AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16, 1991
OPINION
A Pivotal Year
Last year showed us how volatile conditions can be in a free market
environment. And in December, prices would have fallen to lower
levels if price supports had not continued to be a part of dairy policy.
Current supply and demand conditions can be summed as follows: 1
percent increase in sales, 3 percent increase in production, and virtu
ally no export sales of non-fat solids.
Dr. Paul Hand, general manager, Atlantic Dairy Cooperative, said
that in 1989 and the first six months of 1990, only butterfat was pro
duced in excess of market needs. Since late summer, however, pro
duction of butter, non-fat solids and cheese has been excessive. Prices
of these commodities are all at or below support levels. This will
mean substantially lower farm prices for 1991 and early 1992.
The 1990 Farm Bill provides an area where supplies can be
influenced, resulting in improved pricing. Provision has been made
for the USDA and the industry to develop an “inventory manage
ment” program. Such a program can be substituted for all the across
the-board assessments that will otherwise be made if production
exceeds commercial sales by 7 billion pounds or more. Currently, the
support price floor of $lO.lO per hundredweight prevents any further
price reductions. However, additional assessments from producers
can be utilized, thus reducing prices to those affected.
This initiative contained in the 1990 Farm Bill is only a beginning
step toward addressing the problem of balancing supplies with
demand. The mechanism or programs to be developed will require
substantial unity among all dairy interests and support from
USDA.
The difficult task of developing action programs will require the
positive effort of all dairy farmers. Already, some so-called leaders
arc developing extreme positions and creating confusion among pro
ducers. 1991 will be a year of opportunity to develop needed prog
rams for long-run solutions to both supply and inventory manage
ment. Wild rhetoric will not be productive.
The free market works. However, the roller coaster effect on prices
is too damaging to much of the industry. Surely alternatives can be
developed that will receive the support of the great majority of dairy
farmers. This makes 1991 truly a pivotal year.
Farm Calendar
Mid-Atlantic Herding Stock Dog
Club herding clinic,
McVeytown.
NFO annual meeting, Plumstead
Fire Hall.
Potter Co. Accident Seminar for
Farms, First National Bank,
Ulysses, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Rower Show, Civic
Center, thru March 17.
Maryland Guernsey meeting, Gra
sonville VFW, Grasonville.
■>ehr •> Co. Lakeside M?
Monday March IS
Pennsxhania 4-H Week
Small poultry flock health meet
ing, Leader Nursing Home,
Sunbury, 7:15 p.m.
Using newspaper bedding/how to
calibrate a manure spreader,
Lehigh Co. Ag Center, 7:30
p.m.
Erie Co. pesticide safety meeting,
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E Mam St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Slemman Enterprise
Robert G Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing'Editor
Capyrlfht IBM by LaneMtor Farmlnf
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Moose Club, Union City, 1
p.m.-4 p.m.; repeats at Fort
Leßoeuf Middle School,
Waterford, 7 p.m.-lO p.m.
Pennsylvania 4-H Week, thru
March 23.
Tuesday March 19
Pennsxhania 4-11 Week
. South Central Cattlemen's Associ
ation annual banquet, East Ber
lin Fire Hall, 7 p.m.
York Farm Computer User Group,
Gettysburg H.S.
Clarion Co. Swine Health Semi
nar, Clarion Co. Park, 7:30 p.m.
(Turn lo Page ASS)
Farm Forum
Editor:
This is to wish Jay Irwin a hap
py retirement*
I’m sure his service to Lancas
ter Countians as Extension Direc
tor will long be remembered there.
As one who has read Mr. Irwin’s
column “Now Is The Time” for
BIUU, COULD YOU COME
OVER AND HELP ME
PULL AAV TRACTOR
our OF I RE MUD? y
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NOW IS
THE TIME
By Jay Irwin
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
To Be Patient
This is the time of year that we
are under strain and pressure to get
a lot of jobs underway for the
planting season. It also means that
we are not as patient with people
and livestock. Let’s be careful, as
we move our cattle around, and
not give them that extra slap or
prod to try to speed up movement.
Keep in mind, that extra shove or
push could have an effect on pro
duction. Cows can “sense” the
change in pace and temperament
and respond with a little less
production.
There is a great deal of activity
in the spring season, but let’s not
take it out on our cattle. Be patient
and try to maintain a relaxed sche
dule as we move our livestock
around. It’ll pay off in the milk
check.
We find that in the best produc
ing herds the animals are relaxed
and the workers are relaxed. This
tells us something about the tender
loving care that cattle need.
To Practice
Farm Safety
Spring is traditionally a pleas
ant time on the farm. It is a lime to
get out in the field and enjoy the
change in the weather and the anti
cipation of a new cropping season.
All the anticipation of good things
to come can be ruined by one acci
dent. According to Robert Ander
son, Extension Agronomy Agent,
following a few rules can help
keep the spring season a happy
one on the farm.
Operate and maintain equip
ment in accordance with the oper
ator’s manual. Shut off power
before unclogging, adjusting, or
servicing equipment. Keep child
ren off all equipment. Adjust
ground speed to field conditions.
Stay clear of ditches, steep slopes
and other obstructions. Check
tires, hitches, lights, SMV emb
lems and brakes daily. Don’t over-
years, I selfishly hope it will con
tinue to run in your fine paper. His
tips and reminders are invaluable;
they obviously come from a man
with real insight into the work of
farm management.
Dave Wilder
Phoenixville
load or overwork equipment.
Adjust road travel speed to load
and road conditions.
To Apply Poultry
Manure Sparingly
With the large poultry popula
tion in this region, poultry manure
is in good supply. Since poultry
manure may contain from 15
pounds to nearly 50 pounds of nit
rogen per ton, depending on mois
ture and litter content, over appli
cation can bum crops and result in
disappointments. Gardeners
should not be using heavy
amounts of fresh manure in their
soils. On cropland it is recom
mended that poultry manure appli
cations be limited to not more than
5 to 7 tons of 75% moisture con
tent per acre.
Keep in mind that some poultry
manure may contain up to 50
pounds of nitrogen per ton and can
bum seeds and crop roots. Poultry
manure is also the highest in pho
sphorus and potash of any of our
farm manures. It has excellent fer
tilizer value when used properly.
tii LAWKINU W AiIHUUSt |
SaSBILS
SPij
WHAT WE
REALLY NEED
March 17,1991
Background Scripture:
Matthew 18:21-34.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 103:1-14.
If you are the one doing the for
giving, sometimes Jesus’ com
mand to “forgive one another"
seems rather unfair. Some people,
it seems, take advantage of our
forgiving nature. They come back
for forgiveness repeatedly. Really,
there ought to be some limits on
forgiving!
In one of my parishes was a
man who kept a little notebook in
which he chronicled all his marital
conflicts and spats. He took liter
ally what he thought were the lim
its that Jesus placed on forgive
ness: “I do not say to you seven
times, but seventy times seven”
(18:22). In other words, he
believed that Jesus had set the lim
it for forgiveness at 70x7 or 490!
He didn’t realize that Jesus was
not setting a limit when he said
this, but expanding Peter’s hori
zons. Peter obviously thought that
seven limes was pretty magnanim
ous, for he said: “Lord, how often
shall my brother sin against me
and I forgive him? As many as
seven times?” Peter must have
been dumbfounded when Jesus
said “seventy times seven”!
AS WE FORGIVE
That’s why it is important to
follow these words of Jesus with
the parable he told, the Parable of
the Unforgiving Servant. This
parable illustrates two things in
Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness.
First, it shows us that the forgive
ness we receive from God is
The 1991-92 Agronomy Guide
(pages"'‘24-25) gives additional
details about the fertilizer values
of farm manures. The Agronomy
Guide is available through any
extension office " Pi, 'rylvania
for a $6.00 fee.
To Remove Trash
Landowners along rural roads
are the victims of people who have
little respect for the property of
others. Too many people are
dumping trash in fields along the
road. In all cases when this is
dumped on pastures or cropland,
the trash should be removed
before spring growth begins. This
trash will be hard on farm equip
ment when on cropland and may
be poisonous to livestock when on
pastureland.
We urge property owners to
remove the trash in the next week
or two. If any type of identifica
tion can be made, as to the owner
of the trash, this should be
reported to Township officials;
prosecution can be made for
dumping trash along the highway.
linked directly to the forgiveness
we give to others. In the Lord’s
Prayer he taught his disciples to
pray: “And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our
debtors” (Matt. 6:12). In this para
ble he asks us to realize that if we
want forgiveness, we must give
forgiveness.
The servant in the story owes
his master ten thousand talents,
which scholars estimate to be
roughly comparable to $l,OOO.
Unable to pay this debt, the man
begs his lord not to sell him and
his family into slavery. He prom
ises to eventually pay his master,
but the master goes a step beyond
and actually forgives him the debt.
In turn, the debtor was owed one
hundred denarii, or about $2O by a
fellow servant. Although the latter
begged for patience, the man who
had been forgiven his debt of
$l,OOO refused to extend mercy to
the man who owed him $2O and
had him thrown into jail.
IF YOU DON’T
FORGIVE
Secondly, this parable teaches
us that there are no limits to for
giveness. The disparity between
the $l,OOO and $2O is meant by
Jesus to indicate the difference
between our indebtedness to God
and our indebtedness to each
other. If God can forgive such a
huge debt, should we not be able
to forgive a small one? So when
the master teams of his servant’s
unforgiving treatment of the other
servant, he comes to him and
wrathfully condemns him to jail.
“You wicked servant! I forgave
you all that debt because you
besought me; and should not you
have had mercy on your fellow
servant, as I had mercy on you?”
(18:33). And just to make certain
that we get the meaning of this
parable, Jesus concludes: “So also
my heavenly Father will do to
everyone of you, if you do not for
give your brother from your heart”
(18:35).
(Based on copynghled outline* produced by
the Committee on the Uniform Series and used
by permission Released by Community and Sub
urban Press)
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