AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 25, 1992
OPINION
Ownership Shared By
The Hired Help?
The current DHIA situation is changing so rapidly that we
hesitate to write anything for fear of being outdated by press time.
But given the illustrious history of DHIA, there are a few things
worth noting in this time of change.
A dairyman primarily obtains production records for use as
management data to be used for appraisal of the status of the pre
sent herd and to plan for future improvement. Culling, feeding,
reproduction, mastitis, milk production, fat yield, protein yield
and conditions affecting the records are some of the important
management data needed by dairy farmers and their advisors.
Sire and cow evaluations, pedigrees, university and USDA
research analysis, newsletters, demonstrations, and educational
programs are all valuable uses of DHIA records. But these later
functions are secondary to the all important management use val
ue to the herd owners.
Because DHIA data should be nearly as private as financial
records and since dairy fanner members contract for their collec
tion, the data should belong solely to the individual farm owner.
DHIA’s contract with the farmer for a fee to do the service of milk
weighing, sample collection, data summarization, and reporting
of the information. As with membership in a farm supply
cooperative, breeding cooperative, or farm credit cooperative,
fanners have the right to choose their service provider and level
of Service-
Records are produced in different forms such as handwritten,
typewritten or computer digested forms. Since the dairyman
makes the records by feeding and otherwise caring for his cows
and since the dairyman also pays to have these records recorded
and analyzed, we believe even the computer form of the DHIA
record belongs to the herd owner.
If ownership is shared by the hired help, then the owners are
numerous, State DHIA, universities involved, contributing AI
cooperatives, County DHIA, federated units, breed organiza
tions, and others. All could lay claim to have some part in the
ownership of the farmer’s private records.
Where should ownership stop if the records are not the sole
property of the fanner whose cows produced them and who paid
to have them recorded and summarized? How can a farmer be
assured of the confidentiality of his personal data if ownership is
otherwise?
Farm Calendar
Butler Co. annual meeting.
Pa. Holstein Association Butler
Co. annual meeting. Garden
State Restaurant, 11:30 a.m.
Pa. Holstein Association Hunting
don Co. annual meeting, Junia
ta Valley School, Petersburg,
New York State Vegetable Grow
ers Association Conference,
Rochester Convention Center
and Holiday Inn, Genesee Pla
za, Rochester.
Pennsylvania Game Bird Confer
ence, Days Inn, State College,
thru Jan. 28.
New York State Sweet Com
Research Association annual
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMimn Enhtpriu
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett R, Newtwanger Managing Editor
net ky UncMr Pamtaf
meeting. Riverside Convention
Center, Holiday Inn, Genesee
Plaza, Rochester.
Pa. Dairy Promotion Program
annual meeting, Atherton Hil
ton, State College, 10:30 a.m.
Southwest Pa. Hay Auction.
Adams Co. Com Clinic, York
Springs Fire Hall, 9 a.m.
Centre Co. pesticide certification
update training meeting, Penns
Valley Area H.S., Spring Mills,
8 p.m.
Octorara Young Farmers Associa
tion pesticide meeting, Octora
Pennsylvania Vegetable Confer
ence and Trade Show, Hershey
Lodge and Convention Center.
Hershey, thru Jan. 30.
BOY UNCLE OTI9. THERE 30RE JS>
A LOT OF BOOKKEEPING- INVOLVED
WITH FARMING- TODAY NOW DO
yOO KEEP ALL THOSE RECEIPTS',
FORMS AND ETC. ORGANIZEDy
FOR THE J.R.S f 5
e o
* *
To Store
Pesticides Properly
The proper storage of pesticides
is a must.
Current government regulations
require pesticides to be stored so
they do not present a hazard to the
environment, employees, family,
and the public.
Prefabricated weatherproof
buildings offer a good solution to
pesticide storage. These buildings
may remove chemical hazards
from other buildings, meet fire
safety codes, provide environmen
tal control, provide secondary con
tainment for accidental spills, and
comply with appropriate storage
regulations.
There are several manufacturers
of these prefabricated, insulated
storage buildings. Units are avail
able with a fire rating of two hours,
making them safe for location
close to existing structures.
The structure is basically steel
with a chemical resistant epoxy
coated surface and painted with a
white reflective paint Pallet-wide
doors assure easier loading of
material. Units are self-standing
and may be secured to a simple
concrete pad.
By having a proper pesticide
storage facility, you will be reduc
ing your risk of having a very cost
ly pesticide accident and fines.
To Prevent
Falls
Falls are a major cause of disa
bility, and also the cause of many
of the less serious but still painful
injuries on the farm.
Prevent falls and avoid unneces-
Dairy Day, Lycoming Mall.
Franklin Co. Com Clinic, Kauff
man’s Community Center, 9
a.m.-2:45 p.m.
Pa. Fruit Grower’s annual meet
ing, Hershey Convention Cen
ter, thru Jan. 30.
Southwest Pa. Dairy Breeding
Workshop, Armstrong and
Indiana counties, Andy Kayes
Restaurant, Shelocta, repeats
Feb. 4,
Pa. Holstein Assoc. Southcentral
Championship Show planning
meeting. Western Sizzlin’, Har
risburg, 10:30 a.m.
“Improving Swine Production
(Turn to Pag* A 1
■•Jf i
ill
° .
sary pain and disability by:
• Watching your step and where
you are going.
• Choose the appropriate foot
wear for the activity.
• Make sure ladders are in good
condition and properly set for sta
bility. Follow the four-to-one rule
one foot out at the base for
every four feet up.
• Clear snow and ice from out
door walks and steps.
• Watch your step and use hand
holds when climbing on and off
farm equipment By thinking safe
ty, you should reduce your chances
of having a serious Call.
To Understand
Guidelines For
Selecting Alfalfa
Varieties
When selecting an alfalfa
variety to grow, base die decision
on several criteria.
He Looked for Justice
January 26, 1992
Background Scripture: Isaiah
5:1-7.
Devotional Reading: Psalms
51.
The Prophet Isaiah had a mes
sage for the people of Israel. It
was a message they would not
want to hear, so how would he get
it across to them?
It would appear that his solution
was to put the message in the form
of a parable which, in turn, would
be expressed in a song. People lis
tened to songs even when they
refused to listen to prophetic
preaching. It is believed that he
wrote this song for the celebration
of the feast of the tabernacles a
kind of harvest thanksgiving festi
val that was widely celebrated
throughout the land. In such a fes
tive mood, people would be more
likely to listen to his song and con
sider the meaning of the parable.
The Prophet begins by annouc
ing his song: "Let me sing for my
beloved a love song concerning
his vineyard” (5:1). Already in a
party mood, the people at the
celebration must have turned their
attention to Isaiah as soon as he
announced "a love song," It was a
love song, but a different kind of
love of a vinedresser for his viney
ard. Note that all that he does, he
does, not out of a sense of duty,
but out of love for his vineyard.
He loves his vineyard so much
that he does everything possible to
make it fruitful.
JUDGE YOURSELF!
The Prophet is also wise in ask
ing his hearers to judge them
selves, even if at first they do not
realize it. "What more was there to
do for my vineyard, that I have not
done in it?” (5:4). This is what the
Look for variety trail reports
which are conducted in the same
climate region and under similar
soil conditions which you have on
your farm. Whenever possible, use
trial results from several locations.
What we are looking for is
repeatability and consistency. Per
formance by year is important but
you should place more weight on
yields over a several year period.
Varieties which produce well
and decline rapidly will not look
good when several years of data at
the same Held site are examined.
Whenever possible, use trials
which rate varieties on their dis
ease resistance to the diseases
which are common in your area.
Anthracnose continues to be the
most widespread disease in Lan
caster County.
Feather Prof s Footnote: “Take
time to love and be loved — it is a
God-given privilege."
Prophet Nathan did with David (2
Samuel 12:1-12). Jesus also
employed similar methods at
times. It is interesting to note al
though we often speak of trying to
discover what God wants of us,
very often we already know very
well what he wants. Our problem
then is not that we don't know the
will of God, but that we don't do it.
What we see in this parable is
unretumed love. The vinedresser
did everything possible for his
vineyard, but in return the viney
ard failed to yield what he had a
right to expect. Lots of us experi
ence this in our lives: our love
may be unappreciated, unnoticed
and unretumed. Or perhaps we
have been the recipients of lots of
love which we have failed to
return. That's the way it is with
God, too. Things go awry in this
world, not because there is a lack
of divine love permeating every
nook and cranny of the universe,
but because there is an appalling
lack of human love in response.
DISAPPOINTING GOD
This is the way it was with God
and Israel. In his song, Isaiah
sings: "For the vineyard of the
Lord of hosts is the house of
Israel, and the men of Judah are
his pleasant planting; and he
looked for justice, but behold,
bloodshed; for righteousness but
behold a cry!" (5:7). It is interest
ing that Jesus turned this whole
question around when, in speak
ing of the love of God, he said,
"Or what man of you, if his son
asks for him bread will give him a
stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will
give him a serpent?" (Matt 7:9).
God does not disappoint us, but
we do dissapoint him.
Note, that Isaiah links justice
and righteousness. All too often
Christians have pursued the latter,
but not the former, assuming that
one could be personally righteous
without becoming involved in
other people's struggles for jus
tice. "He looked for justice, but
behold bloodshed; for righteous
ness as the Sammy Kahn song
says, "love and marriage go
together like the horse and car
riage... You can't have one with
out the other!