AlO-Umcastcf Farming, Saturday, December 19, 1992 OPINION Christmas Without Animals What would Christmas be without animal use? Without Mary rid ing into Bethlehem on a donkey, without camels carrying the Three Wise Men, without the sheep in the manger? And shepherds who harked as the herald angels sang? Indeed, without animal husbandry where would the baby Jesus have been bom? Many of the benevolent acts at Christmas could not be done with out the use of animals. For the hungry in shelters there are donations of meat, cheese, and eggs from farmers, venison from hunters and coats from furriers. And Hanukkah would be unthinkable without animal use for the candles in the mcnorah, not to mention the original oil that miracul ously burned for seven days. What about romance? What would happen to “The Twelve Days of Christmas” ? By Twelfth night, the singer has received 42 swans a-swimming, another 42 geese a-laying (with an untold number of eggs!), 36 call ing birds, 30 french hens, 22 turtle doves, and twelve partridges—for a total of 154 birds! And let’s not forget the 40 cows, yielding a grand total of 194 non-human beings. What’s a true lover left to give? We’re stuck with twelve drummers not drumming (drum heads are made from animal skins), 22 pipers not piping (flute pads are felt), 30 lords a-leaping and 36 ladies dancing (neither doing very well in their plastic shoes), 40 maids not milking and 12 pear trees, without partridges. And heaven forbid there’s a spotted owl nesting in one of those trees. If that’s the case, the party’s over! Human activity, most defi nitely dancing and drumming, is prohibited in a nesting area because of endangered species regulations. At the very most we may have a dozen pear trees and 40 gold rings left. But according to environmental extremists, cutting down trees is off limits, and so is gold mining. So Kathleen Marquardt, chairman, Putting People First says, we’re stuck with 164 people—with no animal, plant, or mineral products— gobbling up oxygen and emitting greenhouse gases like carbon diox ide. To all farmers who take seriously their call to care for the environ ment and look out for the welfare of animals while they provide food for the world - Happy Holidays. t'-, Farm Calendar Saturday. December 19 Sunday. December 20 Monday, December 21 Tuesday, December 22 Forage School, Grove Citylnter mediate Unit. Com Silage Clinic, Begins Fire Hall, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Maryland Dairy Task Force Lis tening Session, Carroll County Ag Center, Westminster, 10 _ a.m.-2 p.m. Maryland Dairy Task Force Lis tening Session, Howard John son Lodge, Millington, 10 __ajn.-2. p.m. Hay Auction, Westmoreland Fair- Saturday, December 26 Sunday, December 27 Monday. December 28 Tuesday, December 29 Wednesday, December JO Thursday, December 31 Friday, January 1 Happy IN'eyy y ear! Saturday, January 2 Sunday, January i Monday, January 4 Water Rights, Water Law, and Irri gation Management meeting, Lancaster Farm and Home Cen- Northwestern Pa. Forage Schools, Log Cabin Restaurant, Water fonlthnjJan^^^^^^^ Farm/Municipal Composting Field Days, Preston Boop’s Briar Patch Farm, Mifflinburg, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dairy MAP-Managing For Suc cess, Family Time Restaurant, York, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., repeats Jan. 20. Franklin County Dairy Day, Kauffman’s Community Cen |^^i m i -2j3(W) i rm^^^^ Regional tomato growers meeting, Thompson’s Dairy Bar, Lacka wanna County, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Farm Financial Management Workshop, Mahantongo Fire Company Hall, Pitman, 7 p.m. Northumberland County Winter Conference, Otterbein United Methodist Church, Sunbury, 10 p.m. Pa. State Farm Show, Harrisburg, thru January 14. Leader’s Conference,' Linganore United Methodist Church, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. To Know Problem Weeds In February 1991, the Pennsyl vania Department of Agriculture conducted a survey to determine which weeds farmers in the state were having the most problems with. They sent survey forms asking which weeds were present and how abundant they were, which were the most difficult to control, and if they were resistant to herbicides. The most common weeds found in the state were common chick weed, velvetleaf, Canada thistle, hemp dogbane, chicory, bull thistle, johnsongrass, jimsonweed, bur cucumber, water hemlock, and shattercane. The most abundant weeds found in cropland were chickweed, velvetleaf, Canada thistle, and hemp dogbane. In com, the worst weed to control was hemp dogbane followed by john songrass, then quackgrass. The next most abundant and dif ficult weeds to control were shat tercanc, bur cucumber, and pig weed or redroot, as it is locally named. In hay fields, the only two weeds that were rated as problems were chickweed and dock. Johnsongrass was rated as the most difficult weed to control in soybeans. For more information on weed control in various crops, consult the new 1993-1994 Agro nomy Guide. You may purchase the new agronomy guide at your local county extension office for $6. To Consider Wool Incentive Payment Many Pennsylvania sheep pro ducers have become discouraged with the recent low wool prices. However, when comparing the high prices of the late 1980 s with the low prices in 1991, producers often overlook the income from the Federal Wool Incentive Program. According to Chester Hughes, extension livestock agent, the incentive payment was 29 percent in 1988 compared to 250 percent in 1991.' The Wool Incentive Program Tuesday, January 12 New Jersey annual Vegetable meeting, Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, thru Jan. 14. Evergreen Plant Identification, Lehigh Co. Ag Center, Allen town, repeats Jan. 13, 19, 20. Pa. Flying Farmers, Farm SJhow Complex, Room D. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dairy Cow Nutrition Short Course, Cecil County Exten (Turn to Pag* A3l) has been in place since 1954 and was recently renewed by a vote of sheep producers across the United States. The program is not sup ported by tax monies, but is funded by import duties on foreign wool, which is imported into the United States. The percent of the incentive payment is based on the difference between the average national price of wool in regard to a target price. The net effect is that, during years with good prices, the payment is smaller. But in years with poor prices, the incentive payment is more than the wool’s price. Hughes calculated the wool income per ewe in 1988 was $7.02 ($5.44 from wool and $1.58 from incentive payment) compared to $6.06 in 1991 ($1.73 from wool and $4.33 from incentive pay ment). The calculations was based on 7 pounds of wool per ewe. For more information on the wool incentive program, contact your local Agricultural Stabiliza tion and Conservation Service (ASCS) office. JOY TO WHOM? December 20,1992 Background Scripture: Luke 2:1-40. Devotional Reading: Luke 2:8-20. Even God can be misunder stood. When he told the people of Israel, “and I will take you for my people, and I will be your God...’’ (Exodus 6:7), I think they mis understood what he was saying. Assured of a special relationship with the Lord God, they-wrongly assumed that it was an exclusive relationship. When he assured them that he would be “your God,” he did not mean that he was their God alone. But that is not how the people of Israel inter preted it—except for a few pro phets who realized that God was the Lord of the nations. That is why the Good News of Jesus’ birth came as a shock to many. An angel proclaimed: “Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is bom this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10,11). Perhaps that message went over the heads of many, but there were certainly some who realized that the Good News was given “to all the peo ple”. This was good news, not only for the Jews, but the Samari tans, the- Greeks, the Romans— whoever would receive it. And the heavenly host reinforced that mes sage, singing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased” (2:14). LIGHT TO THE . GENTILES This message was intended for the whole earth, not just Palestine of the Middle East. The “peace” that is given is for all “men with whom he is pleased”. It is indica tive that Matthew’s account of Jesus’s birth tells us of the visita tion of the wise men who repre sented, not Judaism, but the gen tiles of the world. And later, when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple for ritual To Spread Manure Wisely If you must spread manure dur ing the winter months, you need to follow appropriate guidelines to reduce runoff and possible water contamination. The following arc a few guide lines you should follow: • Spread manure on a cover crop, small grains, or substantial amount of crop residue. • Do not spread manure within 100 feet of an open sinkhole. • Do not spread manure within 100 feet of springs or wells. • Do not spread within 100 feet of streams or creeks. • Do not spread on soils subject to flooding. • Develop and maintain filter strips between spreading areas and streams. By using some common sense, we may prevent serious problems later, Feather Profs Footnote: “Todays’ preparation determines tomorrow's achievement.” purification, Simeon prophesied: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast pre pared in the presence of all peo ples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy peo ple Israel” (2:29-32). Yes, the people of Israel had a special relationship and Simeon spoke of the “glory to thy people Israel”. But the message was “for all peoples", “a light for revelation to the Gentiles”. So it was not that God belonged to Israel, but that Israel belonged to God. The spe cialness of their relationship was the role that he wanted them to play in bringing his message to all people. WHO BELONGS TO WHOM? It is strange that Christians often have that same misunder standing. When we recognize him as “our God”, we too often use “our” in its possessive form. God no more belongs to us than he belonged to the people of Israel. We belong to him and, if we do, we need to recognize that, in doing so, we belong to an inclu sive, not exclusive group. There are multitudes, multitudes who, although quite different from us in belief and practice, are no less his children than we are. So, God does not belong to the Church, but the Church surely belongs to God. We do not have exclusive access to God and the “great joy” of Christmas does not even belong to the churches, “but to all the people”. And, if God does not belong to the church, neither does Christ. Even our car ols acknowledge this: no one sings “Joy to our little comer”, “Joy to the Methodists, or “Joy to all Christians”, but “Joy to the World”. *«* TO ALL MY READERS AND TO THE WHOLE WORLD: A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! Lancaster Panning Established 19SS Published Eveiy Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Ephrata. PA 17522 by Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Sfinmtn Enlwpnlw Robert C. Campbell General Manager EverMl R. Newawangar Managing Editor Copyright IN2 by Laneaalar Farming
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers