AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 9, 1991
OPINION
Happy Dairy Farms
Now is the time for all beautilul dairy farms to come to the aid
of their industry. Of course, the dairy farms can’t do much them
selves. They need their owners to submit an application for the
1991 Dairy of Distinction program that has just been anounced
this week.
If ever you could call a milk promotion program grass-roots,
this it it. The beauty of local dairy farms is used to remind con
sumers where the good beverage of milk originates. And volun
teers run the program to keep the cost at a very low level.
Judging takes place in the month of May and is based on the
roadside appearance of buildings, grounds and surroundings. A
local district team of judges visits each farm and uses a score
sheet to rate each farm. In the Pennsylvania program, in addition
to this team of judges, the sanitarian for the farm’s cooperative or
dealer-handler is asked to be part of the judging process.
Winners receive a colorful, 18x24-inch Dairy of Distinction
sign to be placed at the entrance to the farmstead. In addition, as in
past years, an 1 lxl4-inch color portrait of the farm will be given
by Lancaster Farming to each winning farm in the Pennsylvania
program.
Your dairy farm wants to help promote milk. Give it a chance.
Send in your application today. Let your beautiful dairy farm
show itself off to the milk drinkers of America in this year’s Dairy
of Distinction program. Your dairy farm will be glad you did.
Farm Calendar
Cumberland Co. annual meeung,
Huntsdalc Fire Hall, Huntsdalc,
10:45 a.m.
Chester Co. Beekeepers Associa
tion Bee Short Course, East
Bradford Township Building,
HE3B9CB3M9CHI
Lancaster Co. Sheep and Wool
Growers annual meeting, Farm
and Home Center, 7:30 p.m.
Poultry Management and Health
Seminar, Kreider Dairy Farms
Restaurant, Manheim, noon.
PNA Nursery and Landscape Con
ference, Hershey Convention
Center, thru Feb. 14.
McKean Co. Dairy Nutrition
School 11, Port Allegany, 9:30
a.m.-3 p.m.
New York State Vegetable Con
ference, Syracuse Sheraton Inn
and Convention Center, Liver
pool, N.Y., thru Feb. 13.
Wayne Co. Farm and Financial
Workshop, Extension Office,
Honesdale, 8 p.m.
Swine production meeting, SUN
Area Vo-Tech, New Berlin, 7
p.m.
Atlantic Breeders Co-Op, District
11, Delaware State, Felton Fire
Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Union Co. Com Clinic, Montour-
DeLong Fair Building, 9:30
a.m.-3 p.m.
Lancaster Co. dairy herd manage-
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E Mam St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stmnman EMerprist
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
C*mrl|M IMO fey Lanuthr Family
ment meeting, Carl L. Marlin
Farm, Ephrata. 12:30 p.m.
Lancaster Co. dairy bam meeting,
John Z. Weaver Farm, Stevens,
1 p.m.
Lancaster Co. dairy bam meeting,
S. Clair Wadel Farm, Lancas-
PNA Nursery and Landscape Con
ference, Hershey Convention
Center, thru Feb. 14.
New York State Vegetable Con
ference, Syracuse Sheraton Inn
and Convention Center, Liver
pool, N.Y., thru Feb. 13.
Lancaster Co. Crops and Soils
Day, Farm and Home Center,
8:30 a.m.
Elk Co. bee management, exten
sion office.
York Co. labor resource manage
ment multi-county meeting,
Adams Co. Extension Office.
Adams Co. dairy farm labor
resource management meeting,
Extension Office.
Lebanon Valley National Bank
Agri-Seminar, Prescott Fire
Hall, 8:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Penn State Nursery Conference,
Hershey.
Clarion Co. new pesticide study
and exam, Clarion Co. Park, 7
p.m.-9 p.m., repeats Feb. 13.
Pa. DHIA Southeast District meet
ing, Berks Co. Ag Center, 9:30
a.m.-3 p.m.
(Turn to Page A 32)
WHAT'S
THIS f
Dfot
'"'"V
k
NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
- Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
To Recognize Lime
For Weed Control
You have never heard us
recommend lime for weed control
however, indirectly lime is impor
tant to obtain good herbicide weed
control. Both research and farm
experience has indicated that her
bicides are not as effective in sour
soil. So, for best control with
chemicals, the soil test require
ments must be satisfied.
Many poor weed control exper
iences have been reported on acid
soils. A complete soil test will
indicate the amount of lime
needed. There are many other
advantages to crop production in
addition to better herbicide action.
To Evaluate Dairy Cows
It costs about $1,200 to raise a
calf to two years of age; that’s
cash and non-cash costs. When
milk prices fall, profit margins
shrink and it takes longer for cows
to recover their heifer raising
costs, and to make their first nick
el of profit in their lifetime.
The challenge to dairymen,
according to Glenn Shirk, Exten
sion Dairy Agent, is to keep their
best cows in the herd longer for
several reasons. Herd profits will
increase. The more lactations you
keep a cow, the more calves she’ll
have and the fewer replacements
you’ll need. That means you’ll
have excess heifers, which gives
you the opportunity to cull selec
tively. With fewer heifers needed,
you’ll need less housing and pur
chased feeds, and you’ll have
more feeds available to feed to
your lactating cows where they’ll
earn a greater return.
To Be Aware Of
Milker’s Knee
Everyone knows about tennis
elbow, but who has ever heard of
“Milker’s Knee”? Dairy produc
ers may have this form of
degenerative arthritis without
being aware of it. The condition
occurs from the squatting bending
and lifting that dairy farmers must
do when attaching milkers to cows
standing at floor level.
This wearing away of cartilage
in the joints is most common
among dairjT farmers. The first
sign is usually pain in the knees.
Family and friends may notice
that the person is becoming
TMATS UNCLB OTIS'S
‘THINGS TO 00TODAY’
LIS 7”
bowlegged. Other signs include
frequent loss of balance; swelling,
locking, stiffening, or giving out
of the knees; and a grinding or
snapping noise when bending.
A knee injury can develop into
milker’s knee but people who
have never had a knee injury can
be affected. Some farmers simply
may have inherited this problem,
especially if the family has a his
tory of arthritis.
Dr. Dennis Murphy, Safety
Specialist at Penn State, tells us
that the most important prevention
is to avoid squatting. Instead,
kneel on one knee and wear knee
pads. If you consult a physician at
the first sign of trouble, you can
probably keep the conditions from
becoming worse.
To Keep Small Children
Away From Machinery
The spring cropping season will
WHO IS #1?
FEBRUARY 10,1991
Background Scripture: Matthew
20:17-28.
Devotional Reading; John
13:12-17
We live in a world where being
"number one” is extremely im
portant. That is how success is
measured. As we climb the ladder
of our vocation or avocation, we
become more successful at
least as society reckons it. As
Jesus reckons it, however, success
may have nothing at all to do with
society’s measurements. As in al
most everything else, the teach
ings of Jesus about being “number
one” are radically different from
what the world teaches us.
Once again, we Christians are
somewhat schizoid on this score.
We embrace Jesus’ teachings on
this matter, but we generally run
our churches by the world’s stand
ards. Who is successful in the
church? The clergyman who pas
tors the largest church or becomes
bishop. The layman who wields
the most influence and holds the
highest positions of lay power.
I have no aspirations of ever be
ing a bishop. Nevertheless, if to
morrow I were informed that I had
just been elected bishop, I would
certainly feel successful beyond
my greatest expectations. The
same would be true if I were offer
ed “the largest pulpit in Method
ism.” That would be success,
wouldn’t it?
LORDING IT OVER
That standard of success has
been with us a long time. It was
this standard that led the mother of
James and John of Zebedee to ask
Jesus. “Command that these two
sons of mine may sit, one at your
right hand and one at your left, in
your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21).
What ifiother wouldn’t want that
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be starting in another month. That
means That a lot of farm machines
will be put into operation and
things will really be moving.
Small children like to become a
part of this action and ask to ride
on machinery, or even operate
some of the smaller tractors. It
might take nerve to refuse them at
times; however, for their own pro
tection they should not become
involved. Many serious accidents
have happened because “Dad” or
“Grandad” took them along.
Where there are small children
all machinery operators should be
especially careful of their exact
locations. Farm machinery and
small children do no mix. Remem
ber, safety is no accident.
The Penn State Cooperative
Extension is an affirmative action,
equal opportunity educational
institution.
for her sons? Jesus recognized this
human desire; “You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their great men exercise
authority over them.” Having the
power to “Lord it over” someone
else has always been the world’s
measure of success.
Until Jesus came, saying: “It
shall not be so among you; but
whoever would be great among
you must be your servant, and
whosoever would be first among
you must be your slaves; even as
the Son of man came not to be
served but to serve ...”
(20:26-28). Once again, Jesus re
cognizes the human desire to be
great or first. He does not criticize
James, John and their mother for
wanting to be first in the kingdom
of heaven next to Jesus. What he
does do, however, is to give them
a radically different way of being
the greatest: by being a servant to
others.
Once again, Jesus is looking to
the long run, instead of the short
run. In the short run, “lording it
over” others seems to be the way
to success. But, in the long run,
that doesn’t work or count for real
success. What works in the long
run is the willingness to serve, ra
ther than to be served. Only in
serving others can we truly be
“number one,"
WILLING TO SERVE
Writing on this is a very uncom
‘ fortable experience for me, for I
know how likely I am to judge
success, not by the standards of
Jesus, but by those of the secular
world. I believe with all my mind
that a Christian must be willing to
serve others as Christ did, but 1
don’t very often live by those be
liefs. If someone came to me to
day, not to tell me that I had been
elected bishop, but to inform me
that God had chosen for me the
servant’s role in a specific situa
tion, could I feel that same degree
of satisfaction? Could I view this
as a superior means to becoming
“number one.”
Could you?
(Based on copyrighted Outlines produced by
the Committee on the Uniform Senes «nd used
by permission Released by Community &
Suburban Press)