OPINION Better Than Going To Bed Hungry Actually, there is probably no food that is absolutely free of carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Because modem technology allows for detection of small amounts of contaminants in foods we find things that would not have been detectable a decade ago. According to Peter Hutt, a Washington DC attorney, future progress in food safety regulation will depend upon progress in the fields of molecular biology and toxicology which will per mit greater understanding of the mechanisms by which food substances exert their beneficial or toxic effects on the human body. But Amy Barr, Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute in New York, says “Consumers want zero risk, but they fail to understand that nothing in this world is risk free.” “The public is overwhelmed by what they feel are problems caused by deficiencies in the food production, processing, dis tribution, and regulatory arenas,” Barr said. According to Barr, this trend results in part because of widespread misunderstand ing of the kind of risk/benefit analysis that has become a neces sity in evaluating food safety today. Through a process called quantitative risk assessment, the government studies food and other compounds to determine how severe a potential health risk might be. This assessment is based on potency and exposure. Then, government officials assign a number to describe the risk for human beings. For example, a food might be rated as having, “a one in 100,000 lifetime cancer risk.” Hutt explained, “Quantitative risk assessment has been deve loped to permit a line to be drawn between carcinogenic risks that are significant and those that are insignificant and thus within the bounds of public acceptability.” This represents a change in approach over the last three decades. In 1958, the Delaney Clause prohibited any substance known to cause cancer in human beings or in tests with laborat ory animals from being added to food products. “Congress imposed a basically black and white rule,” Hutt said. “At that time, the ability to detect carcinogens was very limited and we only tested a small number of compounds, so we were dealing with only a handful of substances.” The Delaney Clause is no longer practical, according to Hutt, because scientific advances have made it possible to detect contaminants in food in parts per quadrillion as opposed to parts per million, the standard when the Delaney Clause was first enacted. In addition, the government tests hundreds of compounds today, as opposed to a select few. We have already advanced so far that scientists can find something harmful in every food and doctors can find some kind of sickness in everybody. But the worries these modem day professionals give us are still better than going to bed hun gry at night or dicing atshalf the age of the US life expectancy. Farm Calendar Saturday, September 30 Deadline for small grains crop insurance. Sunday, October 1 Hunterdon County 4-H Rally, Ric cioni farm, Flemington, N.J., 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, October 2 Hollidayburg Community Fair, Hollidaysburg; runs through October 5. Annual 4-H Dairy Conference, Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 by Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Slelnrmn Enfrprlet Robert G Campbell General Manager Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor C«pyrl§ht IIH by Lanciabr Farnlnf Madison, Wise.; runs through October 5. Tuesday, October 3 Eastern Milk Producers Coopera tive Association annual meet ing, Hotel Syracuse, Amber & Brass Courts, Syracuse, N.Y., 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; banquet at 6:30 p.m. Lancaster County Farmers’ Asso ciation Banquet, Farm & Home Center, 6:45 p.m. UNCLE cm. IF YOU HAD A GARDEN WITH 100 POUNDS OF SPINACH IN IT, AND EVERY NIGHT THE RABBIT FAMILY WOULD SNEAK IN AND EATTWO POUNDS OF SPINACH, AFTER THREE WEEKS, WHAT WOULD YOU 11 -1 HAVE LEF" ‘ *r NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Inwin 'Lancaster County Agriculture Agent To Beware of Spiny Pigweed in Pastures Redroot or redroot pigweed is a common, easily recognized annu al weed in gardens and cultivated fields. We are also feeling the first cousin of the weed - spiny redroot - appearing in many areas of the county. If you do not know what spiny redroot looks like, you can tell real quickly what it feels like by care fully rubbing your fingers along the stem. Two needle-shape spines occur at the juncture of each leaf with the stem. These spines prevent all grazing animals from eating these plants. Conse quently, we are seeing large num bers of these weeds appearing in many pastures, along cow paths and in open spaces or loafing aras. Some have been found in alfalfa fields... a bad situation. These weeds now have mostly red stems and cap easily be spotted. The plants should be cut before head ing out and going to seed. For control, use Banvel or any of the 2,4-D type herbicides. You can spot spray the plants not but the best time would be just about the time in May when com plant ing time is over. The important thing is to spray the pasture. A second application to kill late appearing weed seedlings would Wednesday, October 4 New Holland Farmers Fair, New Holland; runs through October Twenty-third annual World Dairy Expo, Dane County Expo Cen ter, Madison, Wise.; runs through October 8. Thursday, October 5 Conestoga Classic, Lampeter fair grounds, Lampeter, 7:00 p,m. Keystone International Livestock Exposition, Farm Show com plex, Harrisburg, doors open at 10:00a.m., trade show begins at 2:00 p.m.; runs through Octob er 9. Friday, October 6 Lancaster Chamber of Commerce 100th anniversary of southern market salutes 4-H, Penns square, Lancaster. Saturday, October 7 Western Pennsylvania Sale of Holstein Stars, Butler farm, Butler, noon. Sunday, October 8 National 4-H Week; runs through October 14. Berks County Poultry Fanciers Association fall show, 4-H Building, Berks County Ag Center, Leesport, 8:00 a.m. label instructions wl any pesticide. To Salute 4-H National 4-H Week runs from October 1 through October 7. I wish to congratulate the 4,092 members, 587 volunteer adult leaders, and the profiessional youth workers for their accom plishments and service to Lancas ter County. Through 4-H projects and activ ities, youth from all social and economic backgrounds, both rural and urban, demonstrate that they can make a difference in food pro duction, conservation of our natural resources, improve eco nomic understanding, and in the formulation of future career decisions. As a result of the fine exchange programs, 4-H also contributes to international understanding and increased world food production. Four-H provides an important pathway to the future for many youth. To Manage Horizontal Silos Most of our permanent silos are filled, but we do have some lives tock and dairy producers that need to store silage in temporary struc tures. In many cases this is a trench or bunker silo, mostly above ground. In these cases, it is m minutis Wm THE BIBLE BY CORNIUUS B. SIAM MBS. BIMAN BIBLI SOCIITY CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60*35 Can The Ten Commandments Save? St. Paul pointed out a ba sic Scriptural and logical truth, when he said: “For not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified” (Rom. 2:13). Many people suppose that God gave us the ten com mandments to help us to be good. The fact is, however, that He gave them to show us that we are bad. Romans 3:20; 5:20; Galatians 3:19 and a dozen other Bible pas sages teach this clearly. How can the law be of any advantage to a law breaker? How can it justify us unless we keep it per fectly? Do you recall (he woman caught in adultery, in John 8? She was a Jewess. She was better off than the Gen tiles, for she had the Law of Moses, but this didn’t justify her; it condemned her. So her “advantage” turn ed out to be a serious disad vantage, for “not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified.” James 1:23, 24 says that one who knows the Law but r)\ [ymg ienappl water and air trom the silage mass. This will require tightening down the plastic cover week by week as the silage settles. Also, surface water should be drained away from the silage area. There are cases where the black plastic is flapping in the wind during fall months. This will usually result in large amounts of spoiled silage. To Apply Lime First, soil test, then apply the needed lime before the soil freezes. That 1-2 order of events should have a high priority now as we finish one growing season and plan ahead for the next In order to do its job of correct ing soil acidity, lime must come in contact with die soil particles, not just those on the soil surface. Weather changes during the next 6 months will provide just the right conditions to do lots of mixing of lime and soil within the topsoil layer. Freezing and thawing, rain, snow and ice, help to move the lime downward. During the fall season field are firm and usually dry enough to allow lime spreading trucks to move about more easily. Delive ries of lime can be made on time. Penn State Cooperative Exten sion is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educational institution. doesn’t obey it, is like a man looking into a mirror, seeing his dirty face, and then walking away without doing anything about it. This is why Romans 2:14, IS declares that the con sciences of the heathen con firm what the Law says, “their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else ex cusing one another.” Those in heathen lands know that it is wrong to lie and steal and commit adul tery, yet they know nothing about the Law of God, or the Ten Commandments. How then do they know that these things are wrong? God made them with this knowledge; He gave to them a con science, a sense of blame worthiness in doing wrong. Every man has this inner sense, though his conscience may become seared. It is common experience for men’s conscience to trouble them; “their thoughts” either “accusing or else excusing one another.” How good to know the One who has paid the penal ty for our sins so that our hearts may be “cleansed from an evil conscience” (Heb. 10:22)! WELL. I DONT LIKE SPINACH, 90 1 WOULD HAVE LEFT THE GATE OPEN. 90 THEY COULD EAT UP THE REST w OF IT. u
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