AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 29,1990
OPINION
One Boycott Deserves Another
The animal rights’ group People for the Ethical Treatment of Ani
mals (P.E.T.A.) has started an advertising campaign that attacks eat
ing meat and promotes a vegetarian diet, which Julie Franklin, public
relations director, Pennsylvania State Grange, believes serves no pur
pose but to misinform the public.
Appearing in an ad with a cow called “Meat Stinks”, Canadian
country and western singer K.D. Lang says, “If you knew how meat
was made, you’d probably lose your lunch. I know - I’m from cattle
country. That’s why I became a vegetarian. Meat stinks and not just
for animals but for human health and environment.”
Believing one boycott deserves another, KRVN, in Lexington,
Neb., will boycott Ling’s music in retaliation against her participa
tion in an ad that discredits meat. The Pennsylvania State Grange,
which represents about 40,000 farming and rural Pennsylvanians,
hopes that many radio stations take her participation in such false
hoods as extremely serious and boycott her productions.
If Ms. Lang comes from “cattle country” she should know that this
advertisement docs nothing but misinform the public about their
food’s origin.
Animal agriculture is as traditional as human history and has pro
vided a significant source of food for centuries. No one takes better
care of the environment and their animals than livestock farmers and
ranchers. Animal agriculture is their life and livelihood.
Every major health organization in the United States recognizes
meat’s positive nutritional contribution when it is eaten in moderation
as part of a balanced and varied diet. No federal government report or
health organization’s set of dietary guidelines has ever recommended
a vegetarian diet as being necessary to enjoy good health.
P.E.T.A. is an animal rights activist organization that is seeking to
attain controversial goals. They have not demonstrated to us qualifi
cations to advise the American public on nutritional matters or any
other health or environmental matters.
Although P.E.T. A. has a guaranteed right to express its opinions, it
also has a responsibility to speak honestly and accurately. The Grange
thinks the American people deserve a factual, rational discussion of
this issue and one that is not rhetoric.
We understand that P.E.T.A. plans to approach the broadcast me
dia about running this ad as “public service announcements” free of
charge. If this does, in fact, happen, we challenge our friends in the
urban and city media to take an equitable stance and also air the cat
tlemen’s response to these ads as public service announcements. For
more information on the cattlemen’s response contact the National
Livestock and Meat Board, 444 Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
T - F _—
Farm Calendar , 4^l
Tri-Valley Community Fair, '
Hegins, thru Sept. 30.
Ephrata Fair.
Eastern National Livestock Show,
Maryland State Fairgrounds,
Penn Ag 1990 Convention, Tof
trees Resort, State College, thru
Oct. 2.
Farm Forum
Editor:
This year promises to be an
exciting year for Pennsylvania
slate agriculture and the Pennsyl
vania FFA Association. In June,
11 FFA members were selected to
become the 1990-91 Pennsylvania
Stau. FFA officers. Each state
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E Mam St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc,,
A Stemman Enterprise
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright INO by LaneaalM Farming
Eastern National Livestock Show,
Maryland State Fairgrounds,
Timonium, thru Oct. 2.
National Association of County
Ag Agents annual meeting. Red
Lion Sea Tac Hotel, Seattle,
Washington, thru Oct. 4.
Tri-Valley Community Fair,
Hegins.
(Turn to Page A3O)
officer has the responsibility of
representing the over 8,000 Pen
nsylvania FFA members, conduct
ing various leadership confer
ences, visiting FFA chapters, and
promoting the agricultural indus
try and the FFA. During this year
(Turn to Page A3l)
THANKS .
LADDER a
THE NEXT
BORROW
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
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
very important to keep out excess
water and air from 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 usually results in a
large amount of spoiled silage.
Also available are the large plastic
tubes that can be completely
sealed.
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 seeing the first
cousin of this weed spiny red
root —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 needleshape spines
occur at the juncture of each leaf
with the stem. These spines pre
vent all grazing animals from eat
ing these plants. Consequently we
are seeing large numbers of these
weeds appearing in many pas
tures, along cow paths and in open
spaces or loafing areas. Some
have been found in alfalfa
fields...a bad situation. These
weeds now have mostly red stems
and can 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 now but
the best time \vould be just about
the time in May when com plant
ing time is over. The important
thing is to remove the cattle and
spray the pasture. A second appli
cation to kill late appearing weed
seedlings would likely be needed.
Always follow label instructions
when applying any pesticide.
To Sow A
Fall Cover Crop
Our concern for soil conserva
tion should include a cover crop
following com, tobacco, or other
row crops. This is an excellent
practice and we encourage all far
mers to keep their land covered
with some vegetation during the
winter months. The cover crop
could be any winter grain crop or
domestic ryegrass and field
bromegrass. Then next spring the
growth can be pastured early and
then plowed down or used in a no
till grain operation. Cover crops
not only add organic matter but
help to hold the topsoil during the
winter months. They are well
worth the investment
You need to be aware that some
herbicides such as atrazine and
simazine applied at the higher
rates, will affect germination, but
if used at one pound of actual
material per acre, it should be safe.
A LYING
SPIRIT
September 30,1990
Background Scripture: 1 Kings
22: 1-40.
Devotional Reading: Psalms 26.
A few days ago I read a column
on the editorial page of our local
paper. The columnist was very
much disturbed because he con
cluded that the well-intentioned
lie, not truth, had become the stan
dard for our public and private
life. If a public figure makes a
mistake, we do not expect that he
will ever really admit it. I get the
impression that the general public
does not expect that public offi
cials will tell the truth. We evefi to
honor people who lie on a higher
level; in congress, in the counsels
of government, in the courts, in
city hall and in the market place.
Now, don’t get me wrong, that
doesn’t mean large numbers of
people would vote for “lying,” per
se. What they would probably
vote for is terminology that makes
lying seem like something else;
promotion, advertising, propagan
da, sales pitch, campaign oratory,
and so forth. Teddy Roosevelt’s
son used to say, “Dad’s all for
peace—so long as it doesn’t get in
the way of the fighting.” Lots of
people are for the truth in much
the same* way.
Why Not “Go Along”?
The way to “get along” today is
to tell people what they want to
hear. That was the objection
which King Ahab had against the
Prophet Micaiah. “I hate him,” he
told King Jehoshaphat, “for he
never prophesies good concerning
me, but evil” (22:8). If, like all the
other prophets of the time,
Micaiah had prophesied good to
King Ahab, there would have been
\/V
To Watch
For Unwanted Guests
Now that the weather is getting
cooler you may find some
unwanted guests in your bam and
home. You won’t see them too
often perhaps, but they’re there.
These guests will destroy more
food and property than they eat.
The guests in question are rats and
mice. As the weather gets colder,
they migrate from outdoors to
indoors.
Are you aware that one rat can
cost you $2B a year, and that rats
cause an estimated 25% of all
farm fires, and that rats destroy
about 20% of all crops planted
each year. Rats have a litter every
30 days...multiplying so rapidly a
pair could have 15,000 descen
dants in a year’s life span.
They kill small animals and
chickens and also carry diseases to
people and animals. Reasons
enough to start a good rat control
program.
no enmity between them. Why
couldn’t Micaiah “go along” and
say at least something that Ahab
wanted to hear? Maybe Micaiah
would have liked to do that, but
something inside him wouldn’t let
him sell his soul so cheaply for the
approval of others. That “some
thing inside” was his relationship
with God. So, when we lie or
by whatever other name we call
it— we are violating our relation
ship with God.
Recently, I was at a seminar in
which University of Pennsylvania
Professor Martin Seligman
reported on an extensive study
that found that over the past sever
al decades the American people
have repeatedly elected as Presi
dent those candidates who spoke
primarily in positive terms about
the country and its concerns,
despite the fact that there are times
when we need to be critical of
where we are and where we are
going as a nation. In other words,
we vote for those who tell us what
we want to hear. Political life is
certainly an area in which it
appears we do not value truth.
Valuing Truth
Micaiah played a kind of joke
on King Ahab, for when he was
brought before the king, he
mimicked the message that Ahab
had received from all the other
prophets. But, Ahab knew his leg
was being pulled: “How many
times shall I adjure you that you
speak nothing but the truth in the
name of the Lord?” (22:16). So,
Micaiah speaks again and this
time he tells the truth as God has
given it to him. Now, Ahab is
upset again. Turning to Jehosha
phat, he says: “Did I not tell you
that he would not prophesy good
concerning me, but evil?”
Micaiah is joking no longer
when he says: “the Lord has put a
lying spirit in the mouth of all
these your prophets” (22:23).
Neither is the lying spirit that also
pervades our society a laughing
matter!
(Based on copyrighted Outlines pro
duced by the Committee on the Uniform
Series and used by permission. Released
by Community & Suburban Press.)
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