AlO-Lancasttr Fanning, Saturday, Jana 14,1986
OPINION
National Press exposed to Dairy Farms
A group of Washington D.C.
press correspondents and
television crews were introduced
to farm life this week when they
were escorted through two Chester
county dairy barns. One a free stall
operation on Hopeland Farm and
the other a tie stall barn on the
New Bolton Center Research
Farm.
Even U.S. Congressman E.
“Kika” de la Garza, Chairman of
House Committee On Agriculture
got in on the act by milking a
holstein cow from the research
farm herd for the benefit of the
national press. The occasion was
the press conference on location
called by the School Of Veterinary
Medicine, University of Penn-
sylvania, at Kennett Square to
publicize the research findings to
date cm bovine somatotropine. The
Until then, an extra bale of alfalfa
Now that we’ve had a chance to
calm down from the initial shock of
the first published reports that
somatotropin was going to in
crease milk surpluses by 40 per
cent and put half of the family
fanners out of business, maybe we
can make a more rational
judgement. And maybe we can
prepare ourselves for this new
biotechnology when it becomes
availabe for on-farm use.
Dr. William Chapula at the
school of veterinary medicine,
University of Pennsylvania, says
that 1989 is the earliest possible
time the product can be completely
tested and approved by the Food
and Drug Administration. That
means any dairy farms, large or
small, that go out of business over
the next three to four years will do
so for reasons other than
somatotropin.
In addition, a more pratical
estimation of the increased
production that will result from the
on-farm use of somatotropin would
be 10 to 20 percent according to Dr.
Chapula. That means that at the
average of 15 percent a cow
milking 60 pounds per day would
with proper management be ex-
Farm Calendar
Saturday, June 14
ranklin Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Kauffman’s Com-
Adams Co. Dairy Princess munity Center, Chambersburg
Pageant, Biglerville High Lebanon Co. Dairy Princess
School, 8 p.m. Pageant, Annville Elementary
Beaver-Lawrence Co. Dairy School, Annville.
Princess Pageant, Laurel High Big Weekend Dairy Goat Show and
School Cafeteria, New Castle, 8 Annual Meeting Pa. Dairy Goat
P-m* Assoc., Huntingdon
Erie Co. Dairy Princess Pageant, Fairgrounds, contact Jane
Cass Farm, Wattsville Smeltzer, 814-359-2073.
BOY 0773, OVER IhlE
YEARS YOU'VE. POT
A LOT OF ENERGY
into DAIRY
PRODUCTION
research funded by the veterinary
school and American Syanamid
Company is progressing into the
second lactation of the cows in the
testing program.
These reporters spent five hours
writing shorthand notes, filming
and recording the responses of
professors, farmers, and company
personnel in the dairy bams and on
the lawn of the AUam House at
New Bolton Center.
When these reporters returned to
Washington later Monday af
ternoon, they went with a sample
of local cheeses and mushrooms
and a little manure on their shoes.
But the hospitality of the spon
soring groups could be expected to
show up favorably in the national
reports about the farmer and the
new biotechnology.
pected to milk 69 pounds.
To administer somatotropin in
the form presently proposed for on
farm use each dairy cow must be
injected with the product each day.
That would make the smaller;
well-managed family farm better
able to utilize the new technology
than a large herd owner. The small
family farm with a tie stall
operation may actually be
preserved because the product can
give him a new competitive, cost
effective tool to reduce his
production costs.
So with these new facts it looks
like we need to find something
other than somatotropin to blame
for our dairy industry problems, at
least for three or four more years.
In addition, family farms will have
at least an equal chance with
corporate farms to survive in the
age of biotechnology.
And in the meantime if you need
an extra 10 to 20 percent increase
in milk production until the
proposed protein-based
somatotropin is available, give
your top-producing cows an extra
bale of very excellent quality
naturally protein-enriched alfalfa
hay each day. That should do it.
M| 0m
~ Wi*
now is
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Encourage Water Consumption
In the managing of any type of
livestock or poultry it is very
important to obtain maximum
water consumption. Some
animals, such as a heavily
producing milk cow, will drink 30
gallons of water per day. All
animals should have free access to
water at all times. In the summer
the water should be as cool as
possible, and in the winter warmed
water will increase consumption.
Open troughs might be covered
unless the water is flowing through
the trough.
One way to encourage good
water intake is to provide access to
loose salt and minerals. These
Sunday, June 15
Dairy Farm Open House, Charles
Rogers Farm, Everitt’s Rd.,
east of Rt. 202/31, Raritan Twp.
Open to public 1-5 p.m.
Annual Convention, Pa. Grocers
Assoc., Valley Forge Con
vention Center, King of Prussia,
contact John McNelis, 215-884-
6006.
Annual Convention, Pa. Food
Merchants Assoc., Valley
Forge Convention Ctr., contact
Dave McCorkle, 717-234-6031.
Jefferson Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Edgewood Dairy,
Brookville.
Monday, June 16
NIR Van, Gettysburg Shopping
Center, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. vo-ag
shop.
Penn Ag Tax Forum, General
Sutter Inn, Lititz, 10 a.m.,
contact David Brubaker, 733-
2238.
Tuesday, June 17
FFA 60th Annual Mtg., Penn State
University, thru June 19,
contact, Charles Lebo, 717-783-
6965.
Sullivan Co. Wool Pool, Dushore,
7:30-11.
4-H Demonstration Night, Hun
tingdon Area Middle School, 7
p.m.
Huntingdon Co. Ag Forum, Big
Wrangler, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 18
Elk Co. Dairy Princess Pageant,
Royal Motel, Ridgeway.
Thursday, June 19
Mercer Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Mercer Extension
Center, Mercer.
Bedford Co. Maple Syrup
Producers Directors Mtg.,
Extension Office
Huntingdon Co. Fair Directors
Mtg., County Fairgrounds
office, 8 p.m.
WELL TRAT'3
BECAUSE.,,
items will not only help water
consumption but will balance the
ration and help promote more
complete digestibility. During
warm humid weather, we humans
drink more liquids. Livestock and
poultry will do the same when
given the chance. This is good
management and will increase
efficiency in production.
To Keep Pesticide Records
Today’s battle with insects,
fungus, rodents and weeds
requires the use of many different
chemicals. It is important to keep
an accurate record of any
chemical used. This would include
the date, name of material, ap
plication rate, field number and
even the direction the wind is
blowing. This might save a lot of
trouble and loss of income in case
there is some question.
Many food items are being
checked by Food and Drug
representatives for pesticide
residues. It is possible to find
residues even where the producer
followed regulations and every
recommended practice. Your
records would be very important in
these cases. In any event, always
follow label instructions.
To Practice Good Sanitation
The prevention and control of
various diseases starts with a good
sanitation program. This is also
true in the reduction of serious fly
Background Scripture;
Jeremiah?: 1-15; 26.
Devotional Reading:
Jeremiah 26:1-16.
As a minister I was always
confronted with two seemingly
contradictory tasks: (1) to per
suade people that regular worship
Bedford Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, North Bedford High
School, Loysburg.
Cumberland Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Embers Convention
Center, Carlisle.
Lycoming Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Lycoming Mall,
Muncy.
Perry Co. Dairy Princess Pageant,
Newport Fairgrounds,
Newport.
Pa. Forestry Assoc., Regional
Dinner, Quality Inn,
Williamsport, contact, Robert
Clark, 717-766-5371.
Saturday, June 21
Arts on the Square, Elizabethtown,
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
York Co. Farmers Assoc. Annual
Farm Tour. Headquarters,
Andersons Butcher Shop,
Wellsville Rd.
Lancaster Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Farm and Home
Center, Lancaster.
(Turn to Page A3 l)
A LITTLE
HABIT
June 15,1986
Friday, June 20
problems. We are experiencing a
fly build-up in some areas. Here
again, the place to start is to clean
up the premises and eliminate all
breeding places. This practice
along with the use of approved
insecticides should keep flies to a
minimum.
Residual wall sprays, fly baits,
space sprays and larvacides can
be used to reduce the fly problem.
To Feed Shrubs After
Flowering Period
Most people know that their
plants do better if they’re fer
tilized, but many ask when is the
best time to feed shrubs. One
important thing to remember is
that shrubs need feeding im
mediately following their
flowering period.
For small shrubs, use one-half a
handful of a complete fertilizer
such as a 5-10-10 or similar
analysis. The fertilizer should be
placed on the surface of the soil
around the plants and lightly raked
in.
After you’ve applied the plant
food to the soil, it should be soaked
in with rain or a healthy watering.
Large plants, of course, may be
given a larger amount of plant
food.
Once a plant is firmly and fully
established, and in good growing
condition, then it may not need
regular fertilizer application.
is a vital part of Christian
discipleship, and (2) that it is not
the most vital part.
It is a very human tendency for
ministers and congregations to
work on proposition #1 to the ex
clusion of #2. If we can persuade
people to come to our church, we
count ourselves successful. The
more people who come and the
more often they come, the better. I
once had a District Superintendent
who seemed utterly content if our
Sunday worship statistics kept
advancing at a steady pace. What
happened as a result of all that
church attendance didn’t seem to
concern him at all. If I had had to
tell him that church attendance
had dropped off because some
people took exception to what I
preached, he would have been
most distressed - and so,
probably, would I.
THE TEMPLE!
The problem arises when our
worship doesn’t have any positive
effect upon the way we live our
lives. The problem, of course, is
not with worship but the wor
shipper. This was the essence of
Jeremiah’s sermon in the temple.
The people of Israel assumed all
was well because people were
coming to the temple regularly for
worship. The priests were happy
with the crowds and the people
were confident that all was well.
Everyone was satisfied - except
Jeremiah.
“Do not trust in these deceptive
words,” said Jeremiah. ‘“This is
the temple of the Lord, the temple
of the Lord, the temple of the
Lord’” (7:4). Their trust was not to
reside with a building, but with the
vital relatidnship they were to
experience there.
DECEPTIVE WORDS
For all their temple worship the
people of Israel were living in ways
that displeased God. “Behold, you
trust in deceptive words to no
avail,” preached Jerusalem. “Will
you steal, murder, commit
adultery, swear falsely, burn in
cense to Baal, and go after other
gods that you have not known?”
(7:8,9). If our worship is worth
anything at all it will produce the
kind of living that God wants so
much more than ritual and even
faithful attendance in the temple.
There’s a bit of doggerel I
remember:
They’re praising God
on Sunday,
But they’ll be all right on
Monday,
It’s just a little habit
they’ve acquired.
Habitual worship of God is vital
to our spiritual condition, but it’s
got to be more than a meaningless
little habit we’ve acquired.