AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, August 8, 1987 OPINION America Thinks Agriculture We often wonder what the American public thinks about agri culture. Last year AgFocus, A Pro ject Of America’s Governor Incor porated, tried to help answer that question with a detailed study by the Gallup Organization. They wanted to pinpoint Ameri ca’ s understanding of various key issues and attitudes toward these issues as they relate to the business of farming. The basic survey showed that: Six careers were njore popular with respondents than farming, and only three were less popular. Similarly, there were seven careers they would prefer for their children above farming and only one they would like less. While respondents in limited numbers cited some advantages to farming, such as being self employed, several counterbalanc ing disadvantages were cited, such as poor income and weather uncer tainty. In assessing the nature of the farmer’s life, respondents overwhelmingly saw it as hard physical work, risky, and at the mercy of price changes. A majori ty also felt that family-owned farms will give way to big business farms. Regardless of where they live, a majority of respondents had close contacts in the past or present with relatives or friends who are far mers, a substantial proportion had once worked on or lived on a farm, a small minority were currently in farming, and the few who had owned a farm in the past were con centrated in upper age brackets. While over half the respondents were willing to estimate farm I FARM FORUM our readers write Jj safe. After a lightning bolt travels 1,000 feet through air, why anyone would think six inches of rubber would insulate die car is beyond me. The same holds true for a trac tor. If you are in a field sitting on top of six tons of steel and a thun derstorm comes up, get off the tractor and head for low ground or shelter. The tires won’t protect you. After all, wood is an excellent insulator of electricity, but light ning frequently hits trees. One other item that wasn’t men tioned is that lightning sometimes gives a few seconds warning before it strikes. A sudden build up of heat, or your hair standing on end, or a blue glow around an object is the buildup of static electricity before lightning strikes. This happens only seconds before it strikes. So jump for low ground. Pete Flynn Westtown Editor: After reading the article entitled, “Lighming-Don’t Take Chances With It,” August 1 issue, I found it surprising that the author is still alive. The common sense safety tips lacked common sense and safety. 1. If you are riding a horse when a thunderstorm hits, dismount and get away from the horse. If you crouch next to the horse and light ning strikes the horse, the lightning may very well jump from the horse to you or electrify the ground enough to kill you. 2. When driving a car, stay inside the car in the middle of the car. The tires do not provide insu lation. If lightning hits the car, the electricity will follow the metal and ground through the tires. As long as you are not touching the sides of the car, you are relatively RAT'S/ I SPILLED MY JUICE incomes, the resulting median esti mate for average yearly gross income was lower than that indi cated by available statistics. Con versely, the median estimate for average yearly net income was higher than statistics would indi cate. Few respondents were close in estimating either the percentage of the nation’s total population engaged in farming or the percen tage involved in agribusiness as a whole (agriculture and other food related jobs). Similarly, few respondents, correctly estimated agriculture’s contribution to the Gross National Product A majority of the respondents saw positive effects on the food supply from modem farming prac tices, citing increased production most frequently, while a small minority saw negative effects. A substantial majority pointed to effects on the environment; but of these few could name a specific practice, and those who could mentioned the use of pesticides and insecticides most often. A majority of those who saw effects on the environment described them as negative. A majority said modem methods affect food qual ity, but they split about equally as to whether the effects were posi tive or negative. A strong majority said that they serve to raise prices, while a minority felt that by help ing to increase production, the methods help to lower prices. Not many of the respondents saw effects other than those on supply, environment, quality, and price; and a near majority thought that (Turn to Page A 34) A I NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent To Review the New Pesticide Control Act Recently enacted amendments to the Pennsylvania Pesticide Con trol Act, have brought about some important changes. There are new requirements for certification and recertification for private applica tors. To be certified, the private applicator shall pass a written examination administered at an approved test site by the secretary or his agent For your convenience, exam sites have been established state wide. Contact your nearest Penna. Department of Agriculture Reg ional Office for details. In our area the Southeast-Central Penna. Office at Summerdale’s number is 717-787-3400. A private applicator shall be recertified as competent with respect to the use and handling of restricted use pesticides upon the successful completion of an update training program as determined by the secretary. The program shall include, at a minimum, a review of certification topics, but shall NOT CHOSEN BUT UNCHOOSING August 9,1987 Background Scripture: Romans 9 through 11 Devotional Reading: 10 1-4 Romans 9 through 11 is one of those passages of the Bible that Christians have tradi tionally used to make a case against the Jews. Paul is very specific in these three chap ters; the Jews, God’s chosen people, have failed to respond to God’s Son, and thus have violated their special status with the Lord. Even Paul’s assurances that it is not too late for them to be saved, if they will simply respond to Christian preaching and ac cept Christ, are nevertheless powerful amunition for those who want to castigate the peo ple of Jewish faith. God’s “chosen people” have not chosen to follow the one for whom they were chosen. WHO IS “CHOSEN”? The irony is that today this DID WE GET ANY RAIN LAST NIGHT OT/e>f U include a written exam. All update training programs must be pre-approved by the P.D.A. with a meeting number assigned. Private applicators will need to acquire six (6) Core and six (6) Category credits during the three years proceeding the expira tion date of their permits. Training requirements are as follows: Core Areas include Labeling, Safety and Health, Environmental Protec tion, Equipment, Application, Laws and Regulation... Category areas include Pest Identification, Pesticides and Integrated Pest Management It’s important to note that if your license expires September 30, 1987, you’ll need 4 credits (2 Core and 2 Category); if it expires Sep tember 30,1988, you’ll need 8 cre dits (4 Core and 4 Category) and March 31,1990, you’ll need the 12 credits (6 Core and 6 Category). To Plan For Fall Wheat Seeding The time is fast approaching for our wheat growers to be making plans for their fall seeding. Some of the local wheat may not be satis factory due to the weed seeds found in some fields this year. If you use local wheat, be sure you know the source and have it cleaned and treated for disease. Also, if you had a scab problem this year, do not plant wheat in the same field this fall; the fungus can remain in the soil. Certified seed would be the best route to take if you experienced any problem with scab or powdery mildew this year. The extra cost' for certified seed is well worth it to help insure a good crop next summer. passage from Romans in a con demnation, not just of the Jews, but even more of Christians. Paul’s point in Romans 9-11 is that, because of their special status with God, the Jews should have recognized and accepted the Christ. Of all people, Paul is saying, they should have known who and what he was. It was not lack of knowledge, but of a willful misunderstanding that led them to default on their rela tionship with God. Paul asks: “Have they not heard?” and then quickly answers: “In deed they have (10:18). The Jews heard, “But they have not all heeded the gospel” (10:16). Actually, then, according to Paul, it is not that God has rejected the Jews, but that Farm Calendar Saturday, August 8 Fox Hill Angus Lawn Sale, Ken nett Square. % Eastern Pa. Championship Hols- tein Show, Kutztown, 10 a.m. American Association of Meat Processors Convention, Louis ville, Ky.; continues through I DON T KNOW ABOUT RAIN BUT WE DID GET 1.7 INCHED OF GRAPE JUICE r C£ To Renovate Old Pas tyres Late August and early Septem ber are good times to establish a new pasture, or renovate an old one. In fact, this is a good time of the year to make any pasture or lawn seeding. The old sod should be destroyed by cultivation or by a herbicide. After the soil has been treated with lime and fertilizer, according to a complete soil test, it can be seeded and should produce good grazing for next summer. The advantages of a fall seeding is to permit time for the new plants to become established before the 1988 hot weather arrives. The cool, moist fall months should give the plants a good start. The Agro nomy Guide lists some good seed ing recommendations. To Stay In Touch With Creditors Maintaining a close relationship with your creditors and telling them about your financial status won’t likely ease your debts, but will ease your creditors’ mind. Creditors get concerned when someone owes a sizable bill and they never see him. By staying close to your creditors, you may be able to write another payment plan. Some bankers will renegoti ate the payment schedule and add a year or two, thus cutting down the monthly or annual payments. You may also need to visit about refinancing. In most cases you will be paying a higher rate of interest and it may not be beneficial, but it still deserves a look. It’s worth the time and effort to visit with your creditors. The Cooperative Extension Service is in affirmative action, equal opportunity edu cational insutution. they have thus far failed to heed his revelation in Christ. Paul furthermore makes it clear that he is not condemn ing the Jews; ‘‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they will be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened” (10:1). THE SUBSTITUTE Could not these words of Paul be just as appropriate for us today? As I look around the world at all kinds of Chris tian groups, the problem is generally not a lack of zeal, but of enlightenment. Lots of Christians, it seems, have actually let zeal become a sub stitute for enlightenment. So, what we need to do when we (Turn to Page A 25) * Aug. 11. McKean County 4-H Horse Show/ Roundup, Fairgrounds, East Smethport.. Bradford County Holstein Picnic. Chester County 4-H Market Hog Sale. Monday, August 10 South-Central PA Championship Holstein Show, Shippensburg, 9:30 a.m. Tioga County Holstein Show, • Whitneyville, 9 a.m. York County Pesticide Recertifi cation Training, Extension Room, 7:30 p.m. Bedford Co. Fair, through August 15, Bedford. Butler Co. Farm Show, through August IS, Butler. Greene Co. Fail - , through August 15, Waynesburg. Kutztown Fair, through August 15, Kutztown. (Turn to Pago A 34)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers