OPINION
None Of Us Will Rest
To look out your bedroom win
dow in the middle of the night and
see your bam on fire is one of the
most fearful events that can hap
pen to a farmer. The bam is the
center of farm family activity. The
animals you love are housed there,
and the year’s crops. And the
expensive tractors and other
machinery. In addition, the bam
represents a wealth of family and
community history. The old date
stone somehow gives you a sense
of belonging. Your roots are thus '
defined.
And to loose all this emotional
and economic wealth in a sizzling,
steaming, smoking, crackling,
roaring inferno is about all a far
mer can take-if it’s an accident If
the fire is set by an arsonist it’s
intolerable.
That’s what’s happening in the
back mountain area of Luzerne
County. Twenty bam fires since
May have area farmers and volun
teer firemen reeling.
Now a group of farmers and
property owners are meeting regu
larly to keep informed and provide
support for those who have been
hit This group has faced the prob
lem, not only of the unsolved
crimes, they also find little infor
mation available to help them
know what to do. So they are doing
| FARM FORUM our readers write j
Editor:
In noting the saying posted in a
Lancaster County Place, “THE
THINGS THAT MAKE MEN
AND RIVERS CROOKED, IS
FOLLOWING THE PATH OF
LEAST RESISTANCE,” noting
such I thought of the happy faces
on the Lancaster County Tourist
folders depicting the happy faces
on the models. Of course, things
change and as captioned, the Farm
Show this week, Jan. 14, 1988,
“The Evolution of Excellence,”;
the thought occurred that, as farm
land is hard to come by, perhaps
the smiling faces are more an
expression in having an actor’s job
than in a high resulting from the
good country air? Now I wander if
new highways, through the farm
valleys, roads to nowhere in parti
cular, however attractive to tour
ists, will be as enchanting; espe
cially to those whose farms will be
mutilated?
200, yes two-hundred years of
labor. It follows wherever an
exploitable item or someone has a
buck, happy lifestyle, one has?
There are ten sharpies trying,
vieing to promote some phase of
the Money Game! “The Evolution
of Excellence.” For 6,000 years
sharpies have been exploring ways
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
At Record-Express Office Building
22 E Main Street
Lititz, PA 17543
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stminrmn Enfrprk*
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
CapyrtfM ISM by l>ne—
iturday, January 30, 1988
what they can under this difficult
situation.
If you are in an arsonist-known
area of activity, block off parking
spaces around bams and other
buildings whenever possible, they
say. Use anything available, like
logs, wagons or barbed wire. And
remove farm machinery from
bams and cover them with tarps to
minimize losses if the bam bums.
Keep the path of the farm pond
open and free from snow. Record
license numbers of suspicious
vehicles.
Many people have responded in
friendship to those farmers who
have experienced loss. And the
community cooperation drawn
together by this concern provides
one positive aspect in the ongoing
story. But the weariness of those
involved is evident. The uncertain
ly as to when and where the arson
ist may strike again is frustrating.
We can only extend heartfelt
sympathy for those who have suf
fered and applaud those who are
doing what they can to prevent
future damage.
Yet an arsonist is still at large.
And none of us in the farm com
munity will rest until the perpetra
tor of these hideous crimes is
brought to justice.
to exploit what God did in seven
days. It sure seems that the now
proposed potential for another bill
boarded review of smiling faces,
Tourist Trappings, turn out to be
another doggie search for the right
holes. Having hung theirs in the
cloakroom in keeping with clean
and green $lOO million proposal,
they now want to grab some of the
tourists’ response to, “You have a
friend in Pennsylvania.” So few, it
seems, remember when friendship
was a virtue instead of an indus
try.... Tourism? Family farmers?
“Evolution of Excellence?”
‘Too big to do little things....
Too little to do big things!” Such
rings a bell! Anyway, what is it to
me? Aside from some of, the, my
tax moneys, being a man, what
affects others also affects me.
Further having been raised under
similar circumstances, grown
through years of involvement in
Community affairs one learns the
ABC’s the XYZ’s, the rest of the
alphabet Not that the PhD.’s,
BS’s, etc., aren’t very much a part
of designs and things. However,
one can fast lose interest in a good
thing like the family farmer and
unique Lancaster County lifestyle,
(Turn to Pago A 36)
ft
’Ji
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Transfer Silage
Many temporary silos were used
last fall to store the extra silage
needed to feed our dairy and feeder
cattle. Our Agronomy Specialists
tell us that any silage to be moved
from a temporary storage to an
upright storage should be done in
cold weather. When moved in
warm weather (over 40*) there will
be more chances of heating and
molding. Make the transfer in cold
weather and do it as rapidly as pos
sible. No additives or preserva
tives should be needed in this
process.
By transferring to the upright
silo, you can utilize the mechanical
feeding equipment in your upright
silo.
To Plan Your Estate
During my lifetime the manage
ment of farm labor, livestock,
crops and machinery has been very
important in order ot obtain maxi
mum production. Many farmers
have excelled in these areas. Now,
as we look into the mid-eighties, I
feel that money management is of
growing importance to the farmer
and warrants much morew atten
tion and knowledge. The planning
of your estate, including the mak
ing and updating of a will and also
the proper farm transfer are con
siderations that are very important,
especially with recent changes in
the tax laws.
Today, the average farmer
handles more money in one month
than their ancestors did in a year?"-
We urge more attention to estate
planning and money management
as part of good farm management
We would encourage you to
attend the Estate Planning Meeting
chi February 25 and the Farm
Transfer meeting on March 10 -
both start at 7:30 p.m. in the Farm
and Home Center, Lancaster.
Attorney John Becker, Farm Law
Specialist and Dr. Larry Jenkins,
Farm Management Specialist at
Farm
Calendar
Saturday, January 30
York Co. 4-H Beef Banquet
Seven Valleys Fire Hall. 7 p.m.
Cathy Wise 717 757-9657.
Monday, February 1
PA Nurserymen and Allied Indus
try Conf., Through Jan. 5. 9
a.m. to 5 p.m.Call Tom Becker,
757-9657 for info.
Pesticide Exams, all categories. 9
(Turn to Page A3l)
Penn State University will be the
speakers.
To Control Wild Birds
The problem of starlings and
other birds in farm buildings and in
feedlots is quite common and one
that is very difficult to solve.
During the cold weather, birds
are searching for feed in buildings
and feedlots. Some people use a
stuffed owl or a tape with distress
bird calls. Others use a caulking
type cartridge with a stick-um
material and bead it on top of raf
ters where birds roost. The use of
window screening over open
ducts, windows and doors is
another way to keep them out of
buildings. For the open feed lot,
control is not easy.
Birds not only consume feed,
but are unsanitary and carry lice,
mites and disease.
To Protect Your Lungs
Be it in the coal mines or on the
farm...dust can destroy lungs. Far
mers who are exposed to dust over
YOU—AN ANSWER
TO PRAYER
January 31,1988
Background Scripture:
Matthew 9: 35 through 11:1
Devotional Reading:
Matthew 10: 24-33
When we think about answers to
prayer, it is usually from the per
spective of how and when God
answers our prayers and how, per
haps, we know that he has
answered them. There is, however,
another perspective that most of us
overlook; ourselves as answers to
prayers. Often, the problem is not
that God doesn’t answer prayer,
but that we don’t.
I vaguely remember a story
about a little boy who was found
crying on a busy city street. He had
been sent to the store by his
mother, but lost his money along
the way. A curious passerby
stopped to console him and was
amused that the little boy said he
had prayed that God would send
someone to help him. “Apparent
ly,” said the man, “God didn’thear
your prayer.” With that the little
boy stopped crying and said with
conviction: “Oh yes, he heard it all
right and he told someone to help
me, but they didn’t listen to him.”
So, there are times when we
need to be just as concerned about
being an answer to prayer, as get
ting one. Did you ever stop to think
how many times a day people pray
to God for help and you could be
all or part of the answer to their
problem? There is also the prayer
which Jesus raised in Matthew
9:37 when he says, ‘The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few;
pray therefore the Lord of the
harvest to send out laborers into his
harvest” How often have you read
long periods of time risk the disab
ling disease called “farmer’s
lung”. As the dust accumulates in
the lungs the tissue hardens. This
can lead to a variety of respiratory
ailments including bronchitis and
asthma. If the condition is not
diagnosed soon enough, irreversi
ble lung damage may occur.
Preventing farmer’s lung
doesn’t necessarily require any
elaborate or expensive equip
ment...a simple mask when dust
can’t be avoided... for example
when handling dry bedding,
sweeping dusty walls or walks or
grinding and mixing feed.
Keeping the overall level of dust
down is also helpful. Therefore as
soon as feed sacks or chemical
containers are emptied they should
be discarded in the proper trtanner.
Regular housecleaning' of'.work
areas is another good idea. Not
only will the area look bet
ter...you’ll feel better without all
that dust in your lungs.
those words without realizing that
you are meant to be an answer to
that prayer?
WHAT TO EXPECT
How does one go about being an
answer to prayer? Actually, it is
still pretty much as it was when
Jesus sent out the twelve and
charged them. “And preach as you
go, saying. ‘The kingdom of
heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse lepers* cast
out demons” (10:7). Wow! What a
commission! No wonder so few of
us ever are aware of this prayer and
our need to answer it. What do we
know about proclaiming the king
dom of heaven or of healing the
sick, raising the dead, cleansing
lepers and casting out demons?
The answer: no more— and prob
ably no less— than the disciples to
whom Jesus first gave that
commission.
Furthermore, Jesus does .not
paint a rosy picture. There wiH be
those who accept the message and
those who reject it and us. We may
even "be persecuted if we remain
faithful to what the gospel is all
about. When that happens, it does
not mean failure, for we should
expect to experience what Jesus
experienced: “A disciple is" not
above his teacher, nor a servant
above his master. It is enough for
the disciple to be like his teacher
and the servant like his master”
(10:24,25).
Our sufficiency for this task to
which he calls us is not ours alone.
We will be empowered by the
Holy Spirit; “do not be anxious
how you are to speak or what you
are to say; for what you are to say
will be given to you in that hour;
for it is not you who speak, bttl the
Spirit of your Father speaking
through you” (10:19,20). We tan
be an answer to prayer if we
depend upon God to give us the
power to do what he asks of us.
Do we really believe that prom
ise? If we do, why is it that we do
seldom venture forth to be an
answer to someone’s prayer?
(Based on copyrighted outlines produced
by the Committee on the Uniform Senes and
used by permission Released by Community
and Suburban Press)