Onbei
a farm
-And o
bazar
Joyce B
Think spring!
That two-word message head
lined the advertising signboard of
a neighborhood hardware store 1
drove past on a sunny afternoon
last week.
Spring. A truly lovely word,
conjuring up pleasant pictures of
greening grass, a gentle sort of
breeze, and cheery yellow crocus
blooms poking up through moist,
brown earth.
Spring fever hit me even earlier
than usual, in this most snow-less,
barren, brown, monotonous
weather winter in memory.
With no snow cover, the soils
and dormant crops have no shel
tering blanket against the harsh.
drying winds. No insulating layer
of white tempers the freeze/thaw
alternates which heave the root
systems of alfalfa and fall-planted
grains out of the soil.
And, most critically, almost no
snow has accumulated to soak
CONVEYOR CHAIN
SPROCKETS
PRATT INDUSTRIES
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800-342-3522
through topsoil and filter down to
replenish still-short supplies of
life-giving water, not just for
farms, but for everything depen
dent on Mother Earth’s moisture.
Not to mention the lack of slip
pery stuff for us restless snow lov
ers whose skis and sleds sit lonely,
unneedcd and gathering dust.
The Farmer wished this snow
less-ncss on us, he did. Some
weeks ago. as I lamented the lack
of white stuff, he expressed a pre
ference for no snow - because of
the extra work and mess it makes
around the bam and feeding areas.
Okay, if there’s to be no snow,
then winter begone. Git. Think
spring.
The Canada geese already are.
“Our” family of four has been
making return visits to the pond in
recent weeks. Periodically, the big
pair examines the mid-pond nest
ing site where they hatched out
goslings for the past two springs.
Manure Spreaders
Forage Boxes
Limespreaders
Feed Wagons
Elevators
Sandspreaders
(specials made to order)
Appearance of a fifth (a stran
ger courting one of the young
ones?) on a recent morning
brought a couple hours of loud
honking, airborne arguing, and
neck-stretched chases. The melee
seemed to mightily amuse the
mallards nonchalantly waddling
about in the thick of the battle.
A small bouquet of pussywil
low branches on a windowsill is
showing pale green leaves abpve
soft gray catkins, with tiny roots
sprouting from stems immersed in
water. In a shelled comer near the
house, upstart dandelions 'are
pushing out jagged foliage. Inches
away, a clump of yellow-tipped
daffodil foliage huddles around a
fat bud hugging tight to the
ground.
And we’re a few cows farther
down the milking lineup each
evening before daylight fades out
side the dairy bam windows.
Funny though. That “think
spring” sign caught my eye as I
hurried up the road to the local
convenience store. We were out of
bread - and the weather forecas
ters were warning of a winter
storm front barreling our way.
Sure enough, by morning the
ground was white, with several
hours more of flakes and slippery
conditions predicted. The daffo
dils and dandelion got buried. So
did the day’s meeting plans, leav
ing several hours of unexpected,
wintry-wonderland free time.
With birdfeeders restocked for
our ever-hungry feathered depen
dents, Solomon and I glided tow
ard the meadow. Fresh snow never
EL DETACHABLE
ROLLER CHAIN
fails to add a fairyland dimension
to the familiar landscape of wood
lot and heifer pasture.
Tracks in the snow marked
where others had preceded us,
squirrels and rabbits and birds of
various sizes. A pile of brush was
transformed from just limbs and
twigs to a piece of modem art,
white on dark, anglular patterned,
textured, snowy shadows adding
PDPP Has Summer
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) jhe Pennsylvania Dairy
Promotion Program has
announced the continuation of its
summer internship program.
The PDPP's summer intern \ ill
be involved in the coordination of
two statewide promotion cam
paigns, one during June Dairy
Month, and the second during July
Ice Cream Month.
The successful candidate will be
working with the staff on press
releases, media visits, and general
coordination of several events in
key media markets. In addition, the
intern will experience the PDPP's
total promotion activities in
Pennsylvania.
“Our internship program has
been very successful over the past
several years,” said Betsy Dupuis,
communications director.
“Both of our recent interns have
Special
$5.98 p»».
Lancasttr Fanning, Saturday. February 2& 1992-B2S
Round bales stacked on a
wagon looked like a giant serving
of sugar-coated shredded wheat.
And the daik-fuzzed cattail heads
ringing the little pond were remi
niscent of chocolate eclairs topped
with ice cream. (Note how even a
smidgeon of fresh air and exercise
focuses the mind on food ).
Think spring!
Intern Position
been a big part of our effective
statewide promotions of ice cream.
We plan to have our 1992 intern
involved in both June and July
promotions to give them an oppor
lunity to work in several different
media markets.”
For the internship, the PDPP
looking for students pursuing
careers in communications and/or
marketing. Special emphasis will
be placed on students who have
agricultural experience and effec
tive communications skills. Stu
dents must be in their fifth semes
ter of study to qualify for the
internship.
“We are especially adamant
about communications skills
because of the intern's job respon
sibilities,” added Dupuis. “Wc
encourage all applicants to send
writing samples along with their
application to aid us in the selec
tion process.”
To apply for the position, stu
dents should send a cover letter,
resume and writing samples to
Betsy Dupuis, Communications
Director, the Pennsylvania Dairy
Promotion Program, 2301 North
Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA,
17110. All applications must be
received by February 28,1992, to
receive consideration.
depth
But keep the snow toys handy.
The assignment with the PDPP
will be for 12 weeks, beginning in
mid-May and ending in late July,
1992. Further information about
the internship is available by call
ing Dupuis at (717) 787-590'!,