serious accidents have happened because ‘Dad" or "Grandad” took them along Where there are small children, all machinery operators should be especially careful of their exact location. Farm machinery and small children do not mix To Know Sewage Sludge Content The use of sewage sludge on farm land is becoming more - - - Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and you labor for that which does not satisfy? (55:2). From the very beginning of human history, people have struggled, schemed and com mitted dastardly acts to obtain things wealth, power, fame that ultimately do not satisfy. We strive to nourish the body and the ego, but in doing so we neglect the nourishment of our souls. The result: a gnawing, unresolved, and unidentified hunger deep within us. And it is to feed this hunger that God, through his prophet Isaiah, calls to us ; Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (55:1). WHAT IS GOOD? But the'invitation all too often is ignored, because we have our minds set on things. What we need to learn is that these things can never satisfy us, can never nourish the soul, and, until we feed the soul, we will always be hungry for something that must always be elusive. Thus, Isaiah says, “Hearken dilligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness” (55;2b). Ah, that’s the rub, isn’t it’ We really don’t know “what is good.” What we think is “good” turns out in the long run to be disappointment. “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear that your soul may live” (55:3). It is only when we come to God in humility and contrition that we can find food for our souls, food that lasts and satisfies, food that keeps the soul alive, instead of letting it die of that slow but sure starvation of separation from the Source of life. By Jay Irwin common. As the amount of this material increases, the farmers should be aware of the danger of excessive application. There can be a problem of too much sludge causing a build-up of heavy metals such as zinc, copper, cadmium, and cobalt. When these metals become too high in the soil they are toxic to plants. Farmers that utilize sewage sludge are urged to require a test of the material in order to know the exact mineral and fertilizer content. Disposal plants are urged to provide this lest for their farmers in order to know what is being done. Both the sewage and the soil can be tested through the Penn State Testing Laboratory. Don’t continue to apply sludge without knowing the mineral build-up in the soils. To Recognize Lime For Weed Control You have never heard us recommend lime for weed control, however, indirectly lime is im portant to obtain good herbicide weed control. Both research work and farm experience has indicated that herbicides are not as effective in sour soil. So, for best weed control with chemicals, the soil lime requirement must be satisfied. Many poor weed control experiences have been reported on sour soils. A complete soil test will indicate the amount of lime needed. There are many other advantages to crop production in addition to better herbicide action To Give Pigs A Good Start Managing your pigs and getting them off to a good start can be (Turn to Page Al 2)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers