AWLancaster Fanning, Saturday, June 9, 1991
OPINION
Approach Manure Pits
Underground storage pits are convenient, efficient and an increas
ingly popular way to store large amounts of manure, but they must be
handled with care, according to a Penn State College of Agriculture
farm safety expert. The danger peaks when stored manure is being
agitated or emptied. Dr. Dennis Murphy, professor of agricultural
engineering at Penn State says the fermentation process inside a man
ure storage pit also produces methane, hydrogen .sulfide, carbon diox
ide and ammonia. When these hazardous gases build up, the atmo
sphere inside the pit can become toxic, low in oxygen and even
explosive.
If someone collapses in a pit, amateur rescue efforts often result in
more fatalities. Several tragedies involving multiple deaths in a man
ure pit have occurred nationwide. In one incident, five family mem
bers died.
Gas concentrations are so high that it’s literally suicide for anyone
else to enter without protection. The only safe way to rescue someone
who has collapsed in a pit is to ventilate the pit and wait for rescue
personnel with the proper equipment.
Taking precautions can help to minimize manure storage hazards.
Don’t fill the pit to full capacity. Allow a foot or two of air space to
accommodate concentrations of these gases. When agitating stored
manure or emptying the pit, keep out of storage buildings and provide
strong, constant ventilation.
Don’t go into the pit unless you absolutely have to, Murphy
advises. The only safe way to enter is to wear a self-contained brea
thing apparatus, along with a safety liner attached to a hoist with a
person standing by to assist you in an emergency. Provide ventilation
and keep in constant visual contact with someone who can pull you to
safety using the hoist.
Summer’s hot temperatures can increase gas buildup, but a manure
pit is always potentially dangerous. Toxic gas concentrations can
occur at any time of the year.
Hydrogen sulfide, the most hazardous manure pit gas, is colorless,
heavier than air and smells like rotten eggs. At low concentrations, it
paralyzes the sense of smell and causes dizziness, headaches, nausea
and irritation of the respiratory tract At high concentrations it can
cause unconsciousness and respiratory failure within seconds and
death within minutes.
Low concentrations of carbon dioxide can cause labored breathing
and headaches. High concentrations can asphyxiate people and ani
mals by displacing oxygen in the air. But unless all ventilation into
and around the pit stops for a few hours, carbon dioxide usually docs
not build up to a lethal level, according to Murphy.
Ammonia can severely damage the eyes, nose, throat and lungs
when it combines with moisture in those tissues to form a caustic alk
aline substance. High concentrations can be fatal, but ammonia’s irri
tating nature usually prompts people to leave the area quickly.
Methane is highly flammable and explosive, but it is impossible to
detect without special equipment. Because it is lighter than air,
methane rises out ol manure pits, but it can collect under hoods, root
ridges and comers, where torches, cigarettes or sparks from electrical
shorts can ignite explosions. Approach mnanurc pits with caution
Farm Calendar
Lebanon Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Lebanon Co. Vo-Tech
School.
Adams Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Biglerville High
School, Biglerville, 8 p.m.
Somerset Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Somerset Area High
School, 7:30 p.m.
Bradford Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Troy Senior High
Auditorium, 8:15 p.m.
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
Capyrifht IMO by Lancaster Firming
With Caution
Pa. Young Dairymen’s Associa
tion, southcentral district, meet
ing, Logan Bower Farm, Blain,
11:30 a.m.
Dairy Goat Showcase, Allentown
Fairgrounds, 8:30 a.m.
PCC Young Cooperative Leaders
Conference, Days Inn, State
Southcentral Young Holstein
Breeders picnic, Logan Bower
CAN YX> FIND THESE I luQHGRLCES E E H C M A E R C J 7
BFWHXPPEDCREAMTFOH
7 KLIMMXKSUBGKORVKTE qV/
• BUTTER LRAAKL IMRETTUBLXJE Qp
• AAILK • MD6URT/IJM r E q E s FH NVCHGPI\NHRS «
•SKIMMILK *CREAAA^J a $
•BUTTER MILK ATGCTXKQZYXMOTYFCj*
•CHEESE .CREAM TUROUCOTT AGE CHEESE *
•COTTAGECHEESE CHEESE SBTHBDLRYF JNRUZOHT
(Turn to Page A3l)
To Practice
Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is a
very important part of any busi
ness, including farming. Every
piece of equipment, machinery
and vehicle should have a preven
tative maintenance program.
Preventative maintenance is
seeing routine maintenance is
formed to prevent unnecessary
breakdowns and extensive repairs.
Someone should have the respon
sibility of seeing the preventative
maintenance program is being
followed.
Such simple items such as
changing filters, greasing equip
ment, sharpening knives, changing
oil, and tightening belts and chains
will lengthen the life of equipment
At today’s cost of equipment
Farm Forum
Editor,
A very important bill in our
Pennsylvania legislature. House
Bill Number 1344, needs the sup
port of all FFA and 4-H supporters
across the state.
The Cole-Hayes bill creates a
grant program for qualifying agri
cultural and rural youth organiza
tions, with absolutely no taxpayer
dollars being used. The monies
were transferred from the Farmers
Home Administration in 1982.
They were used by the Pennsylva
nia Department of Agriculture for
two programs, the farmers market
loan program and a new technolo
gy loan program, both of which
experienced limited success.
The PDA has the choice of
using the money for a number of
purposes, including agricultural
youth programs, but to date have
not done so. Legislation is neces
sary because:
1. Both the previous and pre
sent Administrations have cho
sen not to direct support for
agricultural rural youth.
Examples;
Agriculture Fair Appro
priation was vetoed from
the budget in 1988.
Funding for the FFA was
climated in the last two
proposed budgets.
(Turn to Pag* A 33)
every fanner needs to extend the
life of aU equipment. The new sta
tus symbol in agriculture should be
who has obtained the longest use
of equipment, not who replaces
equipment first.
To Make Your
Dollars Work
The current “economic slow
down” is causing financial stress
for many businesses. Smart busi
ness managers anticipate hard
times and position their companies
so they will survive.
This means making hard deci
sions. Analyzing all costs, elimi
nating unprofitable units, and
delaying purchase of new equip
ment are a few techniques used.
Farmers need to practice these
same business techniques.
Before spending a dollar, the
farmer should ask how much
money will it generate. If it will hot
generate more than a $l.lO, then
the expenditure should be serious
ly question. Many extra features
offered on equipment maybe
ON HEARING
THE TRUMPETS
June 9, 1991
Background Scripture: Ezra
3; Hagai l:l-2:8.
Devotional Reading: Isaiah
57:14-21.
My first full-time church after
graduating from seminary was
very nearly my last church. I was
sent to what my District Superin
tendent would later term "a prob
lem church." The problem was
that an old country church near
Harrisburg, PA, found itself in the
midst of an area that was rapidly
becoming suburban. As the lay
leader of the church stated it short
ly after I arrived, "This was a nice
family church and that's the way
we want to keep it."
Of course, "family" to her
meant essentially her family and
she and others fairly bristled when
newcomers tried to become part of
our church family. The tension
became even worse as we neared
the completion of a bright, new
church edifice. For many years,
the people of this rural community
had worshipped in "the little white
church on the comer." It was obvi
ous that eventually "the little
white church" would have to come
down. It had served well for many
years, but there was no place for it
in the church's future.
RESISTING CHANGE
If I had been older and wiser -
as I surely am now! and not so
young and idealistic, I could prob
ably have brought all that off with
out nearly so much pain and hos
tility. Perhaps I could have made
the transition less difficult for
them and myself. But, as we
Pennsylvania Dutch say, "Ve get
pretty and expensive but do not
generate any additional income.
So, with reduced income from
lower prices and dry weather, now
is the time to control costs and
make sure every dollar spent
brings in additional income.
To Have
Family Picnics
When was the last time your
family had a picnic together?
Picnics are a fun activity for the
whole family. We are fortunate to
have many county and state paries
nearby that offer excellent picnic
facilities.
If you cannot get away from
home, your own backyard or “the
back 40 acres” also offer excellent
picnic sites. Build a charcoal fire,
grill your favorite meat and veget
ables, and roast a few
marshmallows.
Take a few minutes to reflect on
life, enjoy the view and have fun
with your family. Picnics are
simple to plan and add a new twist
to summer activities.
too soon oldt, und too late
schmardt!" (It loses something in
translation. I’ll admit)
I am probably now the same age
that my lay leader was back in that
first pastorate. (Actually, she was
probably a bit younger than I am
now.) I can better appreciate how
she and her family felt. It is human
nature to resist change and the old
er we get the more painful change
seems to be. So, too many of us
spend too much time lamenting
what is no more or what is passing
all too swifdy.
Actually both of us were
"right," to use a term that is clearly
inadequate. In any given situation
we must value both the past and
the future and govern our present
accordingly. It is typical of youth
to want to forge ahead to the new,
just as it is understandable for
aged to lament the passing of the
old. It is allright for us to shed
some tears over the past that we
are losing, but we must never let
our tears drown out the trumpets!
TEARS AND TRUMPETS
Thai's what happened in Ezra 3
when the returned exiles laid the
foundation for the rebuilding of
the temple: "And all the people
shouted with a great shout, when
they praised the Lord, because the
foundation of the house of the
Lord was laid. But many of the
priests and Levites... old men who
had seen the first house (the
temple of Solomon), wept with a
loud voice... though many shouted
for joy; so that the people could
not distinguish the sound of the
joyful shout from the sound of the
people's weeping..." (3:1 1b,12).
I like the way it is put in I
Esdras 5:65 (don’t bother looking
for it it’s in the Apocrypha):
"...the people could not hear the
trumpets because of the weeping
of the people." Change may cause
us tears, but we ought never to
allow our tears to drown out God's
trumpets.
(Based on copyrighted Outlines produced by
the Committee on the Uniform Senes and used
by permission Released by Community k Sub
urban Press )