MO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 17, 1988
OPINION
Fair Friendship
We haven’t felt much “nip in the
air” yet. But the calendar says it’s
fall fair time. Time to sort out the
best veggies, canned fruits and cut
flowers from the back yard and
garden to prepare an exhibit
At the bam the FFA and 4-H
youths should be grooming and
training their pet project for the
show. Even dads can be forgiven if
they’re pulling out the best slice of
alfalfa hay or the perfectly
matched dozen ears of com to
enter. This year the early dry
weather may take it’s toll on the
size and perfectness of the ears.
But the number of entries may be
down, so you’ll have a better
chance to win.
Those who nurtured summer
plans to grow the largest pumpkin
or the best tasting celery get aspe
r ,
Farm Calendar
Friday, September 16
Eastern States Exposition, Spring-
field, Mass.
York County FFA Swine Sale,
York Fairgrounds, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 17
Pride of York Co. Swine Sale,
York Fairgrounds, 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 18
Penn Ag annual meeting, Sheraton
Inn, Gettysburg, Beaver Com
munity Fair, Beaver Springs,
through the 24th.
Monday, September 19
Reading Fair, through the 24th.
Gratz Fair, through the 24th.
Tuesday, September 20
Lancaster Fruit Growers’ meeting,
Kauffman’s Fruit Farm &
Market, Bird-in-Hand, 7:00
p.m,
Ephrata Fair, through the 24th.
Harmony Grange Fair, Westover,
through the 24th.
Friday, September 23
1988 PA Maple Tour, Penn Wells
Hotel, Wellsboro, 23 & 24.
' Saturday, September 24
State Dairy Princess Pageant, Mar
riott, Harrisburg.
Sunday, September 25
Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg,
through October 1.
Monday, September 26
All American Dairy Show through
September 30.
Tuesday, September 27
Morrison Cove Community Fair,
Martinsburg, through Septem-
ber 30
Pennsylvania Association of Far
mer Co-operatives annual
meeting, Sheraton West,
Harrisburg.
Wednesday, September 28
Pennsylvania Poultry Fededration
Conference, Holiday Inn,
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Publiahed Every Saturday
At Record-Express Office Building
22 E. Main Street
Lititz, PA 17543
by
Laneaatar Farming, Inc.
A SUnimn Entttprka
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newewanger Managing Editor
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cial feeling this time of year. You
can’t describe this feeling but you
know you will not be satisfied until
you go, at least one evening, to see
the parade and all the new equip
ment that the local dealer trucked
into his booth at the fair ground.
But most of all you can’t miss
seeing the people—not only your
farm friends, but friends from
town too. Friends that get together
with friends at ag fairs are the best
friends. Somehow, the barriers
that are erected between city and
country throughout the year fall to
the force of friendship beside the
livestock tent or next to the display
of quilts.
So pull on your long sleeve shirt
and put your friendship to work at
the local fair. See everybody there.
Grantsville.
West Lampeter Community Fair
through September 30.
New Holland Community Fair
through October 1.
World Ayrshire Conference meet
Penta Hotel, New York City.
Visit Pennsylvania through
October 2. Continue to mid
west through October 8.
Thrusday, September 29
Try-Valley Community Fair,
Hegins through October 2
Pennsylvania All-American
Saturday—September 24
630 pm —Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Pageant. Marriott Inn
Sunday through Friday—September 25 through 30
9 00 a in to 8 00 p m —Country Craft Show, Lower Concourse, Large
Arena
Monday, September 26
8 00 a m —lnvitational Youth Daily Judging Contest, (4 H. FFA, and
Collegiate) Small Aiena
—Pennsylvania Junior Dairy Show
—lnvitational Milking Shorthorn Sale Smqll Alena
—Judging Contest Awards Banquet, Sheraton Harnsburg Fast
—lnvitational Brown Swiss Sale, Small Aiena
—Eastern National Milking Shorthorn Jumoi Show
8 a) a m
I 30 p m
7 00 p m
7 00 p m
7 00 p m
Tuesday, September 27
9 00 a m —Eastern National Brown Swiss Show
9 00 a m —Eastern National Milking Shorthorn Show
10 00 a m —Junior Dairyman Contest, Second Floor, Main Building
10 00 a m —Pennsylvania 4-H and FFA Dairy Judging Forum. Small
Arena
—Pennsylvania Lille Ayishire Sale Small Arena
I 30 p m
Wednesday September 28
9 00 a m National Guernsey Show
9 (X) ain —PAA Ayrshire Show
II 30 j in , —l9BB Jciscy Harvest Futurity, Small Arena
I 30 p m —Pennsylvania Jersey State Sale. Small Arena
(Turn to Page A 25)
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
'Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Observe National
Farm Safety Week
The proclamation of September
18-24 as the 45th Annual National
Farm Safety Week is very impor
tant during this busy com harvest
and fall grain planting season.
Agriculture has helped to make
America a land of plenty. But pro
viders of this abundance often are
seriously or fatally injured while
working to feed and clothe us.
According to National Safety
Council estimates for 1987, such
mishaps, resulted in about 1,600
deaths and 160,000 disabling inju
ries. Agriculture continued to have
one of the highest death and injury
rates (per 100,000 workers) of the
major U.S. industries.
Cost-conscious fanners needn’t
fear that it’s costly to be safe. Most
of the investment simply would be
personal attention rather than
dollars.
Let’s practice safe habits every
day.
To Be Aware Of The
Century Farm Program
The Century Farm Program is
aimed at recognizing the efforts of
Pennsylvania’s farm families
which have preserved the tradition
of the rural heritage of the pioneer
farm.
The program was started as part
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of Shows, Sales, and Contests
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WELL, LETS JUST SAY THAT
I'VE ALWAYS FOUND UNCLE OTIS
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of the Nation’s bicentennial obser
vance in 1976, but is being con
tinued for its value in promoting
the ideals of the family farm and
the importance of fanning to Pen
nsylvania’s economy. >
To be eligible for Certification
as a Century Farm, a farm must
have been owned by the same fam
ily for the last 100 consecutive
years, and a family member must
currently reside on the land. In
addition, the farm must consist of
ten or more acres of the original
holdings or gross at least $l,OOO a
year from the sale of agriculture
products.
We encourage you to participate
in this program that is adminis
tered by the Pennsylvania Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Applications are available at the
county extension office.
To Mow Weedy Pastures
If your pasture is weedy, then
get out the mower. There are two
good reasons for this; one it elimi
nates the production of weed seeds
and two, it removes mature forage
which lets plants send out new and
tender growth. But, before you
mow, you should graze the pasture
heavily. With grazing you can util
ize all the available feed. The ani
mals eat some weeds, but they also
cat some of the tall grasses that
WHY, GOD? WHY?
September 18,1988
Background Scripture: Job 29
through 30:27.
Devotional Reading: Psalms
69:1-15.
We sometimes speak of “the
patience of Job,” and he was a
patient—or better, perhaps, a man
of abiding faith. But that does not
mean that Job passively accepted
all the terrible things that happened
to him. Job did not understand why
these calamities had come to him.
But, unlike many of us, Job didn’t
spend his time complaining to his
friends and neighbors if he had
any left but took his agonizing
questions and feelings directly to
God. Obviously, Job thinks there is
something wrong with the way
things are going and he doesn’t
hesitate to tell God just what he is
thinking.
THE MONTHS OF OLD
We can’t help but feel deep
sympathy for Job when he tells
God that he wishes that he could
return to the way things were: “Oh,
that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched
over me... and by his light I walked
through the darkness” (Job
29:2,3). In the good old days he
had felt that God was with him. He
had enjoyed the respect and admi
ration of his fellow townsmen. He
had occupied the pre-eminent pos
ition in his whole area. But now, he
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would be wasted by mowing.
Remember to mow closely... 2 to 3
inches. And instead of trashing die
clippings, save them. Many far
mers recover enough hay from
pasture mowings to winter their
cattle.
To Secure Wood Supply
Many homeowners are planning
to use more wood for heating their
homes this winter. This is a nation
al trend resulting in a strong
demand for all kinds of wood.
Prices are also reflecting this
increased demand. Woodlot own
ers might be in a position to do
some tree culling and thinning and
realize some extra income from the
area. It’s not too early to be getting
this wood on hand or to do some
cutting. Since dry wood will give
better results than green wood, it
will be best to have the wood sup
plies cut and drying before cold
weather arrives. As I have traveled
the county in recent weeks, I have
noticed more and more wood piles
in rural areas. Wood is a replace
able natural resource and deserves
our attention in production as well
as marketing for fuel saving
purposes.
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion is an affirmative action, equal
opportunity educational
institution.
feels all alone and, instead of
respect, “...now they make sport of
me... They abhor me, they keep
aloof from me” (30:1,10).
When, like Job, we find
ourselves in the midst of misfor
tune, one of the first signs of our
situation is the way in which we
may seem to be abandoned by our
friends and others. In prosperity
our circle of friends, associates and
supporters seems to have no end.
In adversity, we often find or at
least we think that we stand
alone. And, bereft to this human
support, we may also assume that
Cod has deserted us and we yearn
for the return of the days when “the
Almighty was yet with me” (29:5).
ALL IN VAIN?
When adversity closes in upon
us, like Job, we wonder what was
the good of all our attempts to help
others. Was it all in vain, we won
der? In his prayer, Job recited to
God a long list of his good works:
“I was eyes to the blind, and feet to
the lame. I was father to the poor,
and I searched out the cause of him
whom I did not know” (29:15,16).
Intellectually, we know that our
good deeds do not buy us exemp
tion from adversity, but our hearts
seem to forget it.
Job’s complaint to God is not a
mild theological dispute: “I cry to
thee and thou dost not answer me; I
stand and thou dost not heed me.
Thou hast turned cruel to me”
(30:20,21). Some of us might
wince at Job’s directness, but
apparently God regarded Job’s
honesty as another facet of his faith
and loyalty.
Our honest complaints of “Why,
God? Why?” do not destroy our
relationship with him. Instead,
they kept it alive and well.
(Based on copyrighted Outlines pro
duced by the Committee on the Uniform
Series and used by permission. Released by
Community & Suburban Press.)
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