AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 3, 1987 OPINION It “Wonders” Us (Continued from Page A 1) their church districts are broken and more pressure from tourists is exerted on their peaceful countryside. Of course, a more objective question relates to the ag land preserva tion laws in existance at the present time. Both the National Agricultural Land Protection Policy Act and the Pennsylvania Prime Agricultural Land Policy play a major roll in what highway planners can do with prime agricultural land. The purpose of the National Agricultural Farm land Protection Policy Act is to minimize the extent to which federal programs contribute to the unnecessary and irreversible conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses. Since 80 percent of this project as it now startds will utilize federal monies this national Ag Land Protection Policy Act certainly applies. This national act requires that effort is made to be compatible with the state, local and private programs and policies that protect farmland. Alternative actions as appropriate that could reduce adverse effects are to be taken. In Pennsylvania the policy of the commonwealth is to protect through administration of its current programs and regulations, the state’s prime agricultural land from irreversible conversion to uses that result in its loss as environmental or essential food production resource. Stale funds and federal grants administered by the state shall not be used to encour age the conversion of prime agricultural land to other uses when feasible alternatives are available. So we would suppose these existing laws would stop any road build ing that settled on a corridor down through the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. Of course Penn Dot officials say the no-build option will be considered as much as any of the other proposals. Since the northern corridor suggested by the Lancaster County Ag Land Preservation people was not surveyed to hook up to Route 41 at Gap and since the route out across mine ridge was not given serious con sideration, because it was more costly, this no-build option may be the only one allowed by law. What really wonders us is, will the Amish be blamed for the no-build option, when in fact, the planners refuse to seriously consider the alter natives that would both take care of the traffic problems and allow the Pennsylvania Dutch community to continue to exist. We’ll all know when the planners come back to their meeting in December to tell us what they have decided behind closed doors. Farm Calendar Saturday, October 3 PFA McKean Co. Meeting, Halls Restaurant, 7 p.m. Monday, October 5 PFA Lycoming Co. Meeting, Hep bum Fireball, 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 6 PFA Montour Co. Meeting, Trini ty Methodist Church, Danville, 7 pm. Eastern Milk Producers meet Syra cuse N.Y. 6 & 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 7 Lancaster Co. Conservation Dist., Farm & Home Center, 7:30 p.m. Capon Conference, Thrifti Inn, Warrendale National Broiler Council Confer ence, Marriott Hotel, Washing ton D.C. 7-9 p.m. Western PA Sale of Steers, Butler, noon Thursday, October 8 PFA Dauphin County Meeting, Middletown Fire Hall, 7 p.m. PFA Montgomery Co. Meeting, Kulpsville Fire Co., 7 p.m. jag. PFA Juniata Co. Meeting, Zim mics Diner, 7 p.m. PFA Warren Co. Meeting, Lolts villc Church, 7 p.m. PFA Center Co. Meeting, Pleasant Gap Grange, 7 p.m. PFA Northumberland Co Meet ing, Social Club, Sunbury, 7 p.m. PFA Wayne Co. Meeting, Bethany Church Hall, 7:45 p.m. PA Egg Marketing Assoc. Mtg. Olde Hickory Inn, Lancaster 7 p.m. PA Assoc, of Conscrvauon Dis trict Directors Convention, Trc vose Hilton, 8-10 p.m. Friday, October 9 PFA York Co. Meeting, Dallas town Fire Hall, 6:30 p.m. Franklin Co. Meeting, Femaster Community Building, 7 p.m. PFA Mercer Co. Meeting, Exten sion Office 7 p.m. PFA Union Co. Meeting, Dreis bach Church, 7 p.m. Md. Egg Marketing Association Banquet, 6 p.m. NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agriculture Agent To Beware of Spiny Pigweed in Pastures Redroot or redroot pigweed is a common, easily recognized annual weed in gardens and cultivated fields. We are now seeing the first cousin of this weed - spiny redroot - appearing in many areas of the county. If you do not know what spiny redroot looks like, you can tell real quickly what it feels like by care fully rubbing your fingers along the stem. Two needle-shape spines occur at the juncture of each leaf with the stem. These spines pre vent all grazing animals from eat ing these plants. Consequently, we arc seeing tremendous numbers of these weeds appearing in many pastures, along cow paths and in open spaces or loafing areas. Some have been found in alfalfa fields, a bad situation. These weeds now have mostly red stems and can eas ily be spotted. The plants should be cut before heading out and going to seed. For control, use Banvel or any of the 2,4-D type herbicides. You can spot spray the plants now but the best time would be just about the time in May when com plant ing lime is over. The important Saturday, October 10 PFA Berks Co. Meeting, Ag Cen ter, Reading, 7 p.m. PFA Columbia Co. Meeting, Humidia Grange Hall, 7 p.m. PFA Luzerne Co. Meeting, Briggsville, 7 p.m. PFA Schuylkill Co. Meeting, New Ringold Fire Hall, 7 p.m. Monday, October 12 Tax Workshop, Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 8:30 Mon day and Tuesday. PFA Bucks Co. Meeting McCon nclsburg Fire Hall, 7 p.m. PFA Snyder Co. Meeting, West Snyder High School, 7 p.m. PFA Bradford/Sullivan Co. Meet ing, Wysox Fire Hall, 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, October 13 PFA Bedford Co. Meeting, Everett High School, 7 p.m. PFA Clinton Co. Meeting, Lamar Grange, 7 p.m. Wayne Co. Ag Preservation Bond Referendum Educational Meet ing, Extension Office, 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 14 Veterinary Nutrition Forum, speaker-Dr. Harold Hintz. Bradford Co. Holstein Meeting (Turn to Pago A3l) thing is to spray the pasture. A sec ond application to kill late appear ing weed seedlings would likely be needed. Always follow label instructions when applying any pesticide. To Salute 4-H National 4-H Week runs through the week of October 5. I wish to congratulate the 3,637 members, 599 volunteer adult leaders, and the professional youth workers for their accomplishments and service to Lancaster County. Through 4-H projects and activ ities, youth from all social and eco nomic backgrounds, both rural and urban, demonstrate that they can make a difference in food produc tion, conservation of our natural resources, improve economic understanding, and in the formula tion of future career decisions. As a result of the fine exchange programs, 4-H also contributes to international understanding and increased world food production. Four-H provides an important pathway to the future for many youth. To Sow A Fall Cover Crop Our concern for soil conserva tion should include a cover crop following com, tobacco, or other row crops. This is an excellent practice and we encourage all far mers to keep their land covered with some vegetation during the winter months. The cover crop could be any winter grain crop or domestic ryegrass and field bromegrass. Then next spring the growth can be pastured early and then plowed down or used in a no- SOMETHING VENTURED October 4,1987 Background Scripture: Genesis 11:27 through 12:9 Devotional Reading: Hebrews 11: 8-12. Many of us arc aware that there have been times in our lives when we have probably passed up some opportunity or task that God was offering us. Perhaps it was a call to a specific vocation, or maybe to respond with love and helpfulness to someone in their time of need. Whatever, we failed to respond and now it is too late: we’re no lon ger able to respond, we’ve gotten older, and so forth. That may have been the way it seemed to Abraham. After all, he was 75 years old, an age when most people have dropped out of just about everything. He had already done his share of venturing for God with his father, Terah, who had moved his whole family from the safety and security of Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran. Surely a move as extensive as that would be sufficient. till grain operation. Cover crops not only add organic matter but help to hold the topsoil during the winter months. They are well worth the investment. You need to be that some herbi cides such as atrazine and simazine applied at the higher rates, will affect germination, but if used at one pound of actual material per acre, it will be safe. To Store Apples Properly This is apple picking season and whether you grow apples or just like to eat them, here’s some infor mation on how to store them. Remember that cool apples will keep longer. Ideally, they should be stored at 33° Fahrenheit at 90% humidity and in dim light or dark ness. Since most people can’t pro vide these ideal conditions, the next best thing is a family-type refrigerator. Just put the apples in a plastic bag, then close the bag loosely or punch a few holes in it so the air can circulate. Now as to picking, it’s a good practice to store the fruit in shade as it’s picked, then allow it to stand in the orchard overnight to cool. Then, place the apples in storage early in the morning before the temperature rises too much. If you leave apples in a packing shed or in piles under the tree for one week, you’ll shorten their stor age life by about five weeks. So keep apples cool, maintain good air circulation during storage and your apples should keep a long time. The Cooperative Extension Service is an affirmative action, equal opprtumty educational opportunity “I WILL BLESS YOU” Actually, for some reason Terah had not gone far enough. Instead of going on into Canaan, as he had intended, he and his family stopped and settled down in Haran, which today would be in the coun try of Syria. And there, according to Genesis, he lived until he died at the age of 205. We don’t know why Tenth had decided to leave Ur for Canaan. Genesis doesn’t tell us whether God figured in that decision. Of the next development, how ever, there was no doubt. It was God who said to him: “go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that 1 will show you” (12:1). In this incident, as well as the whole story of Abraham, we find that God makes very few demands upon him; no elaborate rituals, no exact ing moral codes, no doctrinal tests. What God requires of Abraham is the faith to venture forward into the unknown. And, although we know very little about Abraham’s character. Genesis portrays him as a man of faith; “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him” (12:4). AORAM JOURNEYED ON The world we live in today is a far cry from the one Abraham knew. Our ethical and moral choices are often complicated and painted in shades of grey. Our soc iety is complex and our lives are anything but simple. Still, despite our different milieu, faith in God often means the same kind of ven tursome faith that Abraham typified. And, as with Abraham, it is nev er too late. We are never too old or too far along in life. Although we’ve missed many opportunities and challenges along the way, there is always time and resources enough within us to respond in faith as he did. For it is still true that with God, something ventured is something definitely gained. (Based on copyrighted Outlines pro duced by the Committee on the Uniform Scries and used by permission Released by Community & Suburban Press)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers