OPINION
Farm/Gty Week Gets People Together
Last week a local shopping mall
got a head start on Farm/City
Week. Farm animals from a cow to
chicks, piglets and ducks, yes even
turkeys spent thffweek in the mall.
These good-will representatives
for farming were talked to and
petted by hundreds of shoppers.
Several children with their
mother were overheard to express
great anticipation about the farm
animals as they entered a store
from the parking lot. This an
ticipation was expressed before
they even entered the mall. Ob
viously, the news had been
published, and this family was
responding with anticipation to the
animals they were about to see.
Of course, the mall reportedly
has an increase m business when
the farm animals come to town.
But the important aspect of this
happening to us is the relationship
that is forged between rural people
and urban people. We depend on
each other for products and ser
vices that are essential to modern
business and living. Today’s
farmer relies upon the skills and
abilities of a vast number of
specialists to assist him in his job
of providing food and fiber for the
nation. He could not operate for
one week if these services were not
available. Likewise, the businesses
which serve agriculture could not
exist without the farmer. And the
consumers they serve couldn’t last
a week without the output of these
two groups.
Actually, the State Farm/City
Week kicks off in November when
the Franklin County Farm/City
Council will host the State
Farm/City Kickoff Banquet at 6
p.m. Tuesday on the 11th at the
campus of Wilson College m
Chambersburg. The county
r
Farm Calendar
Saturday, November 1
Bucks County Holstein Association
annual banquet, Kellers
Church, 7 p.m. Contact Joseph
Peters at 215-348-5591.
Herr Farms Angus Sale, Not
tingham, 10 a.m.
Upper Leacock Women’s Club
spaghetti dinner, 4:30 to 7:30
p.m., War Memorial Building,
Leola.
Woodlands Management
Program, Cook College, 9 a.m.
to 4:15 p.m., $2O. Mail
registration to N. J Native Plant
Society, P.O. Box 1295 R,
Morristown, N. J. 07960.
Sunday, November 2
Standardbred Horse Sale, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg;
continues through Nov. 7.
uncle ons, d ovoom/E
agricultural commodity queens
will serve light refreshments.
Dinner will be served at 7 p.m.,
dnd Dr. Richard Grubb, secretary
of the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture, will be the keynote
speaker at the banquet.
Each year local, state and
national farm/city councils
sponsor a Farm/City Week, which
begins the Friday before
Thanksgiving and continues
through Thanksgiving day. The
purpose of- the week is to help
create an understanding of the
problems faced mutually by rural
and urban residents. Farm/City
Week is sponsored by a statewide
committee of 50 organizations in
cooperation with the National
Farm/City Council Incorporated.
Membership on the committee
includes representives from
government, business, industry
and agriculture. Annually the
State Farm City Council
recognizes the top three counties in
the commonwealth for their
promotional and educational
activities in implementing farm
city events. Franlkin County was
the first place winner in 1985. The
first place county award recipient
hosts the State Kickoff Farm/City
Banquet each year. The other
county winners were second place
Lebanon Farm/City Council and
third place Berks County
Farm/City Council. The recipient
of the organization award was a
Pennsylvania District of Kawanis
International.
Our hats are off to the winners of
the Farm City Week promotions.
And we would encourage everyone
to get involved with this worthy
project this year. These activities
provide a great place to bring
people together.
Monday, November 3
Octorara Young Farmers
Banquet. Contact Ivan Stauffer,
Octoraro Vo-Ag Dept. 215-593-
8259. Topic: Farm Stress.
Mercer County Barn Meeting,
Mastitis Control and Milking
Systems.
Adams County 4-H Beef
Show/Sale, Wengers Saddlery,
north of York Springs on Route
15. Show, 10 a.m.; Sale, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5
Lancaster Conservation District
board meeting.
W. Pa. Flower Growers Bedding
Plant Clinic, Howard John-
son’s, Monroeville.
Flemington County, N.J., Board of
Ag meeting, Extension Center,
8 p.m.
WHAT DO YOU) IT
NEED THEM
FOR ? f MV
HOILOWEEN
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Prevent Pneumonia
As temperature and weather
conditions vary considerably from
day to day and from hour to hour,
precautions need to be taken to
prevent pneumonia. Pneumonia
causing organisms are normally
present in the respiratory tract,
but under periods of stress an
animal’s resistance can be lowered
to the point where it can no longer
fight off the infection. So, it’s
important to minimize stress on
animals.
Keep barns well ventilated, but
avoid cold drafts. This may
require frequent adjustment of
doors and windows, or the proper
installation and use of fans. Good
ventilation prevents the buildup of
stagnant, moist germ-laden air.
That’s important! Also avoid
overcrowding. During inclement
Thursday, November 6
Lancaster County Holstein
Banquet, 6:45 p.m., Country
Table Restaurant, Mt. Joy.
Bradford County Extension
Banquet, 7:45 p.m., Elks Club
Meeting Room, Towanda.
Contact: Extension Office, 717-
265-2896.
Mercer County Cooperative Ex
tension Annual Meeting,
Mercer County Extension
Center, 7 p.m.
1986 Forum “Critical Concerns
of U.S. Agriculture,”
Philadelphia Society for
Promoting Agriculture.
Unit 1 Sire Power annual meeting,
Broadway Grange, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, November 7
Wayne County Holstein Club an
nual meeting and dinner,
Belmont Corners Fireball, 8
p.m.
Saturday, November 8
North American International
Livestock Expo, Louisville,
Ky.; continues throgh Nov. 21.
Baked Ham Supper, Goodville Fire
Hall, 2 p.m. Adults, $6; children
under 12, |3.
Pa. State Beekeepers Association
annual meeting; contact Mrs.
Glenn Crimbring, 717-673-8201.
Lancaster County 4-H Lamb
Roundup, Manheim Farm Show
Fairgrounds, 11 a.m.
Monday, November 10
National Grange Convention,
Madison, Wise.; continues
through Nov. 16.
Berks County 4-H Recognition
Night, 6:30 p.m., Berks County
4-H Center.
m
and rapidly changing weather
conditions, one should also
minimize stresses associated with
transporting animals, weaning,
changing feeds, deworming,
vaccinating, etc. When necessary,
consult your veterinarian for
advice on immunization and
treatment.
To Be Aware of Spring
Pigweed in Pastures
An annual summer and fall weed
we see increasing in farm pastures
is the thorn covered redroot or
pigweed. The weed is a first cousin
of our common redroot - except
this one has spines on it. No animal
eats it for obvious reasons. Spiny
pigweed grows freely in too many
pastures, causing considerable
loss in grass production in our
county.
The weed can easily be seen. It
appears red all over, particularly
the stem, in the fall. Touch the
plant - carefully - and you will
come in contact with the horrible
spines. Grazing animals avoid it,
100 percent.
Spring pigweed can easily be
controlled by Banvel or 2,4-D Ester
applied in late May and early June
when in its seedling stage. A
second herbicide application likely
will be needed as a cleanup to get
late germinating weed seeds.
Mowing the pasture helps, but the
weeds will always recover.
Unless we soon obtain control of
this bad weed, it will get into our
hay fields.
To Check Stand-By
Generators
The winter season brings with it
snow and ice storms that can
Pa. Farmer’s Union Annual
Convention dinner, 6 p.m.
Genetti Lycoming Hotel,
Williamsport; meeting con
tinues through Nov. 12.
Sulbra Crop Management
Association Directors, Brad
ford Extension Office, 8 p.m.
THE “ALSO”
FACTOR
November!, 1986
Background Scripture: 2 Kings 17
Devotional Reading: Hosea4;l-6.
In a day and age m which many
Christians are able to recognize
that other religious traditions often
represent other paths to the same
God, it may seem that the story in 2
Kings 17 is sadly out of step. For
the writer makes it very apparent
that Israel’s demise is directly
attributable to their divided
loyalties between the Lord and
other gods. For this reason, “the
Lord was very angry with Israel,
and removed them out of his sight”
(17:18).
SINS OF JEROBOAM
One could easily draw the
conclusion that other religions
have no truth in them and that God
tolerates only one faith, all others
being an abomination calling for
damage and kn. .k out our supply
of electricity. Most farmers are
badly crippled without electricity,
so the need for a stand-by
generator is recognized. I know
that many poultry farms in par
ticular already have this equip
ment. However, if the generator is
not in good working condition, it
may not do the job in case of
emergency.
These generators should be run
once a week to reassure yourself
that they are in good running
condition. If it is a tractor hookup
type, take the time to make that
connection each week. When the
power goes off, you don’t have time
to run tests of the equipment to
make sure it’s in proper working
order.
To Be Careful With
Space Heaters
Colder weather is here and we
see many types of heating
equipment being used. Most of
these are quite acceptable
provided they are properly used
and vented. In some cases the
fumes from the fuel can be the
cause of suffocation and personal
injury; in other cases they can be a
fire hazard. If temporary heaters
are used; we suggest extreme care
be used to be certain they do not
make people ill or present a health
hazard. Your local fire department
officials, or a local plumber, will
be able to give additional
assistance. Don’t take chances
with the health of your family or
your employees.
The Cooperative Extension Service is an
affirmative action, equal opportunity educational
institution
Tuesday, November 11
State Farm/City Kick-off Banquet,
6 p.m., Wilson College,
Chambersburg.
Grape Production School, Lan
caster Farm and Home Center;
continues through Nov. 13.
(Turn to Page A3l)
suppression and destruction. Yet,
I’m not convinced that that con
clusion is necessary. Whenever in
the Old Testament God warns
against other religions, it appears
it is the moral results of those
beliefs, not the theologies them
selves that he is opposing. The
Sepharvites burned their children
as sacrifices to Adrammelech and
Anammelech. The Canaanites
indulged in sacred prostitution.
The Assyrians set up idols. And so
on the religions of Israel’s
neighbors were wrong, not because
they were alternative routes to the
same God, but because they
produced a kind of morality that
could never lead to the God of
Israel.
Much of the problem with Israel
is attributable to Jeroboam. When
he and the 10 northern tribes split
away from the tyrant Rehoboam
and the two southern tribes of
David, the writer of 2 Kings tells us
that he “made them commit great
sin” (17:21). It was this sin that
eventually caused the downfall of
Israel, ending in the dreadful
Assyrian captivity.
FEAR NO OTHER GODS
Actually, it was not that they
utterly and totally rejected the
Lord of Israel, for as the writer
says, “They also feared the Lord
..(17:32), but it is the world
“also” that was their undoing. “So
they feared the Lord but also
served their own gods ■• •”
(17:33). Like many people today
their religion was eclectic,
borrowing a little bit here and a
little bit there. It didn’t occur to
them to ask whether their various
practices could be harmonious
with the commandments of the
Lord.
Today then, as always, the
question is not merely whether we
believe in God, but whether we are
content to live in ways that are
harmonious with that belief.
(Based on copyrighted Outlines produced by the
Committee on the Uniform Series and used by
permission Released by Community & Suburban
Press) *