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