A < W • I r nt >i cV »i 1 Ii) »' I I l‘« > ■fc A*
84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 10,1990
Onbei
a farm
-And o
bazar
Joyce B
Regardless of interest levels,
idiosyncracies of the stock mark
et, value of the dollar, or the state
of your personal allowance, this
week we’ll all “be in the red.”
If you doubt that, just flip
through the colorful advertising
flyers accompanying your local
newspapers or take a quick turn
around in just about any sort of
shopping arena. It’s as though
Cupid shot his arrow into the air to
shatter the sullen overcast of
February and pour cloudbursts of
cheery red hearts into this stretch
of drab, often damp, mid-winter.
C’mon, you didn’t forget did
you? If so, it’s not too late to pon
der a remembrance for your swee
tie.
Modern merchandising has
made it incredibly easy. It’s possi
ble to say a Valentine’s Day “I
love you!” in an endless array of
shades of bright crimson and blaz
ing pink and with textures ranging
from glittery foil to shiny ceramic
to soft, stuffed, fuzzy, fake fur.
Tops on the list, of course, are
long-stemmed roses, a standard
symbol of affection. Costly, but.
definitely high-ranking for mak
ing a positive impression.
Yes, indeed, my loved ones
have often gifted me with roses. In
. fact, we’re hoping that those of
recent years managed to survive
..‘Jtuumjiiwg
their exposed location in the rose
bed even through the December’s
bitter arctic blasts.
Candy is equally traditional,
with lots of retailers already prom
oting sale prices for those of us to
whom money is an object Heart
shaped boxes of chocolates are
perpetual winners despite aware
ness of their caloric content.
And who can resist the lure of
the messages spelled out on the
eternally popular “conversation
hearts?” Well, apparently this
household can. Some months ago,
I pitched out the hard, stale,
uneaten remains of a pack of can
died “Love You,” “Be Mine”
and “Oh You Kid” confections
left from at least two years ago.
the reading of these tiny, pastel.
1 ■' ' r ft) ►* I >rt *>
heart-shaped messages obviously
proved more appealing than did
the eating.
Long gone, too, are the years
when it was necessary fen* this
Mom to track down a supply of
i children’s Valentine Day cards for
sending to school friends. But, the
tradition of trading Valentines at
school appears to remain alive and
well, and many of these handy
packs of cards still include one for
the teacher. A quick glance at
kids’ Valentine cards offers a cap
sule look at today’s popular enter
tainment trends.
Remember punching out
perforated-edged Valentines from
big cardboard books, then cutting
out and pasting together the enve
lopes in which to send them?
There wasn’t a single Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtle or Super
Mario Brothers card in the whole
lot.
Wish I had squirreled away
some of those old Valentine cards.
They’re probably collector items
by now.
Actually, we’ve never been ter
ribly “into” Valentine’s Day
flowers, candy or gifts, and have
never dug very deeply into pock
etbooks to support the merchan
dising of this cheery February
holiday.
Most memorable (?) was the
pair of “gummy” rats presented
me a few years ago by the
youngest. Life-sized, one in
(f you're better at producing milk
than most, we want to help you
get paid better than most.
Three times better.
Dairy farming is too tough a game to be
in it for kicks.
Which is why Eastern Milk Producers is
kicking up a new month-over-month incen
tive program. One with real teeth in it.
And real money.
We’re tripling premiums for your in
creased production over the same month
last year. Op to $3/cwt. more, for some
months.
And with a minimum, even during spring
flush months, of 35C/cwt.
This joins an already hefty program of
premiums for volume, quality and protein,
as well as competitive upfront production
premiums.
Added up, they offer you a remarkable
opportunity to become one of the best-paid
dairy farmers in the business.
But there’s more. Eastern is making a
full-bore commitment to helping you reach
these goals.
orange, the other in bubble-gum three-sheeler ihltTfcT"pasture or *
flavor, the rats were of the same fencerow to share in the sighting
thick, fehewy textured candy made of an unusual bird. Or having the
popular by “gummy bears” and dishwasher emptied, or the lawn
“gummy worms.” . mowed, or the attic cleaned.
With such memories, I choose before I have the chance to get the
to cherish instead the less obvious chore done. Even just a phone call
“Valentines” periodically to let me know they’ll be home
dropped into the day-to-day rou- late is a welcome thoughtfulness,
tine of our dairy-farm lifestyle. So if you almost forgot Valen-
Valentincs like a bouquet of tine’s Day again, just clip this col
sweet-smelling lilacs brought in umn and present it to your loved
on a tractor from some distant one. Just make sure you wrap it
field during May haymaking. Or first around a bouquet of roses or
being summoned for a quick heart-shaped box of candy
Before Buying House,
Attend Workshop
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
P “Steps for Homcbuyers,” a
workshop series on how to buy a
house, will be held from 7 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. on March 6, 13, 20 at
the Farm and Home Center.
The three-evening series begins
Tuesday, March 6, with “Step
One: Finding a House to Fit Your
Budget,” which includes advan
tages and disadvantages of home
ownership, working with a real
estate agent, finding out about
financing, and setting realistic
expectations.
“Step Two: Sizing up the
Structure” will be held Tuesday,
March 13. Topics covered include
assessing structural quality;
checking out the electrical, heat-
By providing, where possible, management
help with environmental and health programs.
Or by helping you to find expert advice
elsewhere, when necessary.
That’s the Eastern Commitment. For more
details, or to find out how you can become an
Eastern member-owner, call, write or contact
your Eastern representative.
Isn’t it about time you started making what
you’re really worth?
EASTERN
MILK PRODUCERS II
COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, INC.
2401 Burnet Ave. • Syracuse. N.Y. 13217
Telephone: 315/463-0781
Toll Free: 1-800-253-0003 (NY)
Toll Free: 1-800-448-0910 (PA,
VT & other Northeast states)
ing, and plumbing systems; and
testing for radon.
The sales concludes Tuesday,
March 20, with “Step Three:
Learning about the Purchase Pro
cess.” Making the purchase offer,
understanding the paperwork,
learning about legal aspects, and
homeowner’s insurance will be
.discussed.
There is a $lO registration fee
for the course. Make checks pay
able to Agricultural Extension and
mail by February 26 to Penn State
Cooperative Extension. 1383
Arcadia Road, Room 1, Lancaster,
PA 17601. For more information
call 394-6851.