AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 19, 1988
OPINION
Honoring America’s Providers
Sunday is National Ag Day.
Every year since 1973 communi
ties and organizations throughout
the nation have celebrated a spe
cial day to honor American far
mers, and to tell the farmer’s story
to urban America.
This year, Bart Forbes,
nationally-known artist and desig
nated artist of the 1988 Olympics,
was commissioned to do an origi
nal oil painting to start a National
Ag Day collection. A large scale
reproduction of the painting is the
focus of a display on Capitol Hill
this week. The display is designed
to attract attention of all legisla
tors, especially those representing
urban America.
In addition, a TV special will air
during next week on about 135 sta
tions across the nation. This fea
ture called “American Farmers” is
the seventh in a series presented by
Elanco Products Co. and spon
sored by FMC and Ford Truck
Division.
The program features human
interest vignettes that tell the vig
orous story of American agricul
ture, the nation’s biggest industry
and biggest employer. Stories
Farm Calendar
Saturday, March 19
Bucks Co. Dairy Tour, 7 a.m. Bus
leaves from Doylestown Cor-
porate Center parking lot at 7
a.m. sharp.
1988 Eastern Shore Showcase
Sale, Hunter Sale Bam, Rt. 276,
west of Rising Sun, 11:00 a.m.
Berks County Guernsey Breeders
Association Annual Meeting,
Shartlesville Grange Hall,
Shartlesville. 11:00 a.m.
R.S.V.P. to Carl Holtenback,
RDI, Box 386, Bemville, PA
19506, by March 14.
“Farming in the Garden State,”
Hunterdon Central High
School, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 20
National Agriculture Day.
Monday, March 21
Agronomy Day, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. Forksville United Method
ist Church, Sullivan County.
PFA Legislative Tour, Harrisburg,
Hershey Motor Lodge, 12:30
p.m. registration, 6:30 p.m.
legislative banquet.
Region 3 4-H Leaders Meeting,
Lehighton Municipal Bldg,
7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 22
Farm Machinery Safety Seminar,
Sheraton State College, 9:30
a.m.
Increase Farm Profits Through
Energy Mgmt., Sheraton Inn,
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
At Record-Express Office Building
22 E Mam Street
Lititz, PA 17543
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMnrrmn Enfrprmo
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
CspyrlfM 1M toy Lmtaator tormina
include an interview with lowa far
mer Gary Larsen who, faced with
changing or going out of business,
decided to produce a lighter, less
fat, lower cholesterol beef. Con
sumers now respond to his opera
tion and it is thriving.
“American Farmers” also com
pares our U.S. agriculture to farm
ing in the Soviet Union. It con
cludes with the story of a Russian
born fanner, Robert Wilhelm, who
came to this country with nothing,
built a successful farming opera
tion, and flies the flag each day to
say thank you.
Certainly fanners deserve this
recognition. The American con
sumer receives good value for food
dollars as a result of the hard work,
ingenuity and dedication of
American farmers.
We want to join hands with far
mers and everyone involved to
remind consumers about this
excellent value that they receive.
The Agricultural Day theme is,
“National Agriculture Day - Hon
oring America’s Providers.” We
hope the urban honor of farmers
lasts longer than a day. 365 days
would be belter. 366 this year.
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Grccnsburg, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m
SC Cattlemen’s Assoc. Banquet,
East Berlin Fire Hall, 7:00 p.m.
Call Kathy Wise, 757-9657.
Berks Co. Lamb Meeting, Berks
Co. Ag. Center, 7:00 p.m.
PA Agricultural Safety Council
Annual Meeting, Penn State
Sheraton, State College.
Wednesday, March 23
Agronomy Day, Bradford Co.,
Ulster Fire Hall, 9:30 a.m. to
3:30 p.m.
Pesticide Meeting, points towards
certification, 10:00 a.m. to
noon.
Western PA Soybean Growers
Meeting, Co. Extension Center,
10:00 a.m.
Atlantic Breeders Annual Meet-
ing, Days Inn, Lancaster, 10:00
a.m.
Annual Meeting Farm Credit
Banks of Baltimore. White Sul
phur Springs, West Virginia.
Thursday, March 24
Increase Farm Profits Through
Energy Mgmt., 10:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m. Meadville, Days Inn.
Young Farmers Banquet,
Kennard-Dale High School,
7:00 p.m. Ralph Travis,
717-382-4871.
Home Landscaping Workshop,
Adams County Ext. Office,
March 31, April 7 and 14.
WHAT'g> UNCLE OT/9 T
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NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Apply Poultry Manure
Sparingly
With the large poultry popula
tion in this region, poultry manure
is in good supply. Since poultry
manure may contain from 15
pounds to nearly 50 pounds of nit
rogen per ton, depending on mois
ture and litter content, over appli
cation can bum crops and result in
disappointments. Gardeners
should not be using heavy amounts
of fresh manure in their soils. On
cropland it is recommended that
poultry manure applications be
limited to not more than 5 to 7 tons
of 75% moisture content per acre.
Keep in mind that some poultry
manure man contain up to 50
pounds of nitrogen per ton and can
bum seed and crop roots. Poultry
manure is also the highest in pho
sphorus and potash of any of our
farm manures. It has excellent fer
uhzer value when used properly.
The 1987-88 Agronomy Guide
(page 22) gives additional details
about the fertilizer values of farm
manures. The Agronomy Guide is
available through any Extension
Office for a $5.00 fee.
To Be Patient With Livestock
This is the lime of year that we
arc under strain and pressure to get
_ a lot of jobs underway for the
planting season. It also means that
we arc not as patient with people
and livestock. Let’s be careful, as
we move our cattle around, and not
give them that extra slap or prod to
try to speed up movement. Keep in
mind, that extra shove or push
could have an effect on produc
tion. Cows can “sense” the change
in pace and temperament and
respond with a little less
production.
There is a great deal of activity
Friday, March 25
Small Fruits Mtg., Biglerville Fruit
Lab, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Call
Tom Piper, 334-6271.
PA Performance Tested Bull Sale,
Penn State Campus, Ag Arena,
State College, noon.
Maryland Cattle Industry Conven
tion, Sheraton Inn, Hager
stown. March 25 and 26.
Saturday, March 26
Schuylkill Co. Fair Assn., Third
Annual Spring Auction, New
fairgrounds, formerly Happy
Holiday Park, 9:00 a.m.
York County Pork Producers
Assoc. Banquet, Colonial Val
ley, 7:00 p.m. Donald Sunda,
764-0233.
PA Spring Holstein Show,
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in the spring season, but let’s not
take it out on our cattle. Be patient
and try to maintain a relaxed sche
dule as we move our livestock
around. It’ll pay off in the milk
check.
We find that in the best produc
ing herds the animals are relaxed
and the workers are relaxed. This
tells us something about the tender
loving care that cattle need.
To Remove Trash
Landowners along rural roads
are the victims of people who have
little respect for property of others.
Too many people are dumping
trash in fields along the road. In all
cases when this is dumped on past
sures or cropland, the trash should
be removed before spring growth
begins. This trash will be hard on
farm equipment when on cropland
and may be poisonous to livestock
when on pastureland.
We urge property owners to
remove the trash in the next few
weeks. If any type of identification
can be made, as to the owner of the
WHAT JESUS
WANTED
March 20,1988
Background Scripture: Matthew
26:36-56.
Devotional Reading: 1 Thcssalo
nians 5:1-8.
The picture we gel of Jesus in
the Garden of Gelhsemane shows
us the humanity of Jesus more
clearly than perhaps any other pas
sage in the New Testament. The
writers of the four gospels rarely
show us much of Jesus’ emotions,
but we do see them clearly on this
fateful night. Matthew tells us
Jesus was “sorrowful and
troubled” (26:37). Mark had used
an even stronger term: “distressed”
or “terrified.” The point is that
Jesus was experiencing some very
strong human emotions.
This is important because the
scenes of Jesus’ last night and day
are often presented to us as of a
man simply going through the
motions of a course that has
already been predetermined. The
Jesus we see in these gospel
accounts, however, is much more
than an actor following a script.
His emotions in Gethsemane are
powerful and real. He is not seek
ing to be a martyr. He is not fed up
with the world and ready to move
on. In fact, Matthew tells us that he
says to his disciples: “My heart is
ready to break with grief’ (New
English Bible).
HUMAN NEEDS
We also sec Jesus’ humanity
breaking through as we note what
it is he wanted in Gethsemane. For
one thing, he wanted human com
panionship. He took his disciples
to the garden and three of them he
kept close to him as he prayed. One
might protest that Jesus didn’t
need human support if he had God.
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trash, this should be reported to
Township officials; prosecution
can be made for dumping trash
along the highway.
To Prepare A Will
The statement “we don’t own
enough to justify a will” is over
used by many families. If you have
a family and you own anything you
should have a will. If a person dies
without a will, the property is dis
tributed according to the Intrastate
Laws of Pennsylvania. These laws
may not distribute your estate
according to your desires. This has
often happened in the past and
there is little that can be done about
it without a will.
We urge all family heads, and
property owners, to contact a
lawyer and have him help with
making a will. The cost will be
considerably less than settling an
estate without a will. There is some
very good information dealing
with “wills” in the Estate Planning
bulletin available at any Extension
Office.
But Jesus makes it very clear that
he needed both just as we do.
And he was just as disappointed
when he failed to get all the human
support he needed: “So, could you
not watch with me one hour?” he
asked when he found them
sleeping.
This doesn’t mean that we can
not make it without human sup
port. Sometimes we are all alone,
except, of course, for God. Some
times people cannot get to us to be
with us in our need. Sometimes
other people fail us. But, neverthe
less, it is human to feel the need for
others in our limes of crisis. Jesus
was God’s Son, the world’s Mes
siah. If any person was ever self
sufficient, it was Jesus. Still, he felt
that need and it is perfectly natural
for us to feel it, too.
Jesus also revealed his human
feelings in praying: “My Father, if
it be possible, let this cup pass
from me” (26:39). His first desire
was tp escape the tribulation that
seemed to lie before him. Arrest,
torture, humiliation, separation
from those whom he loved, death,
particularly death on a cross
none of this did Jesus seek for him
self. If there was any way to avoid
the consequences of Judas’ betray
al, he was asking God to spare him.
Similarly, we do not seek to be
martyrs, not even a nonviolent
martyrdom. None of us should
ever be ashamed of wanting to
avoid suffering of any kind, not if
we value and revere the life that
God has given us.
HIS GREATEST WANT
So, Jesus wanted human support
and he wanted to avoid suffering
and death. That was his humanity
showing. But Jesus also wanted
something else: he wanted to be
faithful to God’s will: “neverthe
less, not as I will, but as thou will.”
He wanted to avoid martyrdom,
but even more than that he wanted
to be faithful. And that was his
humanity showing, too a higher
humanity than that which drives us
to preserve our lives at all costs.
(Based on copynghted Outlines pro
duced by the Committee on the Uniform
Senes and used by permission Released by
Community & Suburban Press)