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OPINION
Farmers Play Key Role
Is our food supply really safe or should we be concerned about pes
ticide residues? That question was at the heart of a debate between Dr.
Elizabeth Whelan, director of the American Council on Science and
Health and Jan Auerbach, review branch chief for the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
These experts appeared during the “Confrontation,” moderated by
long-time NBC news commentator Edwin Newman. The session was
part of the National Corn Crowns Com Classic in Nashville. IN.
Both Whelan and Auerbach agreed that the U.S. food supply is
safe. However, Whelan noted that the public is sometimes led to
believe otherwise by people she described as “noseaphobics.” "These
people are like hypochrondriacs only they are always thinking they
will get sick in tire future.” As a result, they try to remove all risks in
our society, she added. *
A recently released report by the Natural Resources Defense Coun
cil (NRDC) suggested that children are at risk from eating produce
that was grown with the use of pesticides. Whelan said the report is
“typical of this type of pseudo-science.” Groups like this overlook
naturally occurring carcinogens and many of the bigger public health
concerns like smoking and alcoholism, added Whelan. In essence,
they are “squishing ants while the elephants run wild.”
Whelan suggested that the more than 1,600 com growers in atten
dance demand that regulators stand up and state the truth. “We have
the safest food supply in the world.” She also asked the group to
“implore scientists to step forward and get out of their stupor” on food
safety issues. “We need scientists to defrock those ‘toxic terrorists’.”
Auerbach agreed that the U.S. food supply is generally safe. And
she pointed out how the EPA has taken regulatory actions to protect
the public when they can base their decisions on sufficient data.
However, many pesticides were registered years ago and the data
base on these products is lacking, noted Auerbach. The EPA is in the
process of requesting new data and reviewing pesticides to meet cur
rent regulation standards.
“When this process is over, everyone will have a much higher con
fidence level in our food supply,” Auerbach added.
. The agency has implemented a “comfortable margin” of safety for
their regulations and assessments, explained Auerbach. But these
assume that farmers are using pesticides safely. She encouraged
growers to always follow label directions, practice integrated pest
management and be open to using non-chemical alternatives.
No question about it American farmers produce good food. And
they play a key role in keeping the food supply safe.
Farm Calendar
Saturday, March 18
1989 Intensive Grazing Manage
ment Seminar, 4-H Center, Jef
ferson, Md., 7:00 a.m.
PA Simmental Association annual
meeting, Altoona Sheraton,
7:30 a.m.
Monday, March 20
National Agriculture Day
PennAg Free Trade Conference,
Delaware Valley College,
Doylestown, 9:15 a.m. to 3:30
p.m.
Water Quality Fair, Penn State
Fruit & Reseat ch Lab, Bigler
ville, 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Pennsylvania Forage & Grassland
Council hay auction, Plum Bot
tom Farm, Belleville, 1:00 p.m.
Future of Chester County Agricul
ture meeting, Sadsbury Fire
Hall, Sadsbury, 7:30 p.m. to
9:30 p.m
Mercer County Pork Producers
meeting, Mercer County Exten
sion Center, Mercer, 7:30 p.m.
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Vegetable Breeding Symposium,
Ithaca Sheraton Inn, Ithaca,
NY; runs through March 21.
Tuesday, March 21
Luzerne County Pesticide Certifi
cation Exam, Luzerne County
Extension Office, Wilkes-
Barre, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Southeast Pennsylvania Vegetable
& Small Fruit meeting, Mont
gomery County Extension
Office, Creamery, 8:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m.
Financial Management for Farm
Families, Hunterdon County
Extension Center, Flemington,
N.J., 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
make reservations by March 14
at 201/788-1342.
Bradford County Agronomy Day,
Ulster Fire Hall, Ulster. 9:30
a.m.
Elco FFA banquet, Elco Middle
School Cafeteria, Myerstown,
7:00 p.m.
Northern Lebanon FFA banquet.
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Be Patient
This is the time of year that we
are under strain and pressure to get
a lot of jobs under way for the
planting season. It also means that
we are 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 or try to speed up movement
Keep in mind, that extra shove or
push could have an effect on pro
duction. Cows can “sense” the
change in pace and temperament
and respond with a little less
production.
There is a great deal of activity
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 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 IS
pounds to nearly SO pounds of nit
rogen per ton, depending on mois
ture and litter content, overappli
cation can bum crops and result in
disappointments. Gardeners
should not be using heavy
Northern Lebanon High
School, Fredericksburg, 7:00
p.m.
Child Caregivers Short Course 2,
Health Concerns for Day Care
Providers, York County Exten
sion Office, York, 7:00 p.m.;
call 717/757-9657 for
reservations.
Mercer County Field Crop Pesti
cide Management meeting,
Mercer County Extension
Office, Mercer, 7:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m.
Hydroponics Workshop, Pennsyl
vania Department of Agricul
ture Building, Room 309, Har
risburg, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.;
call 717/757-9657 for
reservations.
Ephrata Area Young Farmers
Association meeting, Ephrata
High School Agriculture
Department, Ephrata, 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, March 22
Upper Dauphin County Area
Dairy Day, Upper Dauphin
High School vo-ag department
(Turn to Pago Al 5)
amounts of fresh ma—r in their
soils. On cropland it is recom
mended that poultry manure appli
cations be limited to not more than
5 to 7 tons of 75% moisture con
tent per acre.
Keep in mind that some poultry
manure may contain up to SO
pounds of nitrogen per ton and can
bum seeds and crop roots. Poultry
manure is also the highest in phos
phorus and potash of any of our
farm manures. It has excellent fer
tilizer value when used properly.
The 1989-90 Agronomy Guide
(page 19) gives additional details
about the fertilizer values of farm
manures. The Agronomy Guide it
available through any extension
office in Pennsylvania for a $5
fee.
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 pastures or cropland,
the trash should be removed
before spring growth begins. This
trash will be hard on farm equip
ment when on cropland and may
be poisonous to livestock when on
THE FULLEST
OF THE FULLEST
March 19,1989
Background Scripture:' Col
ossians 2:6-23.
Devotional Reading: Luke
19:29-40.
Although hardly an expert on
religions other than Christianity,
over the years I have had some
significant experiences with other
faiths, as well as having taught a
number of classes on one or more
of them. At these times I have
always been profoundly impress
ed with these traditions so diffe
rent from my own. I have fre
quently concluded that, if every
one on this earth were to sincerely
practice one of these many faiths,
the world would be a far better
place in which to live. Truism or
not, I believe we all believe in one
God. A good Buddhist has nothing
to fear from a good Hindu and a
good Christian should be able to
regard both as his brethren.
THE COMPLETE
PICTURE
Yet, at the same time I can
appreciate that all or most relig
ions can lead us to the one God. I
am no less enamoured of the
Christian way, for in it I find a
fullness, a completeness that I do
not find in the others. The God I
find in Jesus Christ is as complete
a picture of God as I covßd ever
- want or need.
I don’t mean that this answers
all the possible questions I might
want to ask, but I am convinced
that it contains all the answers that
pastareland.
We urge property ownen to
remove the trash in the next few
weeks. If any type of identifica
tion can be made, as to the owner
of the trash, this should be
reported to Township officials;
prosecution can be made for
dumping trash along the highway.
To Control Mice
In Orchards
Now that the winter is almost
gone, our fruit growers should
take a look at the newly exposed
grass sod in their orchards. If there
are runways at the surface of the
grass, it is a good sign that there
are plenty of mice in the orchard,
even though a mouse baiting pro
gram may have been followed last
fall.
The mice have used up their
stockpiles of stored food and are
now looking for a fresh supply. At
this time of die year they will
move quickly onto bark and roots
of fruit trees.
Fruit growers should rebait
their orchards as soon as possible
if there are fresh mouse signs.
The Penn State Cooperative
Extension is an affirmative action,
equal opportunity educational
institution.
I need. I find myself echoing Paul:
“For in him the whole fullness of
deity dwells bodily...” (2:9).
that doesn’t mean I can com
prehend all that “fullness,” but 1
can comprehend enough for my
needs. Neither does it mean that I
say this with any arrogance or
pride- “My view of God is better
than yours”-- but with humility.
All too often Christians adopt the
wrong attitude toward other relig
ions, failing to realize that having
a “better” religious faith does not
necessarily make us “better."
Being a Christian is not like being
an avid fan of the NFL team that
wins the Superbowl.
THE COMPLETE
LIFE
Actually, the key is not a matter
of who understands God more
completely, but who serves him
more fully. This is the second of
the “fullnesses” of which Paul
writes the Colossians: “...and you
have come to fullness of life in
him...” (2:10a). Christianity gives
us, not only the most complete
picture of God, but the most com
plete life we can experience. If- a
big “if,” I’ll grant you-1 can man
age to live according to Christ’s
teachings, I cannot imagine any
possible life fuller than that. If I
can leant to love God with all my
heart, soul, strength and mind, and
my neighbor as myself, what more
is there that I need to know? If I
can manage to take up my cross
and follow him, what more is
there to dp? If I can discipline
myself to seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, what more
can anyone of any faith add to my
life?
I can choose only for myself,
but I am certain that in choosing
Jesus Christ I have found all the
fullness the world has to offer.
(Sued on copyrighted Outlines produced by
the Committee on the Uniform Series end used
by permission. Released by Community ft Sub
-urbin Press.)
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