OPmON
Vote Yes For Farmland
(Continuad from Pag* At)
Of course, we’ve heard a lot
about this subject. The concept of
preserving valuable farm land has
been a major discussion m Pen
nsylvania for nearly 25 years.
Much of the fine tuning of the farm
land preservation as a public issue
came late in the ’6os after former
Governor Raymond P. Shafer
appointed a committee to study the
issue. But while all of the states
around Pennsylvania initiated
programs to provide public funds
to pay farm owners for the differ
ence between farm land values and
development land prices, Pennsyl
vania’s governors and legislators
have generally agreed with the
idea but have never provided the
funds to accomplish the task.
Now that has changed. The pre
sent legislature and Governor
Robert Casey have approved legis
lation to put the issue on the
November ballot. The question the
voters will be asked to vote upon
calls for a one-time $lOO million
bond issue to fund the purchased
development rights program in
Pennsylvania.
According to those of us who
support the preservation of family
farms, this is the most important
referendum question in recent
agricultural history. That means
that now is the time to start work
! Farm Calendar
Saturday, August 29
PA State Shorthorn Show, Hook
stown Fairgrounds.
Maryland State Fair, through Sept.
7.
Monday, August 31
Nitrogen Management Field Day,
Francis Mains Farm, 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, September 1
Centre County Holstein Show,
Centre Hall, 9:30 a.m.
Maryland State Fair, through Sept.
7.
Wednesday, September 2
Lancaster Co. Conservation Day
Mtg., Farm & Home Center,
7:30 p.m.
Garrett Co. MD Manure Mgt,
Workshops, Deer Park Fire
Hall, 9 a.m.
PA Food & Drug Council meet.
Rural Elective Assn, confer
ence Room, Harrisburg, 10:30
a.m.
Friday, September 4
Central District Dairy Show,
Beaver Springs, 9 a.m.
Saturday, September 5
Southwest District Dairy Show,
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ing for a yes vote in this important
referendum.
Certainly farmers will want to
vote yes. But also tax payers,
workers, naturalists, hunters, vaca
tioners and consumers will want to
vote yes also.
At the rate we are losing farm
land in Pennsylvania, we won’t
have a second chance. In 1965
agriculture utilized all 7.3 million
acres. In 1969 Pennsylvania had
about 8.9 million acres in farms. In
1978 census of agriculture reve
aled that the number had fallen to
8.7 million acres. A loss of 2.6 mil
lion acres in 13 years. Of course,
the trend is not uniform throughout
the state. Some areas lost more
than others. But the loss cannot be
denied.
But now we have a chance to do
something about it. Many groups
and organizations have taken posi
tive positions on farm land preser
vation. This is an indication of
grassroots support for preserving
prime farm land. Every voter in
Pennsylvania should be prepared
to do whatever is necessary to
promote passage of the upcoming
referedum at the Tuesday, Novem
ber 3, general election.
So get prepared to vole yes for
farm land. And get your urban and
city friends to join you with a yes
vote, too.
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Martinsburg, 9 a.m. *
Mon Valley District Dairy Show,
Washington Co. Fairgrounds, 9
a.m.
Northwest District Dairy Show,
Crawford County Fairgrounds.
Susquehanna Co. Holstein
( Show.
Tuesday, September 8
New Jersey Holstein Bam Meet
ing, William Terhune, Belvi-
dere, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, September 9
veterinary Nutrition Forum.
Speaker - Dr. Peter Van Soest.
New Jersey Holstein Bam Meet
ing, William Teels, Cokesbury,
8 p.m.
Veterinary Nutrition Forum Din
ner Meeting, Host Town, 7 p.m.
Thursday, September 10
York County Pesticide Recertifi
cation, Extension Room, 7:30
p.m.
Schuylkill County Ag Extension
Annual meeting, 6:30 p.m.
New Jersey Holstine Bam Meet
ing, William Petit Jr., Vincen
town, 8 p.m.
/i
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
(■ Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Mow or Not
To Mow Alfalfa
Each year we receive a lot of
calls as to whether alfalfa should
be cut the first part of September or
not. According to crop authorities
it is not just a simple yes or no
question. If you have left one of
your cuttings go into full bloom,
then you do not need to be con
cerned; however, if you have not,
then do not cut the first two weeks
of September. The reason for this
is, it’s the period when the plants
are storing food in developing rhi
zomes for next year’s growth. To
disturb this development will
result in less rhizomes and less
growth next year. The final cutting
can be made in late September or
early October. On stands that have
been established this spring, from
which one or two cuttings have
already been made, it’s best to
allow it to stand; this will give a
little better winter protection.
FOR GOD’S SAKE!
August 30,1987
Background Scripture: Romans
14:1 through 15:13.
Devotional Reading: Romans
14:5-9.
I wish that the 14th chapter of
Romans were printed in headline
size type. Starting with the very
first verse: “AS FOR THE MAN
WHO IS WEAK IN FAITH,
WELCOME HIM, BUT NOT
FOR DISPUTES OVER OPIN
IONS.” If Paul were taken serious
ly by a majority of Christians, it
might just about ruin church life
for many. . .
I’m reminded of the story about
an elderly Scotch Presbyterian
elder who was visited by his minis
ter. Tiptoeing into the room, the
man’s nurse informed him that
“the Reverend” was there to pray
for him. Suddenly the old man’s
Bradford County Dairy Day, 4-H
Building, Troy Fairgrounds, 10
a.m.
Capon Conference, Thrift! Inn,
Warrendale, 8 a.m.
Friday, September 11
Fall Holstein Championship
Show, Ag Arena, PSU
IT SOUNDS) LIKE
YO O'VE HAD A
BOS>Y MORNING..
... WHAT ARE yOU
PLANNING- ON
doing- next ?
IpVj^
potash fertilizer this fall is a good
practice. Use your soil test results
as a guide on rates of application.
To Be Safe During
This Busy Season
We are entering one of the
busiest and most hazardous times
of the year... silo filling and com
picking time. Blend into that time
wheat and barley planting and the
last cutting of alfalfa. This means a
lot of farm machinery will be on
our highways during semi-dark or
dark hours.
Slow moving vehicles such as
farm equipment traveling on high
ways presents a real traffic hazard.
The motorist must recognize that a
tractor traveling at 10 to 15 miles
per hour is almost standing still
compared to a 55 mph car. Most
highway drivers have never driven
a farm machine on the highway
and simply do not realize how slow
they do travel.
Proper identification and warn
ing is real important Let’s keep
alert this busy fall season both on
the highway and in the fields.
This sorghum-like grass is a
problem on many fields in this part
of the state. There are cases where
nothing is being done to control
this weed; for those I would
remind you that Johnsongrass is
listed as a noxious weed in Pen
nsylvania. In com there is little that
can be done at this time of year
except cut the seed-head off and
bum them. It’ll require treatment
at planting time.
However, in other fields such as
eyes lit up and he raised his head to
protest loudly: “I dinna want him
to pray for me; I want to argue with
him!” And as Paul so clearly pre
dicted, that’s what religion is for
many people: disputes over opin
ions that are unfortunately
regarded as no less than divine
revelations.
WHO IS RIGHT?
Paul was addressing a growing
problem in the early church; dis
putes over Jewish food laws. The
Jewish Christians continued to
abide by these laws and harshly
judged the Gentile Christians who
did not. Similarly the Gentile
Christian looked down upon the
Jewish Christians for their obser
vance of laws that they regarded as
sheer Pharasaism.
Who is right? Paul’s answer;
neither and both. Actually there is
no virtue in either observing or
breaking these laws except that
which the individual imputes to it.
As Paul puts it, “I know and am
persuaded in the Lord that nothing
is unclean in itself; but it is unclean
for anyone who thinks it unclean”
(14:14). So, both the sin and the
virtue are to be found in the mind
York'Fair, September 11-19.
New Jersey Holstein Bam Meet
ing, Dale Petterson, Alloway, 8
p.m.
Saturday, September 12
Autumn HarvesfClassic II Sale.
Spring Bottom Polled Hereford
Farm, Fairfield.
t!
To Control
Johnsongrass
Johnsongrass reaches TA to 3
feet... in the boot stage... the plants
may be sprayed with Roundup.
These plants are very heavy seed
producers; a few plants allowed to
go to seed this fall will mean hun
dreds of plants next summer. John
songrass is fast growing and will
crowd out most farm crops. We
urge landowners to make every
effort to eliminate Johnsongrass
from their farm. The 1987-88
Agronomy guide lists control
information.
To Appreciate
Lancaster County
While attending the National
County Agent’s meeting in Fargo,
North Dakota last week, we had
the opportunity to visit farms in the
beautiful Red River Valley area.
Their main crops are wheat, sugar
beets, potatoes, hay, sunflowers,
flax and barley with some com and
soybeans. Yields are less than
what we experience because their
annual rainfall is only about 17
inches compared to our 42 inches.
I was impressed with the rich black
soil that ranged in depth from 5 to
60 feet. The country is flat and the
rivers run north; that’s right, north.
The speakers were very infor
mative and inspirational but the
most important part for me is the
exchange of ideas and concerns
with agricultural agents from all
states in the U.S. You really appre
ciate the many good things that we
have at home.
The Cooperative Extension Ser
vice is an affirmative action, equal
opportunity educational
institution.
of the individual, not the act or
absence of it.
We find that there are many
things that are inherently neither
good or bad. Sex, for example, can
be either. Money, too. Even atomic
energy. The key is the usage to
which we put it. Thus one person
can eat “in honor of the Lord,”
while another “abstains in honor of
the Lord and gives thanks to God”
(14:6).
FREE & OBLIGATED
It would seem, then, that Paul is
opening wide the door to doing
whatever we want so long as we
can do it to the glory of God. But
once again Paul strikes a balance
between freedom and obligation.
One should never use his or her
freedom in any way that will cause
another person to fall into sin. Paul
says: “If your brother is being
injured by what you eat, you are no
longer walking in love” (14:15).
Whereas on the one hand we are
free tb follow our own conscience
wherever it may lead, we are not
free to use our freedom in a way
that is harmful to someone else.
Paul goes on to say, “For the
kingdom of God does not mean
food or drink, but righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Spir
it.” And to that statement could be
added a long list of other things
that the Kingdom of God does not
mean: disputes over opinions, per
sonal pettiness and bickering, ego
and power trips, and any items
over which Christians manage to
raise a controversy.
“Do not, for the sake of food (or
any of the above) destroy the work
of God!” No, for God’s sake
and your own “let us no more
pass judgement on one another.”
NOTE: Rev. Althouse will lead
a 9-day Holy Land Pilgrimmage,
March 11 -20,1988 with an option
al extension to Greece. To inquire
or register, please contact him at:
Ist United Methodist Church,
Ross & Harwood Sts., Dallas, TX
7520 L
(Based on copyrighted Outlines produced
by the Committee on the Uniform Senes and
used by permission Released by Community
& Suburban Press)