AiO-Lancastcr Fanning, Saturday, Octobar 17, 1992
OPINION
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
A recent nationwide well water study by the Environmental
Protection Agency tested thousands of rural and community
wells to predict the water quality of wells throughout the country.
According to the Alliance For A Clean Rural Environment
(ACRE), the results of the study offer good news for farmers.
The EPA “National Survey of Pesticides in Drinking Water
Wells” was a five-year-study of more than 1,300 wells, some in
every state, including information about each well’s condition
and characteristics and nearby use of ag chemicals. The tests
could detect the presence of pesticides thousands of times lower
than their EPA lifetime safe consumption levels.
In these tests pesticides were detected only infrequently even
though they checked for 126 pesticides and their breakdown pro
ducts. Of the tested wells, only 12 showed any trace of pesticides
and only in very low levels.
From this study, EPA estimates that about 99% of all wells in
the country contain no pesticide traces exceeding the EPA stan
dards for safe drinking water. This doesn’t mean farmers can
relax. Extra care must be taken whenever storing, handling and
using pesticides and disposing of chemical containers.
But we believe this study shows that farmers and the inputs for
sound agricultural production are not to blame for much of the
non-point water pollution. Environmentalists, municipalities,
and industrial giants point the finger at farmers. But on many
occasions, when the facts are known, they are “barking up the
wrong tree.”
Farm Forum
(Continued from Pago At)
sponsible Medicine recently
shifted their primary focus from
biomedical research to agricultur
al production. Their tactics in
clude duping the media and then
employing calumny as they misin
form those who watch television
and read newspapers and maga
zines and listen to the radio.
In this beloved free country of
ours, there is the opportunity for
behavior of this sort, reprehensi
ble as it may be. But there also is
here the opportunity to set the re
cord straight. Setting the record
straight is, of course, the obliga
tion of every citizen who knows
the truth, it is especially the obli
gation of media reporters, editors,
and producers.
Thank you for setting the record
straight in this case. All who are
privileged to work in this coun
try’s media holding positions
of implicit public trust, it need not
be added should be as careful
about checking their information
sources as your are. Instead, I am
afraid many nowadays have turn
ed into chumps and mythmongers.
Stanley E. Curtis
Head
Department of Dairy and
Animal Science
College of Agricultural
Sciences
Penn Slate University
Editor,
I read with dismay, but not
much surprise, your Oct. 3 article
describing the attack against dairy
products by Peta (People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals)
and ALF (Animal Liberation
Front).
The PETA is well known to be
a leftist, extremist group, and the
second an actual terrorist organi
zation credited recently destroy
ing much of the animal experi
mental station at Michigan State
University, and in the process,
nullifying years of work.
It is not surprising either to find
as their bedfellow Dr. Benjamin
Spock, who is often associated
with far-out extremist causes,
however he may try to recant and
deny his affiliations.
These people (Beta, Alf, and
their ilk) are also actively engaged
in confiscatory gun control
efforts, allied with HCI (Handgun
Control Inc). HCI seeks to require
not only farmers, but all citizens to
turn in their weapons, despite the
necessity of home protection in a
country whose criminal justice
system is seriously broken down
by unremitting crime and lenient
prosecutors, overworked courts,
and cynical news media.
You should lake the trouble to
warn your readers of the efforts of
this group, since they are not only
anti-milk, but anti-people also, in
a most vicious and psychotic man
ner, not slopping at violence to
achieve their ends.
Charles F. Morris
Hanover
Dear Editor:
You are publishing a very
newsworthy periodical for our
agriculture families.
I was very disappointed with
your “feature recipe” for the week
in last weeks paper. A recipe ask
ing for artificial butter is “biting
the hand that feeds you” at Lane.
Farming. Please do consider
which side of the bread your butter
is on.
I appreciate our agriculture
magazine’s recipes. They are
using products that arc of fine
quality. Not artificial substitutes.
I hope we “the agriculture
folks” of Lancaster and surround
ing counties will be able to look to
you with respect
Please promote our products!
Joyce Hoatettcr
Oxford
To Make
Farm Show
Entries
Just a reminder the hay,
dairy, and livestock entry deadline
for the 1993 Pennsylvania Farm
Show is November 5. Also, some
other divisions have a December
entry deadline.
The Farm Show premium list
has a listing of classes, rules, and
entry deadlines. Farm Show pre
mium lists and entry forms are
available from from your local
cooperative extension office.
Pick up your copy today and
make your plans for the 1993 Pen
nsylvania Farm Show. Dates for
the 1993 Farm Show are January
9-14, 1993.
To Provide
Good Air
Quality
Air quality is typically defined
in terms of the air’s content of cer
tain gases, particulates, and
microbes.
Air quality has an effect on the
health and well-being of animals
Farm Calendar
Keystone Autumn Classic Sale,
Woodside Farm.
Schuylkill County Cooperative
Extension annual banquet. Pine
View Acres, Pottsville, 6 p.m.
Second annual Harvest Fest of
York County Farmland Trust,
Brown’s Orchard and Farm
Market, Loganville, 9 a.m.-4
p.m.
“Pennsylvania’s Finest Tailgate”
Promotion, Penn State’s Beav
Cambria County Dairy Club Ban
quet, extension office, 12:30
Rower Growers’ Day, Penn State
Keller Conference Center, Uni
versity Park.
ADA/DC District 1, St. Lawrence
Inn, Canton, N.Y., 7:30 p.m.
ADA/DC District 14, Tally Ho
Restaurant, Kanona, N.Y., 7
Perennials Conference, Swar
thmore College.
Ephrata Area Adult Fanners meet
ing, Ephrata High School Ag
Department, 7:45 p.m.
Lancaster County Honey Produc
ers Meeting, Dutch Gold, Roh
rerstown, 7 p.m.
Stream Bank Fencing Workshop,
Days Inn, State College.
Educational meeting on drying and
storing grain crops, Penn State
Schuylkill Campus. Room
Cl 14, 7 p.m.-9 tun.
(Turn to Pag* A»1)
and humans. Acceptable air qual
ity usually may be achieved with
proper ventilation and air distribu
tion. regular cleaning and sanita
tion, dust control, and manure gas
control.
The gases of most concern in
animal facilities are ammonia,
hydrogen sulfide, carbon mono
xide, and methane. Special atten
tion to air quality should be given
during periods of weather
extremes, rapidly fluctuating
temperatures, and manure
removal..
The concentration of airborne
dust is affected by relative humidi
ty, animal activity, air velocity,
type of feed, and method of hand
ling feed. Air quality is becoming a
more important management
issue.
Start taking steps now to learn
how you may improve air quality
in your animal housing. People
who may help you include your
service person, equipment dealer,
or county agent. Also, do not
forget to wear dust masks or hel
mets when working in dusty condi-
jur~ — Hi
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HHHBHBHB
Br l AWRENCf W At I HOUSE j
'isasits
BORN AGAIN AND
AGAIN!
October 18,1992
Background Scripture:
1 Kings 1:28-37; 2:1-4; 3:3-14.
Devotional Reading:
1 Kings 1:15-30.
I recently heard someone make
a disparaging remark about “those
bom-againers.” I understood the
reason for the man’s disdain, for
he had a very disagreeable experi
ence with some relatives who
claimed they were “bom again”
and that he wasn’t!
Unfortunately, some people
who identify themselves as having
been “bom again” have given this
experience a bad name. Claiming
this experience for themselves in a
rather exclusive manner, they
have demonstrated a proud and
judgmental attitude toward others.
So. I can understand why some
Christians shrink from the term.
“ONCE” NOT ENOUGH
But the problem is not with
being “bom again,” but in what
we make of this rebirth. Being
reborn by the Spirit of God in
Christ is not a gift for a special
few, but for all who would be fol
lowers of Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior. And, while I can appreci
ate that some people can ascribe
their rebirth to a particular time,
place and circumstance, I find that
I—and many, many others—need
to be reborn constantly. Once
might be a turning-point in a per
son’s life, but I have never known
a Christain for whom once was
enough. If fact, those who think
that once is enough are often those
most in need of being “bom
again” daily.
This is illustrated in the story of
King Solomon. In 1 Kings 3 Solo
mon has an exceptional spiritual
experience and makes an equally
exceptional response. In a dream,
God says to the young, new King
of Israel: “Ask what I shall give
you”(3:5). No one would have
been surprised if Solomon had
seized this opportunity to ask God
for political power, for a long
reign, for riches and success. After
all, isn’t that what society tells us
life is all about?
But Solomon’s response was
perfect He responded with praise
for God: “Thou hast shown great
and steadfast love to thy servant
lions or gas masks when gases are
present.
To Keep Your
Lender Informed
Alan S track, extension farm
management agent, reminds us it is
very important to keep your lender
informed. This helps you to build
confidence, understanding, and
trust between you and your lender.
This year, even with the excel
lent crops and improved milk
price, it is still important to project
a monthly or quarterly cash flow
statement for your business’s com
ing year.
Maintain a good set of farm
financial and production records.
Show your lender how you use
these records in your decision
making process. And finally,
maintain open communications
with your lender, especially when
your credit needs or payment abili
ty changes.
Feather Prof s Footnote: "Any
fool can criticize, condemn and
complain—and most do." —Dale
Carnegie
David my father...” He responded
with humility; “...although I am
but a little child; I do not know
how to go out or come in.” He has
a sobering respect for the task that
has been placed upon him: “And
thy servant is in the midst of thy
people whom thou hast chosen, a
great people that cannot be num
bered or counted for multitude.”
And when he makes his request
that God has granted him, he
makes the best of all choices:
“Give thy servant therefore an
understanding mind to govern thy
people, that I may discern between
good and evil.”
BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS
The writer of 1 Kings says that
“It pleased the Lord that Solomon
had asked this,” and God says to
him: “Because you have asked
this, and have not asked for your
self long life or riches of the life of
your enemies..behold, I now do
according to your word”
(3:10,11).
But that is not all of the story of
King Solomon. If we read on to
chapter 1, we find that despite his
exceptional beginning, Solomon
did not maintain that high level of
commitment to God and his pur
poses, so that the writer of 1 Kings
tells us: “And the Lord was angry
with Solomon, because his heart
had turned away from the
L0rd...”(11:9). He had begun with
an exceptional spiritual experi
ence, but he needed to be reborn
again and again to maintain that
experience in his life.
Solomon’s story is unique only
in its particulars and many of us
have experienced what he did; a
magnificient beginning and a dis
appointing ending. I often look
back to those early days of my
Christian discipleship. There was
a sense of unwavering commit
ment and high ideals that I have
not maintained with consistency.
When I realize that 1 have drifted
away from my best intentions and
settled for something else, I have
the opportunity to seek God’s
grace and ask that I be reborn
again and again and again.
Lancaster Farming
EUaMWwd 1955
Pubfehad Evaiy Saturday
Ephrata Ravtaw Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Laneaatar Fanning, Inc.
A Shhrmn Ertupri—
Robert C. Cwnpbal QanarM Mwtag*
Ev&atl A. nawaaangar Managing Editor
Caayri|M tM by UMMtor F»rmtnf