AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, June 6, 1992 OPINION Summer Safety Every year between 175 and 300 children are killed in the United States while working or playing on the farm. Another 23,000 are seriously injured. Why are children at such risk cm farms? Part of the reason is because families do the farming and children get into many dangerous situations. But because these situations are so com monplace, they do not seem dangerous. A large tractor or harvesting equipment would never be the playground of children in other occupations. In addition, child ren take on many other roles around the farm, including working and accompanying adults everywhere they go. Injury scenarios can include tractor rollovers, falls from equipment or ladders, and entanglement in power take-off shafts or augers. Livestock injuries offen occur when children are kicked, bitten or crushed by animals much larger than themselves. Around the dairy bam, milk stone removers and caustic soaps used to clean the equipment can be dangerous if injested, not only by children but adults as well. At the begining of this special June Dairy Month, when the virtues of dairy products and life on the farm are remembered, let’s also pay special attention and remember the safety of child ren who are on summer break from school. Don’t let a family tragedy rain your farm experience this summer. -rF——F —— Farm Calendar Junior Livestock Day, Penn State Meats Laboratory, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Maryland and Open English Horse Show, Hopewell Training Cen ter, 9 a.m. Urban Forestry Workshop, Berks Co. Ag Center, Leesport, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Pa. Limousin Association Field Day, Fayette County Fair grounds, Uniontown, thru June 7. Chester County Dairy Princess Pageant, Heir’s Tourist Center, Nottingham, 7:30 p.m. Franklin County 4-H Beef Club 4-H Beef Spring Preview Show, Shippensburg Fairgrounds. Antique Engine Tractor and Toy Club annual show, Kempton Community Center, thru July 7. Selecting Trees for Community Investment, Berks County Agricultural Center, Leesport, 8 a.m.-3;30 p.m. Bucks/Montgomery Co. Coopera tive Wool Pool, Delaware Val ley College, Doylestown, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Jersey Classic Horse Show, Horse Park of New Jersey, Allentown, Hobbes Retirement Open House, Shadow Brook Inn & Resort, Tunkhannock, 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Poultry Management and Health Seminar, Kreider Dariy Farms Restaurant, Manheim, noon. Tioga County Dairy Princess Pageant, Mansfield Methodist Church, Mansfield, 7:30 p.m. County wide 4-H Dairy Club Meet ing, Roy Snoke, Shippensburg, 7:30 p.m. Mushroom Industry Short Course, Nittany Lion Inn, University Twilight Vegetable Meeting, Marie Domstreich Farm, Perka sie, 6 p.m. Community Forest Resources meeting, The Franklin Club, Franklin, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Beekeeping meeting, “Hive Inspection and Raising Queens,” Richard Patterson Farm, Narvon, 6:30 p.m. Dairy Day on the Square, Wilkes- Barre downtown square, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Third Spring Meeting for Fruit Growers, Forrester Farms, Scotland. Lamb Carcass Evaluation, Dela ware Valley College Livestock Farm, 6:30 p.m. and June 11 at Gehman’s Meats in Morwood, Cumberland Cooperative Sheep and Wool Growers Wool Pool, Carlisle Fairgrounds, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Pseudorabies Awareness Meeting, York County 4-H Center, Bair, ■BDSEEnOII^H Bradford County Dairy Princess Pageant. Protecting Community Water Supplies Workshop, Honesdale Presbyterian Chapel, 7 p.m. Pennsylvania Ayrshire Breeder Field Day, Maulfair Acres, Fredericksburg. Lamb Carcass Evaluation, Geh man’s Meats, Morwood, 7 p.m. Greenhouse Technology School, Berks Co. Ag Center, continues June 18, 25 and July 9, 16, 23, 30^mdAu^6^^^^^^ WtMBSBSKBmBKKM Pesticide test, Schuylkill County Cooperative Extension Office, 9 a.m.-noon. Erie County Dairy Princess Pageant, Phillipsville United Methodist Church, Wattsburg, 8 p.m. Franklin County Dairy Princess Pageant, Lighthouse Restaur ant, Chambersburg, 7 p.m. Dairy Day on the Square, Lancas ter Penn Square, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Lancaster annual agribusiness tour, departs Lancaster Shop ping Center, 9 a.m„ returns NOW IS THE TIME By John Schwartz Lancaster County Agricultural Agent To Salute The Dairy Industry June marks dairy month. This month is highlighted by many activities featuring milk and milk products and the people who pro duce milk. This is a big promotion event for the dairy industry. I have heard many farmers questioning the importance of promotion prog rams. I understand the concerns producers have about promotion programs. But on the other hand, can you afford the consequences of not promoting milk? In business, there is a saying you are either growing or dying. A industry that cannot afford the costs of promotion is a dying industry. People buy the items that are promoted to meet their lifestyle and concerns. “June Is Dairy Month” promotions are an excel lent example of this. To keep these and other year long promotions happening requires the support of every dairy farmer. We need to be proud of our product and take every opportunity to promote. the dairy industry is in a period of change. To survive this period, farmers will need to work together, support visionary leadership, and make intelligent decisions. Milk promotion is a sound investment that keeps a demand for your product The strength of that demand depends on the qual ity and convenience of milk and the relevancy of your promotion program. We all need to work hard in promoting our product. 2:45 p.m. Indiana Co. Dairy Princess Pageant, Holiday Inn,' Indiana, College of Agricultural Sciences Picnic, Russell E. Larson Agri cultural Research Center, Rockspring, 3 p.m. Lancaster County Dairy Princess Pageant, Farm and Home Cen ter, Lancaster, 7 p.m. Adams County Dairy Princess Pageant, Biglerville High School, Biglerville, 8 p.m. Lebanon County Dairy Princess Pageant, Lebanon County Vo- Tech School, Lebanon, 7:30 p.m. Somerset County Dairy Princess Pageant, Berlin Brothersvalley High School, Berlin, 7:30 p.m. Bradford County Dairy Pnncess Pageant, Wysox Chamber of Commerce. Beaver-Lawrence Dairy Princess Pageant, Laurel High School, New Castle, 8 p.m. Northwest Guernsey Breeders meeting, Lakeway Restaurant, Mercer. (Turn to P«0» ***> To Participate In Ag Survey Nearly 2.400 Pennsylvania far mers will be part of a national sample of 125.000 producers who have been selected to participate in the June survey. This survey is important in mak ing accurate crop and livestock estimates. These estimates ate used by government policy mak ers, farm organizations, and businesses to develop form policy positions and business plans. Wally Evans, head of the Pen nsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service, asks each farmer con tacted to participate so we may ensure that agriculture in our state is fully represented in the national sample. Facts about an individu al’s farm are strictly confidential and used only in combination with reports from other farms. As we work on addressing con sumer and environmental con cerns. we need accurate informa tion. Nothing will hurt agriculture more than dealing with false data. The accuracy of the agriculture statistics depends on every selected farmer’s participation. THE GUILTY BYSTANDER JUNE 7,1992 Background Scripture: Obadiah. Devotional Reading: Psalms 96:7-13. The "innocent bystander" is usually a contradiction in terms. If one is standing-by while witness ing someone suffering, it is very difficult to be truly "innocent" This is the charge that the pro phet Obadiah leveled against the people of Edom. When the Babylonians came up against Jer usalem, the Edomites "stood aloof," "gloated" over their brother's "misfortune," indeed "re joiced" over it and actually looted "his goods," prevented Israelites from escape, and "delivered up" survivors to the Babylonians. What made, this particularly odious was that the Israelites and the Edomites should have been "brothers," for they were descended from Jacob and Esau, respectively, the sons of Isaac, the grandsons of Abraham. Genealog ically, they were "family," and there should have been between them some compassion. So there was no way that the Edomites could be innocent bystanders to the depredations of Babylon upon Israel. And for this great sin, Oba diah was prophesying for God: "Behold, I will make you small among the nations, you shall utter ly be despised" (v. 2). ALL PEOPLES Although the prophecy is more than 2,400 years old, it is relevant to much of the world's history that has followed and even our own times. If anything, it has been broadened because we are begin ning to understand that all people everywhere are our brothers and sisters, even if, like the Edom and Israel, we refuse to recognize it. In the sixth century 8.C., Edom was castigated for its lack of brotberli ness; in our day, all nations are guilty bystanders if they watch with glee or even indifference at the sufferings of others. A few weeks ago we toured To Check Pastures For Poisonous Plants Numerous plants are poisonous to animals. Fortunately, most ani mals will not eat these plants if more desirable feeds are available. One exception is wilted wild cherry leaves. In the willed stage they become more palatable and very toxic. Thus, it is beneficial to fence animals away from wild cherry trees and to remove wild cherry limbs as soon as possible after they become damaged by storms. When pastures become short, be sure to offer animals additional feeds. Also, control weeds by fre quent clipping and applying lime on a regular basis. Many shrubs and flowers are very toxic to animals, so avoid throwing prunings and grass clip pings into pastures. By watching your pastures on tegular basis, you could avoid very serious plant poi soning problems. Feather Profs Footnote: “The most important thing in communi cation is to hear what is not being said." Peter Drucker what used to be popularly known as "East Germany." For a half cen tury we have watched as the nations of Eastern Europe struggled under the burdens of Communism. I can remember those times I have visited the Ber lin Wall or stood and looked over the Iron Curtain; I honestly never thought these would come down in my time. How thrilled I was, then, to walk through the Bran denburg Gate in Berlin a few weeks ago and to saunter through what used to be the terrible "Checkpoint Charlie"! For the most part, as nations there was not much that we could do that we did not do during the Cold War I don't think Oba diah's prophecy will fall upon us for that But now that the walls are down solely by the grace of God, I suspect will we watch indifferently as these peoples struggle to make their dreams of freedom come true? Will we be the guilty bystanders at a time when we are called to be their brothers and sisters? JUST LIKE US None of us should think for one moment that the Iron Curtain is down for good. As we drove through the former East Germany Dresden, Leipzig, Weimar, Erfurt we found these newly "free" people in sad straits: large numbers now without a job, those that worked poorly paid, prices out of sight and, with their new found freedom and democracy they were experiencing some of the burdens of becoming "just like us" drugs, crime, corruption, mushrooming at an alarming pace now that their police state is gone. How many of these, we wondered, may opt to return to what they had before? For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you, your deeds shall return on your own head. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St Ephrata, PA 17522 by— Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Shewn Enhrprk* Robert G. Campbell General Manager Everett R. Newewanger Managing Editor e«ema« wet w timer