Alo—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 17,1984
Dear Grandson
or Granddaughter
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
The following is a letter to a grandson or
granddaughter as yet unborn:
Dear
Someday, you may come to me and ask
about enrolling in vocational agriculture and
joining FFA, assuming that both are still
around when the time comes.
Like most everything else in life that’s
neither completely black or white but just a
variegated shade of gray, l’.m sure I will have
mixed feelings.
I think that the discipline and self
confidence that you can learn in FFA in such
activities as public speaking and
parliamentary procedure wilt help your
maturing process - just as it has aided
countless millions of youngsters before you.
FFA will also help give you a clean,
wholesome competitive spirit in many of its
activities -- something that will be invaluable
throughout your life.
And FFA will bring you into contact with
people that make up the "greatest minority in
the world” -- those who work the land and
those who directly help them.
But I wouldn’t'be completely honest with
you if I didn't point out some reservations I
have, too.
Sometimes, I think that some of the
livestock competitions get out of hand and
more, important help, to get the perspective of
young minds out of kilter. I've noticed some
who place primary emphasis on winning and
not on competing and learning.
Holding back tne natural oeveiopment or
livestock for later competition just makes no
sense to me at all. How all of this has any
relationship to teaching a youth how to be a
successful farmer is beyond my com
prehension.
Such tactics of holding animals back for
Farm Show or whatever only tell me that the
Saturday, November 17
Hunterdon County N.J. Board of
Agriculture annual dinner
meeting, 6 p.m., Quakertown
Fire House, near Pittstown,
N.J.
Monday, November 19
PFA Annual meeting, Hershey
Convention Center, continues
Farm Calendar
through Wednesday.
McKean Extension Executive
meeting, 8 p.m., Extension
Center, Smithport.
Tuesday, November 20
York DHIA Banquet.
Peninsula Horticultural Society
meeting for greenhouse and
nursery operators, 9:15 a.m. -
“end justifies the means.”
I hope that's one lesson you never learn.
Because if you do learn it, you only go through
life trying to stretch that principle farther and
farther. And this only brings heartache and
disappointment.
Also, my future grandchild, if you look
around the Lebanon County dairy scene, you’ll
probably see a pretty successful dairy farmer
named John B. Kline.
A couple decades or so ago, John was
already a true and legitimate successful dairy
farmer, although he was only a short time out
of high school. At the conclusion of a suc
cessful FFA career, John was up for a "Star”
honor, that in effect would have said he was
the top young production FFA’er in the
country.
But that top honor eluded John, just as it
eluded a close friend of his earlier.
When it’s time for you, my grandchild, to
mold your career and your way in the world,
may you freely be able to make your choice as
to whether you want to go to college or go
directly into work in your chosen profession.
And, may you strive to do your best, if you
choose not to go to college -- just as these two
Lebanon County young men have done.
But even more important, if you decide not
to go to college, may our society and peers be
enlightened enough to realize that your
decision should not be an artificial barrier to
you when you come up against those who have
selected the route of higher education.
For no matter what you eventually decide,
you will always be the "star" in my mind - just
as they are today.
Sincerely,
Grandpa Dick
A Reasonable Compromise
, The moratorium compromise between the
Pork Producers and Pa.’s BAI seems to be a
reasonable one. It gives economically hard-hit
swine producers with PRV some breathing
room, while still keeping a handle on the
disease until a complete alternate program is
developed.
It places a lot of responsibility on those
swine producers and others who will be
drafting the program. Some farmers in the
coming few months are going to have to spend
as much time on it as they almost spend on
their own operations.
The PDA’s BAI is to be lauded for its
cooperative stance in the compromise effort.
The past is past now and all efforts should
be directed at the future. This is not a wm-lose
situation for anyone concerned. If an effective
alternative program can be devised to control
and eventually eradicate PRV without
jeopardizing operations, then everyone wins -
the state, the producers and the entire
agricultural community
3:30 p.m. Wicomico Youth x
Civic Center, Salisbury, Md.
Forage Conference, 8:30 a.m. -
3:30 p.m. Mountain View Hotel,
5 miles east of Greensburg.
Dairy Feeding Programs, McKean
County.
Annual Lancaster County Ag In
dustry Banquet, 7 p.m., Historic
Strasburg.
AWAKE OR SLEEP
November 18,1984
Background Scripture:
1 Thessalomans 5.
Devotional Reading:
i Thessalomans 4; 1-12.
1 Thessalomans is likely Paul's
earliest letter to one of his chur
ches-or at least that we still have
today. Scholars believe that it was
written about 51 A.D., barely
twenty years after the death and
resurrection of Christ and still
very early in Paul’s ministry.
What I have cited above,
however, is not just of historical
interest. It is, rather, a very im
portant factor to be considered in
evaluating what Paul has to say in
this letter.
THE DAY OF THE LORD
It is obvious, if we read all of 1
Thessalonians, that Paul expects
the glorious return of Jesus to be
quite immanent. He did not expect
that death would claim the
Thessaloman Christians before
Christ returned in his glorious
power. They were counseled to be
ready at all times, so that they
would not be caught unprepared.
By the time Paul writes some of
his later letters - Philippians and
Colossians, for example, some ten
years later-he is no longer
speaking of Christ's immanent
return. In fact, Paul has stopped
speculating when and how that
Second Coming will be. Instead, he
NOW IS THE TIME
Most of the outside field work is
finished for this year. I also know
that every farm has machinery
that needs repair and service. If
you are planning to have this done
at your machinery dealer, it would
be wise to contact him in the near
future so it’s on his work schedule.
I’m aware of the spring rush next
March and April; and I know your
local serviceman will appreciate
the work during the fall and into
the long winter days. It can also
save time in case parts need to be
ordered to complete the job. The
objective is to be planning for this
repair work now. Have it done so
you’re machinery is ready to go
early next spring.
No doubt most livestock
producers have faced the problem
of wild birds during snow covered
days. These birds come by the
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
Phone 717-3944851
To Repair Machinery
During The Winter
To Be Aware
of Wild Birds
counsels; “When Christ who is our
life appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory"
<Colossians3;4).
Paul had apparently come to
realize that, it is not so important
when and how Christ will return to
glory, but that we live in eternal
readiness for him. Paul did not
know when Christ was returning,
but it didn't matter, for, regardless
of that, Paul knew what he must be
domj lust live so close to
Christ that, whelner he returned or
didn’t, nothing could take
from Christ’s grasp.
LIVE WITH HIM
God has destined us, says Paul,
tor "salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ, who died for us so
that whether we wake or sleep we
might live with him.” There’s the
key for all of us concerning the
Second Coming of Christ. If we live
closely to him, we need never be
caught unprepared.
Thus, the waiting to which they
are called is a rather delicate
balance. On the one hand we must
never be so unmindful of it, that we
forget to be ready. On the other
hand, we should never be so pre
occupied with it that we fail to
devote ourselves to the here and
now.
And what should we be doing
while we wait for his return in
glory? Paul states it clearly.
admonish the idle, encourage the
faint-hearted, help the weak, be
patient with them all" (5:14).
Tfrus, instead of debating about
Christ's return, we need to be
doing the things we'd want him to
find us doing when that day does
come.
Obviously, Paul was in error in
thinking about Christ would soon
return. But that does not detract in
any way from Paul’s counsel to
both the Thessalomans and us.
■Whether we wake or sleep we
might live with him.''
thousands and feed from livestock
bunks and feeders. They not only
eat feed but their droppings
present very unsanitary conditions
for everyone. Also, since the birds
fly from farm to farm, they are a
definite source of spreading
various diseases. Unfortunately,
we do not have a real good cure for
the problem. They can be screened
out of confinement buildings. One
farmer obtained results by dipping
a half inch rope in creosote, then
tacking it on top of the roosting
area, giving discomfort by
irritating the feet. Another farmer
suggests using a shallow pan with
about a half inch of salt on the
bottom with a thin layer of lard
over the salt so as the bird pecks
through the lard they pick up the
salt. In buildings without livestock,
a rotating light makes the birds
dizzy and they will not stay long. In
any event... good luck.
To Order Small
Fruit Plants Early
This may strike you as
premature, but this is a good time
to order small fruit plants for next
spring. Although you won’t put
them in the ground until April, you
should be flipping through catalogs
now. Ordering early assures you of
a wide selection of the best
varieties. Companies begin filling
orders with their best stock ... if
you delay you could be stuck with
what’s left over. Ordering early
also means you’ll get your
strawberries or raspberries or
whatever at the best time to plant.
So, dig out those catalogs now ...
get your order in ... and be
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