Alo—Lancaster Farming, SatnrAay, inly 7,19A4
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Was it worth it?
BY DICKANGLESTEIN
Some 209 years and 100 days ago, a bunch
of farmers unofficially founded this nation.
They laid down their hoes and pitchforks,
picked up their muskets and faced the most
professional and highly trained army in the
world near Concord, Mass.
What prompted these normally peaceful
farmers to leave their fields and risk being
permanently planted in those fields 7 In one
word - INDEPENDENCE.
I wonder what those farmers who prized
their independence above personal safety and
well-being would say today about the
dependent state of some phases of
agriculture.
I wonder if some of them might say: "Was it
all worth it?"
In the spirit of these fiercely independent
New England farmers who “gave them ball for
ball, from behind each fence and barn-yard
wall,” I think it is long past the time that
farming - the last true bastion of in
dependence in this dependent, big-brother
society - begins a soul-searching
reassessment of itself and gets back to some of
the old-fashioned principles and ideals that
motivated some of their forebearers to risk
everything.
Enough is enough concerning government
subsidization and bailouts - not only in ag but
in everything. How far must quasi
governmental welfare programs be extended
to shore up ag or any kind of business that
doesn’t hold up its own end of responsibility.
It is not only government subsidization but it
NOW IS THE TIME
To Control Erosion
We have been blessed with
timely rains this spring and early
summer but, some of these rains
have been very heavy and created
considerable run-off. It em
phasizes the need for terraces,
contours and strips to control these
large amounts of water.
The use of 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 of
surface water entering our well
OTIS. Do you THINK
WE SHOULD HWE
LEGALIZED GAfDBLING
HERE ? "
SEJFOS
ABOUT OUR
LA S VEGAS
TWR%
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-394-6851
water supplies; this may con
taminate it and make it unfit for
human consumption. We need to be
concerned with controlling these
large amounts of water on the land
and around farm buildings.
Another important item if
flooding occurs, use your camera
to take pictures of the damage so
you can identify the extent of the
damage if a cl Jim is submitted.
The barley harvest is nearly
completed and some farmers may
be considering using this new grain
in their feeding program. The
is good farmers helping to keep the bad in
business. Everyone of us knows a farmer or
two who hasn’t accepted his or her share of
the responsibility to change with the times and
help their own continued existence. The good
got to get the bad off their backs or both will
end up going under.
Every farmer has the right to succeed if
success is deserved. But at the same time
each of us has the same right to fail if failure is
all that we earn. It’s when the danger of failure
is removed or watered down that everything
gets out of kilter. The danger of failure is what
motivates us all the harder to succeed. If that
danger doesn’t exist, then the prime
motivation doesn't exist either.
Farmers have this strange contrasting quirk
in their makeup. Most are among the first to
adopt new mechanical technology, but some
also are among the last to adapt to change in
methods or thinking.
Farmers got to move more into the forefront
of grabbing the bull by the horns and helping
to solve some of their own problems. In ad
dition to economics, here are a few areas of
need:
EROSION -- A better job got to be done or
some laws are going to come along with real
teeth in them to “encourage" reluctant far
mers to comply.
ENVIRONMENT -- How much manure and
chemicals can the soil take? It makes no sense
at all to have two sets of rules about things like
depositing human or animal wastes into the
soil. Septic tanks are not permitted when
human population densities reach a certain
level. Should the land continue to be used as
an “ag septic tank" m some areas for
mountains of wastes from heavy densities of
animals?
WATER - The future of Northeastern
agriculture lies in water. No section of this
country is blessed with a better network of
streams and rivers. Ag must make certain that
it gets its share of that water and at the same
time must do more to make certain that water
is pure and useable.
COOPERATION -- Let’s quit this needless
bickering in ag. Let’s get together and start
solving some of our problems as a cohesive,
united farming force. If we don’t, others are
going to force solutions upon ag. And, the
price to be paid if that happens will be a lot
higher than if the ag community assumes a
greater role in make the decisions and
deciding its own future.
To Be Aware Of
Feeding New Grain
WE ALRERDY
D 0...
feeding of new grains to livestock
is possible, under very careful
management. If fed in too large
amounts, digestive disorders such
as bloating and scouring may
occur. We suggest that the grain be
allowed to go through a two week
curing period before being fed.
Then it should be included into the
grain ration at a slow rate 10 to
20%.
Barley is a popular livestock
feed and is a good substitute for
corn. In a week or two wheat will
be ready and may also be fed with
care. Again, it should be allowed
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POWER FAILURE!
Background Scripture:
1 Kings 11:26 through 14:31
Devotional Reading:
1 Kings 12:1-11.
Prince Rehoboam stood to
inherit the fabulous power of his
father, King Solomon. Under
Solomon’s reign the nation had
grown rich and powerful. In his
day, no monarch was likely so
powerful as Solomon. What a
legacy to pass on to his son,
Rehoboam!
Rehoboam was not unaware of
this tremendous power that had
fallen to him. When, upon the death
of Solomon, a great assembly is
called, he comes to the leaders of
Israel, not with conciliation, but
with a crude display of arrogance.
To their plea for him to lighten the
load that Solomon had fixed upon
them, Rehoboam replied with
words almost unbelievably
arrogant!...“whereas my father
laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add
to your yoke.” Just to make sure
they got the drift, he goes on to say,
“My father chastised you with
whips, but I will chastise you with
scorpions” (12:11)!
TO YOUR TENTS!
Obviously Rehoboam and his
young advisors believed he had the
power to carry out his threats. His
father Solomon, had taught him
well the use of political and
military He was quite
Farm Calendar
Saturday, July 7
Pa. Charolais Association Field
Day, Bratton Charolais Farm,
McVeytown, 9 a.m. - Jr. Heifer
and steer show.
York County Conservation Society
membership picnic, 11 a.m. - 6
p.m., Indian Steps Museum,
Airville.
Pa. Association of Farmer
Cooperatives Summer In
stitute, Huntingdon, continues
through Wednesday.
Monday, July 9
Sire Power Twilight meeting,
Dinald Michelitsch farm, Port
Alleghany.
Bradford 4-H Camp.
Tuesday, July 10
Bradford County New England
dairy tour, continues through
Friday.
USDA crop yield report due.
Semi-Annual meeting, Milk
Marketing, Inc., Fawcett
Center, Ohio State University.
□o
... trs CALLED
FARMING.
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3CD
July 8,1984
Sunday, July 8
OUR READERS WRITE,
AND OTHER OPINIONS
certain Quit, if he talked tough, the
tribal representatives would be too
cowed to resist him.
What a surprise it must have
been, then, when ten of the tribes
defied him and his threats: “What
portion have we in David? We have
no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, 0 Israel! Look now
to your house, David”
(12:16b)! Having suffered under
David’s powerful son, Solomon, tb°
people of the ten northern tribes
had no intentions of suffering
under his grandchild, Rehoboam.
“So Israel departed to their tents.”
Still Rehoboam, blinded by the
arrogance of power, failed to grasp
what had happened. Incredibly, he
selected Adoram, tlje hated
taskmaster over the slave labor
forces, to represent him to the
rebel tribes. Once again he was
blinded by his own arrogance, but
this time he could hardly fail to
understand what the northern
tribes did to Adoram: “all Israel
stoned him to death with stones.”
Still trusting in what he believed to
be the power of his inheritance,
Rehoboam collected an army of
180,000 hand-picked troops to bring
the ten tribes into line.
SO THEY HEARKENED
But Rehoboam had failed to
reckon with a power greater than
his own. Raising up a prophet,
Shemaiah, God sent him to the
troops with orders not to fight
against the people of Israel who
were their kinsman. And the writer
of 1 Kings tells us: “So they
hearkened to the word of the Lord,
and went home again, according to
the word of the Lord” (12:24). The
division between Israel and Judah
was now final and complete.
Rehoboam had trusted in the
wrong kind of power. It was the
kind of power that ultimately
would have to fail.
Wednesday, July 11
Pa. . Ayrshire Breeders
Firecracker Sale, Carlisle
Fairgrounds.
Pa. Rural Electric Association
Summer Meeting, Sheraton
Inn, West Middlesex.
Thursday, July 12
Annual Meeting, Pa. Game
Breeders Association, Nittany
Lion Inn, State College.
Friday, July 13
Keystone Ram & Ewe Sale,
Carlisle Fairgrounds, continues
tomorrow.
Lycoming County Fair, continues
through next Saturday.
Saturday, July 14
Pa. Angus Breeders Show, Centre
Hall.
Pa. State Beekeepers Association
summer picnic, Indian Trail
Park.
Dairy Goat field day, 14 p.m.,
Fischer’s Windy Hill Goat
Dairy, Manheim.
PFA clarification
Dear Editor,
Agriculture got a good boost in
the passage and signing of the 1984-
85 fiscal budget, including $2.65
million toward payment to
dairymen because of dealer
defaults and the lack of funds in the
Milk Security Fund to cover these
claims.
These funds along with the
monies in the Milk Security Fund
will give dairymen the opportunity
to recover much of their claims
made against the fund. This is
especially good news for Scheps
Cheese shippers, who suffered the
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