AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 19,1990 opinion What Do You Think? Wild claims that the vast majority of Americans are demand ing organic food is nothing but a marketing hoax, said the Pres ident of The Fertilizer Institute. Gary D. Myers, who heads the trade association representing the fertilizer industry, said a Gallup Poll conducted last sum mer shows consumers understand the role of fertilizer in food production and are unwilling to pay over 10 percent more for organic food. “Overall, half of those responding to the Gallup poll said they are not willing to pay more money for foods grown with out the use of fertilizers,” said Myers. “There is a small, niche market for organic foods, and that’s fine. Consumers willing to pay the premium for organics should have that choice. Howev er, polling results and claims that perpetuate the myth that a majority of Americans want and will pay for organic food is an intellectually dishonest ploy.” Myers cited a news item in a recent edition of an organic magazine claiming that 84 percent of Americans “have a pre ference for organically grown fmits and vegetables.” “Those kinds of wild claims are the result of playing word games,” said Myers. “Arc consumers willing to pay for those so-called preferences, and if so, how much?” The Gallup Poll results showed the nearly half of the 1,000 persons surveyed said they were willing to pay more for organ ic food. Two of five, or 41 percent, said they were willing to pay up to 10 percent more. However, when the food cost increase is more than 10 percent, the number of positive responses dropped dramatically. Only 16 percent said they would be willing to pay up to 20 percent, and when foods costs increased over 20 percent the positive responses dropped into the single digits. Recent studies conclude that food costs would increase 45 percent without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. “Clearly, there is no national outcry for more organic food,” said Myers. “In fact, demand has been so low that at least two large food store chains have discontinued the organic market ing sections in their stores. It’s time to put a stop to this myth that there is widespread demand for organic food.” What do you think? Farm Calendar Wills 4-H/FFA Show, Howard Co. Fairgrounds, Marylanid, 10:00 a.m. Pa. Hampshire Field Day, Blu- Acre Farm, Robesonia, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ' Farm Family Insurance Driving Clinic, Horse Park, Allentown, N.J. Clearfield Co. 4-H Practice Roundup and Fun Show, Clear field Co. Fairgrounds. Dauphin Co. Extension Extrava ganza, Dauphin Co. Ag and Natural Resources Center, Dauphin, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Spring Fling Craft and Bake Sale, Refton Fire Hall, Refton, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Berks Co. Dairy Judging, Davis Farm. 11:00 a.m. | Monda\T Ma> 21 HEC-2 Flood Plain Hydraulics, 1 Lancaster Fanning Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E Main St Ephrata, PA 17522 - r Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Sltlnrmn Ente.ptkt Robert G Campbell General Manager Everett R. Newswanger Managing Editor 1M by LancMbr Farnltf PSU. Centre Co. 4-H Sausage Staffers, Halfmoon Grange Building, Centennial, 7:30 p.m. Berks Co. Extension board of directors, Berks Co. Ag Center, Elk Co. Lyme Disease Program, Extended Care, St. Marys, 7:00 p.m. Clearfield Co. Spring Celebration, Eastern Star Building, Clear field, 10:00 a.m.-2;00 p.m. Reducing Your Water Bill: Water Conservation at Home, Multi- Service Center Auditorium, Clearfield. Center Co. Jams and Jellies Mak ing Workshop, Logan Grange Hall, Pleasant Gap, 7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Berks Co. Swine Club, Berks Co. Ag Center, 7:30 p.m. NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agricultural Agent To Check Water Supplies Water is one of our most impor tant resources, but it should be checked periodically. Many fami lies depend on wells for their water supply, but they pay little attention to the water unless the pump fails or the well runs dry. Your water should be tested annu ally to determine its quality. It is important to test water fol lowing any reconstruction or addi tion to the water supply or its distribution system. Water sup plies should be checked whenever a disease occurs that may have been caused by unsafe drinking water. If water changes in taste, odor or appearance for no reason, it should be tested. There are many tests and anal yses that can be used. Two of the most important are for nitrates and bacteria. To Check Stored Pesticides The shelf life of most pesti cides, when stored in their original container, is usually several years. The greatest problem with stored pesticides comes from freezing temperatures. Cold over wintering temperatures may cause a breakdown of the emulsifier in liquid materials. These materials may not mix properly when added to the spray water. Northeast Forest Industry Safety Committee safety meeting, Tri ton Hose Co., Tunkhannock, 6:00 p.m. NW Keystone Jr. Beef Classic, Crawford Co. Fairgrounds, Meadville. Mond;i\. M;n 2S Memorial l)a\ I'ridin, June 1 Bradford Co. Dairy Festival, Athens, Pa., 7:00 p.m., thru June 2. Cecil Co. Farm Show, Western, Fairhill Grounds, 9:00 a.m. Washington Co. Sheep & Wool Field Day, Washington Fair grounds, 8:00 a.m., thru June 3. Bradford Co. Dairy Festival, Athens. Pa. (Turn to Page All) WELL. X SET PLENTY OF 'T To determine if the pesticide will still mix properly with water, follow this easy procedure: (1) place 'A pint of water in a small container, (2) add 'A teaspoon of the pesticide, (3) shake or stir thoroughly (you should get a milky mixture), (4) let stand for about one hour. The spray mix should remain an even milky mix ture. If an oily scum or layer forms on top, or if a layer of curds appear on top, don’t use the material. To Consider Paper Bedding As a society, we generate a lot of trash, and paper makes up a lot of that trash. Much of that trash paper is ending up in our landfills, and our landfills are filling up. We need to find alternatives. One alternative is to recycle newspap ers, as bedding fen: animals. Many farmers are using paper as bed ding and many homeowners are interested in recycling their paper as bedding. The challenge is con necting farmers who need paper with people who have paper to recycle. Farmers in Lancaster County who are in need of paper WE CAN OVERCOME! May 20,1990 Background Scripture: 1 John 5:1-15 Devotional Reading: 2 Peter 1:1-11 Do you ever pick up the morn ing paper and, after scanning the depressing headlines, think to yourself: “The world is going to hell in a handbasket” or words to that effect? Or perhaps a similar mood sweeps over you while watching the late evening televi sion news. Nothing seems to be going right anywhere we look inflation, the national debt, bank closings, acid rain, strife in North ern Ireland, civil war in Lebanon, apartheid in South Africa, corrup tion in Washington, D.C., and drugs everywhere in America. It is so difficult for us when on every side things seem to be get ting steadily worse. Yet, at the same time, our Christian faith counsels us to believe that God’s kingdom will come and his will be done. We believe that with our minds, but our gut level feeling is sometimes something else. So we try to hang on, trusting in the promises of God, looking for a sign that will dispel our gloom and permit us to survive. MORE THAN SURVIVAL Human beings are great survi vors. Sometimes I marvel at the true life stories of people who sur mount all kinds of perils and dan gers in order to survive. Some how, these people manage to hang on. But the Christian promise is not about survival, but victory. ONE OF Y00R... 3 £TTER “ conoismcallv FFICIEN T ODS should notify the Lancaster Coun ty Cooperative Extension office of their need by calling (717) 394-6851. To Be Alert For Ticks It seems like there is a season for everything ... well the tick season is here. These pests may be on almost any dog or person that walks through uncultivated fields or woody areas from May to Sep tember. Ticks await their victims on low-growing ,shrubs and on tall grass. They attach to, and feed on the blood of dogs and humans as well as many other animals. To control the American dog tick, first clean the area of tall grass and weeds on which ticks await their victims. Also treat bushes 20 to 30 feet on either side of paths with Sevin. The dog should also be treated with a 5% Sevin dust at weekly intervals, or as needed, to control ticks. The Penn State Cooperative Extension is an affirmative action equal opportunity educational institution. Not only will we endure, but we will overcome: ‘‘Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God... For whatever is born of God overcomes the w0r1d...” (5:1a,4a). By love—God’s love for us and our love for others—we are as close to him as it is possible to get. 1 John calls this closeness abiding “in him and he in us” (4; 13). If we abide in him and he abides in us then we will share the ultimate victory that will be his. If we live close to him, loving as he loves, then the victory will be ours, too. “Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (5:5). BEYOND BELIEF So, ultimately it boils down to faith. Not just belief, but faith. This is not just a matter of the ideas that we cling to, but that which, we permit to empower our lives. One of my seminary profes sors, Paul W. Hoon, has said: “...the battlefield on which the believer overcomes the world is ultimately not that of thought or theology but the sphere of his dai ly living.” It is much more than the faith we profess—it is the faith by which we live. To me, that’s what makes Christianity so vital. It has a theol ogy, but it is essentially practical. It is a way of life much more than it is a way of speaking. And the essence of that way of living is love, the way we treat one another, the way we respond to each other’s needs, the way we regard God’s other children. When we are unloving it means we simply do not have sufficient faith in God. It means that we believe m ourselves and our fears more than we believe in him. But, on our own we will not survive, let alone be victorious. We can only overcome if we first learn to love. (Bated on copyrighted Outlines produced by the Committee on the Uniform Senes and uxed by permission. Released by Community A Sub* urban Press)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers