AlO'LMcnter Farming, Saturday, October 18,1986
OPINION
Support Friends of Agriculture
BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
A lot of people have had a hand in
developing the Pennsylvania
Friends of Agriculture Foun
dation. And many more people will
help reach a goal to establish a $1
million endowment that will earn
income to subsidize ag research
and informational projects. The
board of directors for the newly
formed foundation, as reported
last week, includes an elite group
.of persons in the agricultural,
research and agribusiness com
munity. They listed the following
types of programs that may be
supported by the foundation.
—Provide grants for studies on
methods of providing clean water,
clean air, and soil conservation
and for preparation of educational
materials to disseminate the
findings.
—Provide grants for research on
animal health and diseases which
threaten the livestock industry,
plant disease and other production
problems and to develop programs
to disseminate the results and
findings of such research.
—Provide grants for research into
and development of waste disposal
methods to curb or eliminate
pollution of underground and
surface water systems, and
develop programs to educate the
public on the problem and
potential solutions.
—Develop media programs for
radio and television and prepare
printed materials for educational
seminars to inform and educate
the public on agricultural issues,
and to sponsor seminars and
speakers.
—Sponsor educational and in
formational activities and provide
financial assistance to school-aged
youth organizations such as, 4-H,
Future Farmers of America, and
sponsor conferences such as, youth
camps, to develop interest in
agricultural pursuits and
awareness of opportunities among
young persons.
—Disseminate information to the
Farm Calendar
Saturday, October 18
Pa. Shorthorn Breeders Autumn
Classic, Waynesburg; contact
Richard Peoples, 412-533-4473.
Discovery ‘B6 Club Calf Sale,
Lebanon Fairgrounds, 1 p.m.
Sunday, October 19
Open Gate Farm Tour Day, Lehigh
County.
Monday, October 20
Farm City Week begins.
National Association of Extension
4-H Agents, national con
ference, Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center; continues
public on job career opportunities
in agriculture through seminars,
printed materials and an
nouncements on radio and
television.
—Provide grants for studies to
economic structures and the
economics of agriculture to
develop information valuable to
the agricultural and industrial
community for development of
agricultural methods,
mechanization, products and
marketing.
—Develop programs designed to
preserve farm land.
—Fund scholarships for students
in higher education in agricultural
areas, particularly animal health,
plant disease, marketing and
environmental aspects of farming.
—Sponsor research and analysis of
present forms of taxation as it
affects the economics of
agriculture and to develop
alternate methods of taxation with
regard to the agricultural industry
in Pennsylvania.
—Preservation of agricultural
industry for the year 2,000, in
cluding allied industries.
It’s obvious this effort deserves
the monetary support of everyone
who has an interest in the future of
agriculture in Pennsylvania, in the
nation and in the world. While the
Pennsylvania Farmers
Association initiated the idea, they
opened it up so that a large cross
section of agriculture and
agbusiness leaders will have a
hand in administrating the foun
dation. Already the funds have
begun to flow into the treasurer.
Some suggested ways to invest in
the future of agriculture through
this foundation include: outright
gift, bequests, deferred gifts,
charitable remainder trusts, lead
trust, and life insurance gifts.
Whether it be through one of
these ways or by some other
creative plan that you may devise,
we think a great number of people
will want to make contributions to
the Pennsylvania Friends of
Agriculture Foundation.
r
through Oct. 25. Contact Donald
Tanner at 717-385-3431.
United Egg Producers annual
meeting, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Tuesday, October 21
Plant Propagation Seminar, Erb
Brothrs Nursery, Lancaster,
8:30 ( a.m to 5 p.m. $6O
registration fee. Contact Pa.
Nurserymen’s Association, 1924
North Second Street,
Harrisburg, Pa. 17102; 717-238-
1673.
Kent County, Maryland, DHIA
meeting, 7:30 p.m. Kent County
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Graze Cautiously
We receive many phone calls
concerning the damages of
pasturing forage crops after being
frosted. All of the permanent
grasses such as bluegrass, or
chardgrass or bromegrass can be
safely grazed at any time of the
year; this is also true of any of the
small grain cover crops such as
rye, wheat or barley. All of these
are not toxic when frozen and
usually do not present any bloating
problems.
However, the legumes such as
clover and alfalfa should be grazed
very carefully. They are not toxic
after being frosted, but will cause
severe bloating if consumed while
the frost is on the leaves. Allow the
frost to thaw, and the plants to dry
off before turning in the herd or
flock.
Also, any of the Sudan grasses or
sorghum hybrids should not be
grazed for at least a week after
being frozen. Neither should the
new growth, after being frozen, he
consumed.
Extension Office, Chestertown,
Md.
Wednesday, October 22
Plant Propogation Seminar,
Stoneboro Nurseries,
Stoneboro, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$6O registration fee.
“Rural People and Places: A
Symposium on Typologies,’’
Grantville; continues through
Oct. 24. For information contact
A 1 Luloff, NERCRD, 814-863-
4650.
Thurday, October 23
Bucks County Holstein
Association’s Barn Meeting at
Jim Byers, Doylestown. Topic:
Barn Ventiliation.
Agway annual meeting, Syracuse;
continues through Oct 24.
Contact Richard Arnold at 315-
477-6506.
Adams County Holstein Banquet, 7
p.m. at Hainey Fireball.
Hunterdon County Farm Bureau
Resolutions Dinner meeting,
Ringoes Gmge, 7 p.m. For
reservations call 201-788-1338.
Friday, October 24
Texas Longhorn Breeders
Seminar, Sheraton Inn, Get-
tysburg; continues through Oct.
25.
Penn State Ag Festival; continues
through Oct. 25. Contact Betsy
Dupuis at 814-355-2768.
Columbia County DHIA meeting,
Orangeville Masonic Hall, 11:45
a.m.
Saturday, October 25
Pa. Simmentalt Association Sale,
Green County Fairgrounds.
Contact; Adeline Angevine, 814-
966-3762.
(Turn to Page A3l)
To Reduce
Egg Breakage
Egg breakage is costing poultry
producers a great deal. You would
be surprised how much. Some
poultry producers do not realize
how many eggs they are losing
because they do not keep an ac
curate record of them. In studies
where this has been checked
carefully, the percentage of eggs
broken range from 2 percent to five
percent up to 20 percent.
With a flock of 30,000 layers
averaging 70 percent production, a
loss of 4 percent is 84,000 eggs or
7,000 dozen a year. This loss comes
to $3,500 when eggs sell for 50 cents
per dozen.
Check the nests or cages for
needed repair. Often we find eggs
being broken right in the cages.
Check the egg trays. If these are
bent, they can break many eggs.
Careful handling will reduce
breakage if eggs are gathered by
hand. Trying for too much speed in
gathering may cause more loss
than a little extra time.
With mechanical gathering,
check the escalators to be sure
they are timed properly and are
not breaking eggs. Check the
onentors to be sure eggs are not
piling up. This is an egg cracker on
many farms.
To Be Careful
Around Manure Pits
This is the time of year that
many liquid manure pits will be
cleaned out and spread on the
land; the crops have been har
vested and the ground is open
enough to absorb much of the
liquid; this is necessary rather
than to apply it on frozen ground. A
pass over the field with a disc will
reduce the possibility of odors a
great deal.
Background Scripture
Devotional Reading
Isaiah 60* 19-22
King David’s encounter with God
in 2 Samuel 7 is an interesting
experience based upon a play on
words. David begins to feel con
science-stricken that, while he, as
King of Israel, dwells in a beautiful
dwelling of cedar wood, the Lord
still has no permanent home
among them but the tent or
tabernacle which the people of
Israel carried with them in the
wilderness and on into the
promised land.
THE HOUSE OF DAVID
David resolves to build a house
for the Lord, but, through Nathan,
God informs him that he shall
concentrate, not upon a house for
the Lord, but upon his own house or
family which God shall bless and
make into a great dynasty: “And
your house and your kingdom shall
be made secure forever before
me” (7:16).
What an honor and privilege for
David and his generations! If God
were to make that promise to any
BLESS THIS
HOUSE
October 19,1986
2 Samuel 7
When these pits are emptied
there is a danger of poisonous
gases being present. If the mixture
is agitated before being moved
then good ventilation must be
provided above the pit. Also, never
go into a pit without a gas mask or
some type of respirator. Keep in
mind these gases can be explosive
as well as poisonous to man and
animal. Special care is needed in
and around manure pits.
To Control Mice
and Rats
As the weather turns colder,
mice and rats seek shelter and
migrate from the outdoors to the
indoors and they may choose
your home.
When nights become chilly, mice
and rats move into garages,
storerooms and barns. And if there
is food in the area, they’re likely to
set up housekeeping there until
colder weather drives them into
your house.
Mice can crawl through holes
and cracks as small as a dime.
They can enter where pipes go
through the wall. And some are so
bold, they’ll run through an open
door while you’re entering the
house.
If you find signs of mice activity,
there are two good ways to get rid
of them. If there are just a few
mice, a trap is a good remedy. Bait
the trap with bacon, peanut butter
or cheese and set it near a wall so
that the trigger is pointed towards
the wall. If a large number of mice
are present, than baits are more
effective. The bait should be put in
bait stations so that children or
pets cannot get to it.
The Cooperative Extension Service is
an affirmative action, equal opportunity
educational institution.
of us, we would be on the
proverbial “cloud nine.”
But there is more here than
privilege and honor-there is also
God’s purpose and heavy
responsibility for David and his
progeny. God is selecting David,
not to lift him above all others, but
because he has a purpose to fulfill
through David. If the honor is
great, the responsibility is even
greater.
You and I may not be ear
marked for greatness as David
was, but nevertheless God blesses
each of us and our own “houses”
for the same reason: he has a
purpose to fulfill through us. So,
when we ask God to “bless this
house,” it is with the un
derstanding that blessing carries
with it responsibility.
“I WILL CHASTEN”
And, along with the blessing and
responsibility, there is also an
accountability. God says of
David’s son, Solomon, “I will
chasten him with the rod of
men...” David and his descendents
will not be above the law, but, like
everyone else, they will be held
accountable by God. So we, too,
must realize that, if God blesses us
and our house, he also, like a
father, holds us accountable when
we do wrong. In fact, because we
are closer to God, we will need to
be even more sensitive to the ways
in which we please or displease
him.
But, when we are chastened and
reproved by God, let us remember
his promise to David: “but I will
not take my steadfast love from
him” (7:15). Even when we stray,
God still offers his love and blesses
our houses.
Based on copyrighted outlines produced by the
Committee on the Uniform Series and used by
permission Released by Community & Suburban
Press