Aio-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 28, 1992
OPINION
More Hazardous
Than The Weather
Each of us in our own tradition, celebrated Thanksgiving day,
this week. For many families, the celebration involves food. And
food starts with the farmer. Daniel Webster (1782-1852) said in a
speach about agriculture, "When tillage begins, other arts follow.
The farmers therefore are the founders of human civilization.”
Unfortunatly, food is so plentiful that we may need to experi
ence famine before we can really be thankful.
For many years, farmers have been willing to produce low cost
food because they considered their occupation a way of life with a
higher calling. But when prices are so low to farmers that they
can’t “make ends meet,” they are forced to give up their life, their
calling, and the farm
Arden Tewkswbury says some people are reporting that the
national average cost of producing milk for 1990 was $14.98. He
has no problem with these USDA figures. But he says these same
reporters claim the average returns to management and risk esca
lated three cents per cwt. from 1989 to 1990—from 11 to 14
cents.
“Those who claim the national average return to dairy fanners
of 14 cents per cwt. in 1990 as somewhat of a victory forgot to tell
dairy farmers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and New Eng
land States that USDA reports indicate that these farmers were in
a minus in 1989 of 60 cents per cwt. and a minus of 46 cents in
1990,” Tewksbury said. “These same farmers averaged a return
of $1.76 per cwt. in 1986 and $2.04 per cwt in 1987; and 90 cents
in 1988.”
Whatever you had for your thanksgiving meal last Thursday,
remember the food came from the farm, and be thankful for far
mers who not only endure the usual hazards of seed time and
harvest, they often face unfavorable markets that are more
hazardous than the weather.
Farm Calendar
National Milk Producers Federa
tion Annual Meeting and Dairy
Summit, Las Vegas, thru Dec.
Chester County Estate Planning
Workshop, West Chester Bor
ough Hall, 7 p.m.-lO p.m..
Goat Meeting, Lancaster Farm and
Home Center, basement, 7:30
Dairy Housing Ideas, Lancater
Farm and Home Center, base
ment, 10 a.m.
mnmsmmmM
Lancaster County On-Farm Com
posting Field Days, Bob Keller
man’s Farm near Lititz, 10
a.m.-2;30 p.m.
Insects, Diseases and Weeds of
Trees and Shrubs, Penn State
National 4-H Congress, thru Dec.
11. .
Poultry Industry Nutrition Label
ing Workshop Hyatt Arlington,
Annual Victorian Christmas at The
Station, Manheim.
Crawford County annual meeting.
McKean County DHIA Meeting,
Robbin’s Nest Restaurant, 7:30
p.m.
Western Pa. Commercial Veget
able Growers’ Seminar, Days
—rF ~7
. 1
Inn, Butler, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
N.Y.-Pa. Seed Potato Meeting,
First Citizens National Bank,
Ulysses, 10 a.m.
Land Preservation Education
Lower Windsor Township
IJuildingJjS^Jjm^^^^—
7th Regional meeting on Practical
Biosecurity for Popularity,
Clayton Hall, University of
Delaware, Newark, 8 a.m.
ADA/DC District 21, Bryncliff
Motel Conference Center, Var
ysburg, N.Y., noon.
Ag Service School, Bradford
County Extension, Towanda, 9
a.m.-3 p.m.
North Carolina Dairy Manage
ment Tour, leaves 6 a.m. Edin
boro Inn, Edinboro, returns
Dec. 10.
Agronomy Dealers In-service,
Extension Office, 10 a.m.
Lancaster DHIA Banquet, Good
and Plenty Restaurant, Lancas
ter, 11:30 a.m.
“Understanding How to Make
DHIA Reports Work for You,”
Country Apple Restaurant,
Ono, 10 a.m.
Managing Risks (SE - Bronchitis),
University of Delaware,
Newark.
. IHctiiilht ') I
Northeast Lamb Pool. Wyalusing
Sale Bam.
Ag-Service School, The Country
Cupboard, Lewisburg, 9 a.m.-3
p.m.
Meeting for Veterinarians, Leola
Family Restaurant, 7 -p.m.
Land Preservation Education
Meetings, Spring Grove Bor
ough Building, 7:30 p.m.
To Protect
Corn Cribs
From Rodents
Mice and other rodents take a
heavy toll on ear com stored in
wooden and metal com cribs.
The Com crib provides an ideal
habitat for these pesty rodents. It
provides sheltered nesting areas
out of the cold winter weather
along with an ample food supply.
The control of mice and rats
under these conditions is very
difficult.
However, several things may be
done to help keep rodent popula
tions down. First, traps may be
used to monitor the extent of the
problem. Trapping alone will do
little to eliminate the rodents. Sec
ond, by placing screening where
ever possible to exclude rodents
will help keep numbers in check.
When a severe problem exists,
the commercial use of tracking
powder has been the most effective
means of eradication. Remember,
when using mice and rat baits,
always read and follow the direc
tions to avoid feed contamination
and killing of non-target animals.
To Soil Test
Robert Anderson, extension
agronomy agent, reminds us now
is a good time to soil test.
A regular program of testing
farm Helds should be followed.
How often to soil test?
First, establish baseline data on
each field through soil tests.
Anderson then recommends only
testing when you change crops or
every third or fourth year.
This amount of testing will
allow for monitoring of nutrient
levels in the soil. If the level of
nutrients increases over the period,
fertilizer applications may be
reduced to save money. If levels
are falling, additional fertilizer
may be needed to keep soils
productive.
For Pennsylvania fanners, we
recommend using the Penn State
Soil Testing Laboratory. The Penn
State Lab bases its recommenda
tions on research done under Pen
nsylvania .soil types and growing
conditions. Labs in other states
will base their recommendations
based on their conditions.
Regardless of where you send
your soil samples, always send
them to the same lab so you may
compare results from one year to
the next.
To Winterize
Your Sprayer
, As soon as the crop sprayer is
used for the last time this season,
you will want to clean and winter-
Annual Delegate Meeting Milk:
Marketing, Inc., Fawcett Cen -
ter for Tomorrow, Ohio State-
University, 9:30 a.tn.
Turkey Meeting. Sheraton, Harri
sonburg, Virginia.
(Turn to Pago A 33)
ize it
Alfalfa growers may want to
wait until die winter annual weed
control program is completed If
you will not be completing this
program soon, you will want to
consider protecting sprayer parts
from freezing.
A gallon or two of RV antifreeze
will do an excellent job at a reason
able cost To clean a sprayer, mix a
sudsy detergent solution using
about 'A pound of powder or equi
valent amount of liquid detergent
for every 25 gallons of water. Run
this solution through the sprayer,
washing all internal parts. This
should remove the residues of
must insecticides, fungicides, and
-herbicides with the exception of
the hormone-type herbicides such
as 2,4-D, Banvel, and similar pro
ducts. If these materials were used
in the sprayer, add one quart of
ammonia for each 25 gallons of
water. You may also use 'A pound
of activated charcoal for each 25
gallons of water.
Background Scripture:
Luke 1: 1-25.
Devotional Reading:
Luke 1:67-79.
There are some who pray much
in the same way that they mail
order merchandise from Sears or
Spiegels. For them, prayer is like a
shopping list of needs that God is
obligated to fulfill. At the other
extreme are those who believe that
prayer is useless, an exercise in
futility, in between those two
polarities is where you and I prob
ably find ourselves: not so arrog
ant that we believe God cannot
and will not refuse our request,
nor so skeptical as to believe that
it accomplishes nothing:
The problem with many of us is
pretty much what it was with
Zechariah, the Jewish priest who
became the father of John the Bap
tist. We don’t know how long
Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed
for a son, but as Luke says “both
were advanced in years,” we can
assume that for quite a few
decades they had prayed fervently
and nothing happened.
NO ANSWER?
Have you ever prayed for some
thing day after day, month after
month, year after year, but without
anything you could interpret as an
answer? I have. For at least three
decades, I have prayed daily for
the healing of a loved one’s
troubled soul. If there has been
any result of my prayer, I have not
noticed it. In fact, quite to the con
trary. It is not a selfish or unusual
request. I know that God wants
that person whole as much and
even more than I do. Is it beyond
the power of God? No. Maybe I’m
not praying rightly or perhaps I am
not worthy for God to answer this
prayer? No, I don’t think that is it
either. God .doesn’t answer prayer
because we are* worthy and only
humans worry about prayer being
the “right way”. In fact, in Luke 1
we find that Zechariah and Eli
zabeth “were both righteous
before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blameless. But they had
no child...” (1:6,7).
So it does not follow that God
will answer the prayers of his
“good” children and turn a deaf
ear to those who are “bad”.
Human transactions and relation
ships may work that way, but not
After cleaning the sprayer, it
needs to be protected from freez
ing. One way to do this is to com
pletely drain all parts including the
pump and all controls. This will
require taking some of the parts
apart and blowing them dry with
air.
A better method is to add anti
freeze solution to the sprayer.
Robert Anderson suggests using
thcRV type antifreeze. This type is
nontoxic and easy to dispose of
next spring.
Automotive types of antifreeze
may cause environmental prob
lems if spilled or when beginning
to use die sprayer next spring.
Remember, when cleaning and
winterizing your sprayer, make
sure wash water and antifreeze is
properly collected and disposed of
to prevent soil and water
contamination.
Feather Profs Footnote: "We
find comfort among those who
agree with us grpwth among
those who do not.” —Frank Clark
with God. Answered prayer is
always a matter of grace: nor
because we are good, but in spite
of the fact that we are not. Good
ness may be rewarded, but a
reward is never guaranteed. So,
for me, prayer is always a mys
tery. Just when I think I know how
best to pray, just when I think I
have it all figured out, I am
brought face to face with the reali
zation that I don’t know as much
as I think I do.
YOUR PRAYER IS
HEARD!
Zechariah’s experience in the
temple is always a spiritual tonic
for me. When I wonder whether
the God of the universe could pos
sibly be hearing my prayers. I read
the angel’s assurance to both
Zechariah and all of us, “Do not
be afraid... for your prayer is
heard...” (1:13). All of us need to
be reassured that our prayers are
heard and regarded by God, that in
praying we are not speaking emp
ty words to ourselves. Zechariah
was assured, not only that his
prayer was heard, but that his wife
would bear a child that was to be a
special servant of God.
So, should all barren couples
believe that they are guaranteed
that someday there will be a child
bom to them? No, that is a guaran
tee that prayer cannot and will not
make. What is guaranteed is that
God has heard the prayer and will
do something about it. The pur
pose of our prayer will be
fulfilled, but the letter of the pray
er may not be. We will get our
heart’s desire, but it may not be in
the form we have asked for. We
are not God and therefore we do
not always know what we really
need.
So, although I have not yet pen
etrated the mystery of prayer and
seen the results of my years of
praying one special request, I will
continue to pray, assured that God
does hear my prayer and cares
enough for me to answer that
prayer, even though I may not see
or understand the answer when it
comes,
When shall I stop praying?
Never!
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMnmm Enfrpri—
Robert C. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newmrangar Managing Editor
Copyright IM2 by Laneaatar Farming