Onbei
a farm
-And o
hazar
Joyce B
You’ve all heard that classic
debate: which came first, the
chicken or the egg? Here’s
another, related, debate for you to
consider; this one deals strictly
with mothers who also feed
livestock.
Where do you first leam to
referee: for the kids or for the
animals?
How well I recall the scrapping
when they were little..
“You got the biggest piece! ”
“No! You got the biggest piece!”
And then a duo of voices. “Mom!
Make (him)-(her) stop taking the
biggest!”
This argument was equally
applicable to pieces of pie, a spot in
Ourag
lenders
know
both Sides Because at common- A
£ wealth, we’ve always
rtf' '%/jfkl if known that south central M
Jr Pennsylvania can only
beas strong as ltsa 9 r| - r i,i
lence. cultural economy COmiTlOllWealth
So our commitment to Mrw4 nnl |
farming continues with I ICIIIUI kU Dal Ilk
our pledge to support
the agricultural commu
nity in every way
possible.
the sandpile, or part of the back
seat of the car. I only wish I could
comfort young mothers by
assuring them that, as the kids
grow older, such territorial mania
diminishes. It doesn’t. They just
argue louder.
Anyway, when it comes to
dividing food, I once heard a wise
approach to dealing with the “but
his piece is bigger” hassle.
One kid was instructed to make
the division: cut the pie, the cake,
or pick out the cookies. Then...the
other one got to pick his (her)
selection first. It didn’t take long
for the individuals involved to
learn to divide very equally or end
up with the lesser choice.
_jQL
To be a good ag lend
er, you have to know
farming as well as you
know banking. And
that’s the tough criterion
every Commonwealth
National ag lender must
If only calves couk oe so en
couraged toward Or
sheep, pigs, steers, turkeys, horses
or whichever members of the
animal kingdom you deal with on a
regular basis.
When our baby calves are tiny,
this is no problem. Each has an
individual pen, complete with its
own feed and water bowls, plus a
hay rack. After just a couple of
weeks growth though, the snitch
from-your-neighbor complex
starts to rear its ugly head.
Regardless of the quality or
volume of hay put in the rack,
what’s next door is inevitably
softer, greener and more flavorful.
Even if it means kinking a young
neck at a ninty-degree angle and
stretching the tongue two feet to
reach the neighbor’s coveted feed.
When calves are weaned and
moved into group pens, this ten
dency assumes full-blown
“hoggish” proportions. (Apologies
to my pork-producing friends for
the use of that term.)
Now comes the test of a feeder
schooled in the fine art of “mother
refereeing.” Just how do you keep
the pushy, oversized bully of the
pen from stealing all the feed the
Mild, Meek Millie Milktoast? And
what about poor little Shy Shellie,
the bashful heifer who stands back
behind the rest and refuses to
shove her head between a pair
dubbed Armytank and Bulldozer?
And that means hav
ing ag lenders in place
throughout our marketing
area.
Ag lenders who know
both sides of your fence
Count on Commonwealth
A Mellon Bank
n :
~ack to cut-the-pie strategy.
Armytank and Bulldozer must be
tricked into believing that
breakfast is served at only one
comer of the feed trough. Then,
while they’re busy gulping down
the goodies, the more backward
girls can be coaxed to'the other
side for their share. This will last,
maybe, until your back is turned,
when Armytank and Bulldozer will
level their shy penmates with the
swipe of a head and devour the
feed trough remnants. Sooner or
Saturday, April 12
Lancaster Society 7 meets at the
home of Miriam Beane for a
food and plant sale.
Lancaster Society 25 meets at the
Farm and Home Center for the
film Dolly’s Cradle.
Lancaster Society 2 meets for a fun
and games program.
Lancaster Society 19 meets at
12:30 p.m. to entertain Society
16 and county officers at
Member FDIC
—s *
■s
C*'—'
T""
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 12,1986-
later, the only solution for such
bullies is to move them into a pen
of others more their size or the old
dose- of- their- own- medicine
approach.
Frequently, my belief is reaf
firmed that kids are kids, be they
two or four-legged.
Someone should issue mothers
and farm wives who feed livestock
regulation black and white-striped
referee shirts.
Just call it the uniform of the
profession.
qt;.s_Cate
Lancaster Society 9 sews at
General Hospital.
Lancaster Society 6 meets at
Widow Finney’s at 10 a.m.
Lancaster Society 15 meets at 1
p.m. for a program by State
Rep. John Barley.
Lancaster Society 3 entertains
Society 35 at 12:30 p.m. at Zion
UCC.
Lancaster Society 25 entertains
Society 22 at the Farm and
Home Center.
Lancaster Society 18 meets at 1:30
p.m. for a program by Mary
Myers.
Wvkiii
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Tuesday, April 15
Thursday, April 17
Saturday, April 19
59