AlO-Lancaster Firming, Saturday, April 15,1989
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OPINION
To equate modem livestock fanning practices with laborat
ory research projects is unfair. Vivid media photo segments that
show test animals receiving shots with huge hypodermic nee
dles should not be shown in association with, for example, mod
em veal production facilities. The emotional quotient is too
great and not merited.
We may not be in a position to know when animals are needed
in medical research projects to protect human life and when they
are not needed because the experiment has no redeeming value.
But we do know that the objective of modem livestock and dairy
production facilities is to house the animals in as much comfort
as is practical.
Admittedly, some farmers ha v e not adopted the latest guide
lines for proper space and facilities for their animals. And we are
appalled at the situations where farmers neglect their animals or
mismanage their operations so that their animals are hurt. For
example, the farmer who walked away from his operation and
allowed his animals to starve. Or where neck chains were not
enlarged as the animal grew and the chains became embedded in
the animal’s flesh. To us, these kinds of situations are irrespon
sible, nauseating and unthinkable. And the persons responsible
deserve the greatest punishment the law allows.
But the good farmers have become the victims of public rela
tions campaigns that use emotional words to replace more com
mon farm terms.
Some of these words and their farm meanings are as follows:
“Anemic meat” for “white meat.”
“Tear a little calf away from its mother” for “wean the calf.”
“Confinement boxes” for “comfort stalls.”
“Animal exploitation” for “livestock husbandry.”
“Tethered” for “tied.”
“Happiness” for “contentment.”
“Chop them up in little pieces and eat them” for “dress or
butcher.”
“Factory farms” for “homesteads.”
The veal industry has taken the blunt of the first assault by
people who want to change the way farm animals are cared for.
Unfortunately, some of the claims for animal rights are not true.
For example, picketers at a Harrisburg restaurant recently pro
tested milk-fed veal on the menu. This group told news reporters
that veal producers keep their animals in total darkness 22 hours
a day.
But in fact, modem special-fed veal producers understand
that it is simply an “old wives’ tale” that calves must be reared in
the darkness to produce light pink meat. The American Veterin
ary Medical Association helps to clarify this misperception in
their booklet entitled “Guide for Veal Calf Care and
Production.”
We quote: “Throughout the hours of daylight the level of
indoor lighting, natural or artificial, should be such that all
housed cattle can be seen clearly. In addition, adequate lighting
should be available for satisfactory inspection at any time. Con
trary to information circulated to the general public, it is recom
mended calves be raised in well lighted areas.”
Actually, today’s veal houses employ artificial lighting or
receive natural light through skylights and windows.
And since the good farmer rises in the middle of the city folks’
night to give his babies their formula; and since this farmer pro
vides a warm, cozy home for his babies in the middle of the
winter; and since he keeps his babies inside protected from wild
dogs in summer; and since he diciplines his babies so they don’t
turn around and eat their bedding that has been soiled with pee
wee; and since he calls the doctor to come as soon as one of his
babies runs a fever or is otherwise sick; and since he fondles his
babies’ ears while they drink their formula; and since he does all
this from morning until night, day in and day out, until his babies
are grown, we think the good farmer could rightfully call him
self or herself a parent.
Fortunately, when fanners let the true facts be known about
how they care for their animals, the general public responds
favorably. This happened in Massachusetts last fall, when far
mers took legislators to their farms in response to the animal
rights referendum that was later defeated. And it happened again
in Maryland when veal producers showed home videos of their
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Sttinrmn Entorprk*
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newswanger Managing Editor
Cspyrlfht 1M by Laneaator Farming
Love Cribs
(Turn to Page A 42)
HELLO OTI3
*JKmk 4Mrl
-r'‘\
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
[Lancaster County Agriculture Agent
To Plant Asparagus
Asparagus is a popular peren
nial vegetable that many home
gardeners grow.
* Located asparagus at the side
of the garden since it is a perennial
and will not interfere with other
garden operations.
* Select an area of the garden
that has deep, loose and friable
soil.
* Incorporate adequate
amounts of organic matter before
planting.
* Avoid soils that are heavy, or
stony since they will tend to pro
duce a higher proportion of
crooked spears.
* The best variety to plant in
Pennsylvania is Rutger Hybrids.
* Plant one-year old crowns
any time throughout April.
* A good method is to dig a
trench eight-inches deep and set
the crowns at the bottom.
* Space rows four or five feet
apart and the crowns in the row 18
inches apart.
♦ Cover crowns with about two
inches of soil then gradually
through the first season cover the
trench to the full eight-inch depth.
* It will be two years before
you can cut spears.
* By allowing the plants to
become well-established during
the first two seasons, the plants
will produce 15 to 20 ears once
harvest begins.
* Harvest will be over a six to
eight week period when they
come into production.
* Maintain asparagus patch by
keeping the beds weed free and
fertilizing early in the spring each
year with two to three pounds of a
complete garden fertilizer per 100
square feet
* Work fertilizer into the soil,
* After harvest, adding one to
two pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer
per 100 square feet will insure
healthy summer growth.
To Consider New
Sheep Practices
Technological advances in
management practices have con
tributed to the flexibility of the
commercial sheep enterprise. Two
Farm Calendar
Saturday, April 15
Northeast Poultry Show, Eastern
States Expo grounds, W.
Springfield, Mass., 8:00 a.m.
Little International livestock
show, Penn State Ag Arena,
State College, 8:00 a.m.; call
814/238-1235 for information.
(Turn to Page A 33)
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promising practices allow part
time shepherds the opportunity to
economically handle larger com
mercial units. Electrical fencing
systems have replaced the tradi
tional woven wire on most sheep
farms. Previously, sheep fencing
was an expensive and labor inten
sive project, mainly thought of as
a permanent investment. Modem
electrical systems usually require
less than half the expense and can
be used as portable or temporary
installations. This allows the use
of much more pasture rotation and
aftermath harvest.
There has been a great effort
over the past 10 years to select
ewe flocks for out-of-season,
short interval lambing traits. The
goal for many commercial ewe
flocks today is to lamb every eight
months and produce two market
able lambs per year, plus their
own replacements. This trait,
when developed in a flock, greatly
increases the total cash flow of the
operation and allows more effec
tive use of labor and facilities.
To Prepare For
Ryelage Harvest
Winter grains are growing
rapidly and before we know it
ryelage harvesting time will be
upon us. When that time comes,
Background Scripture:
Philippians 3; I Timothy 1:1-2,
Devotional Reading:
In die business world, we say a
person “has it made” when they
rise to a top position that can com
mand an extraordinary style of liv
ing. In athletics, we figure an ath
lete has “made it” when he or she
is courted by the pros. In just
about every field of human endea
vor there are accepted canons of
success.
But what about spiritual
matters —how do we “make it”
there? In the ministry, it is com
monly accepted that being elected
a Bishop or Senior Minister of one
of the largest, most prestigious
congregations is “making it” to
the top. Among the laity, it might
be serving as Chair-person of the
Board or lay delegate to the
church judicatory. Among still
others, it might be a matter of
belonging to the “right church,”
subscribing to the “right beliefs”
or getting saved in the “right
way.”
REASONS FOR
CONFIDENCE
In Jesus’ and Paul’s days, many
people thought that the only way
to “make it” with God was to be a
Pharisee and that meant living
strictly by the religious laws of
FRED, CARL..
MAKING IT
April 16,1989
18-;20; 2:1-6,
Psalms 34:1-8
m BET OTIS HAS BEEN
STRIN&JN/& BARBEP WIRE
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you want to be ready to roll with
the harvester because you have so
few days in which to harvest the
crop at the precise time for top
quality feed. If you miss these few
days due to inclement weather or
poor timing, quality declines very,
very rapidly! Line up your harves
ter now, get the silo ready and as
the harvest date approaches, keep
a close watch on die fields and be
ready to roll at a moments notice
when the weather breaks.
To Stay Off Wet Ground
Don’t let spring fever get the
better of your good judgement. As
you yearn to get into fields and
gardens, remember what you are
trying to accomplish. You want
seeds to germinate rapidly and
seedlings to emerge quickly. The
longer it takes for this to happen
the greater the opportunity is for
disease and insects to attack,
weaken or destroy the seed and
planting. Follow weather predic
tions closely and delay planting
until soil moisture and tempera
ture conditions are favorable for
good germination, and until the
risk of frost injury has passed. To
prevent soil compaction and sur
face crusting don’t work soils
when they are too wet.
Israel. Although this was a lot to
live up to, if a person was truly
diligent (or perhaps fanatical), it
could bring a tremendous amount
of satisfaction—even pride.
If that’s what it took to “make
it,” Paul reminded the Philippians
that “If any other man thinks he
has reason for confidence in the
flesh, I have more...” (3:4). What
could be more impressive than
Paul’s religious pedigree?
But Paul didn’t believe that he
had “made it.” In fact, “...whatev
er gain I had, I counted as loss for
the sake of Christ...” (3:7). “Mak
ing it” that way, said Paul was an
illusion, for one cannot “make it”
that way: “...not having a righte
ousness of my own, based on
1aw...” (3:9). The righteousness
we accumulate with our religious
pedigrees, no matter how impress
ive it may seem, just doesn’t, can
not add-up to what is the real
“prize” of our spiritual quest
“the righteousness from God that
depends on faith.”
PRESSING ON
In a sense, we don’t “make it”
with God, because that implies
that we have achieved the prize by
our own merit or efforts. Instead,
to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ
means that we are dependent, not
upon what we have achieved, but
are constantly in the process of
growing towards a goal that is
always beyond our reach. “Not
that I have already obtained this or
am already perfect,” says Paul,
“but I press on to make it my
0wn...1 press oil toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus” (3:12,14).
So, “making it” as a follower of
Christ means that in this life we do
not arrive, for we are always
pressing on.
(Based on copyrighted Outlines produced by
the Committee on the Uniform Senes and used
by permission. Released by Community St Sub
urban Press)