AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 7,1989
OPINION
We’ll See You There
The economy of Pennsylvania depends on agriculture
because agriculture is our primary industiy. And because the
men and women who farm and work in the supporting agri
businesses do such a good job, we have the leading agricultural
state in the Northeast.
That’s why this year’s Farm Show theme, “Pennsylvania
Agriculture-The Keystone of Our Economy,” provides a
worthy title to our annual showcase for agriculture in the State
capitol. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture reports
that 20 percent of the jobs in the State have their base in agricul
ture. In addition, this employment stimulates $35 billion in
related economic activity.
Farm Show officials estimate that over 500,000 visitors make
the annual visit to the nation’s largest indoor agricultural expos
ition. That’s good, because not all these visitors are fanners.
Many who come arc city or urban dwellers who make direct
contact only with the farm at this time.
What better time to have visitors than when we have on our
show clothes? We even get international visitors to the show.
More than 265 commercial exhibitors and about 8,000 indivi
dual entries in livestock, poultry, farm crops and home and
school competitions will be on display. All will try for a share of
the $184,156 in premiums.
In contrast, when the first farm show was held in 1917 at the
Emerson Brantingham Building in Harrisburg, the premium tot
al was $735. About 5,000 visitors attended that first show in
1917.
While it’s hard to say just how much influence the farm show
has had on the great advances in agricultural production and
technology, there can be no doubt that it serves as a valuable
incentive to improve agriculture. This premnier exhibit recog
nizes the outstanding achievements of die industry and offers a
unique location to display new technological advancements.
The competition provides a spirit that helps increase farm pro
duction year after year.
Whatever your reason for attending the Farm Show next
week, we believe you will find something to hold your interest.
Come snow or high water, we hope to see you there.
|* FARM FORUM our readers write
Editor: With our property adjoining
Having had my first contact t* l * B school property and myself
with newspaper reporters in the working this ground for forty
early ’4os when I started my first years I could not fail to see a lot
irrigation project and quite a few about the building and operation
since during my farm operation I of our school. The one word to
will say your two articles in Dec. best describe it I think is disgrace
24 issue on our school problem is and the uprising which seems to
very well put. be widespread and to my judg-
First I want to thank you for ment is long overdue,
your effort and if possible convey Every school tax payer should
my thanks to every person that read the Trojan Horse in Ameri
contributed information to send can Education by Samel Bleumen
articles in some future issue of feld.
your farm magazine.
Farm Calendar
Saturday, January 7 Harris Motor Inn, 9:00 a.m. to
PA Farm Show. Harrisburg Farm noon, board meets with fanners
Show Complex, through Jan. noon 10 3:00 Pm
-13. York County Family Records
Dauphin County Annual Meeting, Workshop, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 Home Center.
Dauphin Co. Ag & Natural P m - Extension Office. Tuesday, January 10
Resource Ctr. Egg Producers Meeting, Lancaster Annual meeting & banquet of the
Monday, January 9 Holiday Inn North, 6:30 p.m. pa Dairyman’s Association,
PACAA Board Meeting, Penn Pesticide Exam, Lancaster Farm* (Turn to Pag* Al 9)
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMnimn EnUtprS*
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newtwanger Managing Editor
CapyilfM in* by Lanuabf Farnlni
(Turn to Pago A2O)
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NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Transfer Silage
Livestock and dairy producers
who have silage stored in tempor
ary structures might be planning
to move this feed into upright silos
in the next month or so. Many pro
ducers use the temporary storage
untd some of the material is fed
out of the upright silo. By transfer
ring, into the upright silo, mechani
cal feeders can be used. The
objective is to move the silage
during cold weather. The months
of January and February normally
provide this condition. When
transferring during warm weather
(above 50°F) there is danger of
more heating of the silage. No pre
servative should be needed. The
faster the material can be moved
into the upright silo, the better it
will settle and remove the air.
To Be Aware of Child
Labor Laws
If you have boys or girls
between the ages of 14 and 16 that
plan to operate a farm tractor or
machinery on a farm, other than
your own farm, be sure they have
the proper certification. Under the
child labor regulations, the law
requires that those boys or girls
between 14 and 16 years of age,
be certified and carry a certifica
tion card before they are permitted
to operate hazardous equipment
Some equipment listed under the
law as hazardous are... a tractor
with over 20 PTO horsepower,
com picker, hay baler, feed grind
er. forklift and many more. Again,
on your own farm, your children
can operate any equipment that
you feel is safe for them.
The certification process in
most areas is through the Voca
tional Agricultural Departments in
the school system or through the
4-H Tractor Clubs. Contact either
for more information.
To Service Farm
Machinery
This is the time of the year to be
preparing your farm equipment
for spring work. In the first place,
this machinery should not be out
in the weather. I know that build
ings are expensive to construct, so
if you are out of building space,
cover the equipment with a tarp;
this will reduce weather damage.
Preparing farm machinery for
the coming spring and summer is
necessary during this slower sea-
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son. You can make use of the off
season labor supplies. Machinery
is a huge investment and should be
kept in good condition at all times.
We had a policy on my father’s
farm to always give a good grease
job to all equipment going into
storage for the winter... this kept
moisture out of the bearings. Rain
and snow will soon develop rust
on equipment; this will shorten the
life span and is a primary cause of
many unnecessary breakdowns.
Freezing rain, sleet and hard
packed snow on walkways and
driveways are quite slippery and
dangerous. The next time you
have this condition, try using
coarse sawdust to reduce the
hazard.
Ammonium nitrate and other
fertilizers have been used for
Background Scripture: Luke
5:1-11.
Devotional Reading: Matthew
16:21-28.
Hardly a day goes by that my
local newspaper doesn’t run a
story about a business enterprise
that is in danger of failing because
its goals were bigger than its
resources. I must confess, howev
er, that I have never known of a
church that failed because it was
too dedicated to the mission of
Christ or attempted to do too much
for others. Somewhere there may
have been one or two, but I’ve
never known of a church that went
broke because it gave too much
away. To be sure, I have known of
a few churches that built struc
tures they couldn’t pay for. But I
have observed that most of the
churches that close their doors are
those that never tried to do
enough.
A few months ago I read The
Art of the Deal by Donald Trump.
It is the story of how one entrepre
neur has been able to raise enorm
ous sums of money for commer
cial projects that would stagger
the imagination of ordinary peo
ple. Through faith in himself and
the economic process, Trump has
performed some financial mira
cles. Although he has experienced
some defeats and disappointments
along the way, this man is obvi
ously not afraid to launch out into
the depths of commercial enter
prise and do things that others
wouldn’t imagine in their wildest
dreams.
LAUNCHING OUT
By comparison, we Christians,
blessed with even greater resour
ces and promises, are not all enter
prising for the sake of the gospel.
I’m not talking about building a
new church or enlarging an old
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To Use Sawdust
On Icy Walks
INTO
THE DEEP
January 8,1989
melting ice and they may be effec
tive, but the chemical reaction will
ruin a concrete surface in just a
year or two. Sand and grit from
deteriorating concrete, when
tracked into the house, is a nui
sance to clean and it marks and
scratches finished floors.
Some commercial ice melting
compounds containing ammo
nium nitrate are just as bad as fer
tilizers and the runoff from these
melting chemicals may kill grass,
trees and shrubs.
Coarse sawdust spread on slip
pery sidewalks provides a rela
tively skid-free surface. It has no
harmful effect on concrete or plant
life. It is much easier to pick up
with a vacuum cleaner if tracked
into the house.
'The Penn Stale Cooperative
Extension is an affirmative action,
equal opportunity educational
institution.
one - one can always raise funds
for bricks and mortar. I’m talking
about ways and means of pro
claiming the gospel beyond the
four walls of our church buildings,
of meeting some of the monumen
tal needs that cry out from our
communities. It would seem that
what the churcn lacks today is the
enterprising spirit that is essential
in the world of business.
Jesus met with such success in
his early ministry that the crowds
became a problem. On one occa
sion, the press of the crowd is so
great that Jesus gets into Peter’s
fishing boat and pushes a few feet
offshore before settling down to
preach and teach mice again. In
the midst of all this, Jesus instructs
Simon Peter and his associates to
“Put out into the deep and let
down your nets for a catch” (5:4).
Peter is incredulous: “Master,
we toiled all night and took
nothing!” Peter could respond to
Jesus on one of two levels, pn the
basis of reason and exfferiencc
alone, he would have to reject
Jesus’ challenge. After all. fishing
was Peter’s trade and there were
obviously no fish to be caught.
Peter, however, wisely opted for
faith instead of reason: “But at
your word I will let down the nets”
(5:5).
CATCHING MEN
Luke tells us what happened
next: “...when they had done this,
they enclosed a great shoal of fish;
and as their nets were breaking,
they beckoned to their partners in
the other boat to come and help
them. And they came and filled
both the boats, so that they began
to sink” (5:7). On their own efforts
they had gotten nothing: because
of Christ, however, their take of
fish was overwhelming.
This is not a scriptural “big
fish" story, however, but a living
parable for Peter, James, John...
and us. When Peter reacts with
holy fright, Jesus reassures him:
“Do not be afraid; henceforth you
will be catching men” (5:10). And
so will we, if in faith we will dare
to “Put out into the deep.”
(Based on copyrighted Outlines produced
by the Committee on the Uniform Series and
used by perrr ssion. Released by Communi
ty & Suburban Press.)