AKRancastar Farming, Saturday, March a 1993 OPINION Bite The Hand Not Wise New energy and environmental tax proposals currently un der consideration by Congress and the Clinton Administration could hit fanners four different ways. “Energy taxes that have been proposed in the past hit fanners twice,” said Gary D. Myers, President of The Fertilizer Insti tute. “Environmental taxes that recently have been proposed also hit farmers twice. With each, farmers pay directly for the energy they use on the farm and then pay again through the in creased input costs. So enactment of both types of taxes would mean a four-way hit on farmers.” Among the tax proposals that would fall disproportionately on agriculture are: H.R. 804. introduced by Rep. Pete Static (D-CA), phasing in a carbon tax that would amount to a 48 cents/MCF tax on natural gas. Broad-based energy tax on British thermal units (BTUs). A 40 cent /MMBTU is equivalent to a 5-cent/gallon gas tax. Environmental taxes such as those contained in Rep. Ger ry Studds (D-MA) Clean Water Funding proposal, taxing the use and production of inputs to pay for urban sewer systems. A Joint Committee on Taxation proposal which studies the effect of combining energy and environmental taxes. Just one of these taxes a tax on the production of fertilizer in the Studds proposal would greatly reduce the annual pro fitability of an average com farmer. “Now is the time for agriculture to raise its collective voice in a fight for fairness,” said Myers. “Energy plays a vital part in every facet of farm production. The long-term effect of these penalties would be lower farm production, decreased competi tiveness for our agricultural sector on the world market, and higher prices for American consumers.” New taxes that bite the hand that feeds the nation are not wise. 7 -^__ Farm Calendar Berks County 4-H Jamboree, 4-H Community Center, 6 p.m.-ll p.m. < State Swine Breeders Show and Sale. Lebanon Fairgrounds, 10 a.m. Sixth annual Fellowship of Christ ian Farmers outreach luncheon, Wilhelm Ltd. Caterers, West minster. Md., 12 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Regional Christmas Tree Seminar, Rustic Lodge, Indiana, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Warren County Dairy Day, 4-H Center and Pomona Grange, Warren Co. Fairgrounds, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Bth annual Spring Horse Clinic, Penn Slate, also Match 7. Delaware Valley Milk Goat Asso ciation, “Kidding Seminar,” Farm of Ann Miller. Telford, Philadelphia Flower Show, Civic Cento', thru March 14. Winter Equine Expo, Berks 4-H cer extension office. Octorara Young Farmers annual awards banquet. West Fallow field Christian School, 6:45 p.m. Bradford Co. Dairy-MAP, exten Southeast Regional Vegetable Growers meeting. Family Her itage Restaurant, Franconia, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Ag outlook meeting, Bermudian Springs H.S., York Springs, 8 p.m. Penn Manor Adult Ed Program, small fruit management, 6:30 p.m. Dairy Council annual meeting, Ramada Hotel, Trevose, 10 a.m. Dauphin Co. Conservation District annual awards banquet, Ag Center, 6:30 p.m. Susquehanna County Dairy-MAP, Lcnoxvillc Hall. Southeast Regional Christmas Tree Growers meeting, Penn State Campus, Schuylkill Haven, 7 p.m. Farm Forum Editor I think we farmers should all individually contact our local. State, and especially Federal Rep resentatives and let them know we are totally opposed to the prop osed energy taxes by President Clinton. I receive “Newsweek" Magazine, a very urban magazine, and it telling all of its readers how fair, equitable, wonderful energy taxes - Gasoline taxes are; How “most" Americans want their tax es increased. And the biggest lie of all “Raising Taxes will control the deficit”; Hogwash, studies have proven that Congress will $2- for $1- of new tax income. Also I think it is time all far mers started to consider the cur rent farm subsidy programs which give ±BO% of the money to 10% of the farmers. We fanners have accepted the idea of taxing the poor-lower middle-class urban-suburban- NOW IS THE TIME By John Schwartz Lancaster County Agricultural Agqnt To Reconsider Full Season Corn As a result of last year’s coed growing season, many farmers are considering the purchase of shorter season com hybrids. Before you buy a shorter season hybrid, make sure that is what you really want to do. By buying shor ter season hybrids, you will be reducing yield potential. Do not overreact to a very unusual 1992 growing season. When selecting com hybrids, look at which ones have performed the best over a five-year period and best fit your objectives, that is. yield, test weight, standability, and disease resistance. You may also spread your risk by planting com over at least a two week period from your optimum planting date. So, do not abandon your suc cessful hybrids because of one unusual growing season but stick with the ones that have worked for you over the years. To Be Aware Of Atrazine Label Changes Atrazine is probably the most commonly used herbicide on farms today. It is marketed by many companies in many combi nations with other herbicides. During the last several years, the label for the use of products con- Safe Drinking Water Clinic. Ephrata H.S. Audion Room, National Holstein Winter Forum, Butler. Schuylkill Co. Crops Clinic, Penn (Turn to Pago A3O) rural wage earner to maintain the life-styles of multi-millionaire far mers. I know so many middle class wage earners who cannot afford to buy even an entry level home. Yet we farmers demand subsidy programs that tax these low-income wage-earners and give these subsidies to wealthy farmers and even non-residents owners. I would certainly appreciate hearing other farmer’s comments or better yet a good “Lancaster Fanning” report on who gets farm subsidy payments and how balanced are the payments, should there be more restrictions on the maximum ceiling of Government payments to farm corporation families I just think it is time for farmers to openly discuss subsidies. AJ. Francis Westminster, MD taining atrazine has undergone several changes. Changes for 1993 include: • Maximum annual rale of application has been reduced and is based on the soil slope and the amount of crop residue left on the soil surface. • The mixing or loading ofatra zine within SO feet of a well, stream, or sinkhole is not permitted. • Atrazine must be kept back 200 feet from lakes and reservoirs, but not farm ponds unless they are used as a human drinking water source. • A 66-foot no-spray area must be maintained where Held surface water enters a perennial or inter mittent stream or river. Farmers should study the new label before the start of the grow ing season to ensure that they are following all the new use restric tions. It is every farmer’s responsi bility to make sure they read, understand, and follow ail the instructions on all pesticide labels. _ ________ , /' Hr IAWktNU W Al IHOU St "Mm sn A WORD FOR "THE I WORD" 1 March 7,1993 1 Background Scripture: John 1:1-18. Devotional Reading: John 1:29-23, 29-34. About 500 8.C., a Greek Phil osopher, Heraclitus, wrote of “a Logos that is ever true, though men are unable to understand it..; for although all things come to pass in accordance with this Logos, men seem as if they had no experience of them.” Heraclitus and other Greek thinkers used the word Logos to represent the mind of God that is reflected in the world’s rationali ty, order and harmony. The Logos was the supreme intelligence by which the world was created. In Jesus’s day there was a com munity of Jews, the Essenes, who lived together in the desert wilds of Qumran, where in our own time the Dead Sea Scrolls were discov ered. An anonymous Essene wrote in a psalm, “By his knowledge, all has come into being, and by his thought he directs everything and without him nothing is done.” THE LOGOS Those words cannot help but help us to recall the same thought that stirs the Prologue to John (1:1-18): “He was in the begin ning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” These words have both excited and puzzled readers through the centuries, for the writer of the Fourth Gospel, writing in Greek, begins his gospel with this Greek term: “In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God.” In our English versions of the Bible we have difficulty in rendering this Logos in a single word. Most of them translate Logos as “Word,” but that is not really adequate. We think of “word” as a spoken sound or written symbol and John was thinking far beyond that is not really adequate. We think of “word” as a spoken sound To Check Equipment The recent winter weather has given us additional time to do winter maintenance on our equip ment. Winter maintenance involves checking over each piece of equipment and making the necessary repairs. Check for minor oil leaks, bee travel in the clutch, belts and tires for wear, drying out and cracks, and lights. Grease moving parts and sharpen knives in harvesting equipment. Also, calibrate drills and planters and make sure moni tors are properly working to ensure correct plant populations. 'Change the oil and fuel and transmission Alters on a regular basis. Spending some time now checking and performing neces sary maintenance could save you many valuable hours during the busier planting and harvesting seasons. Feather Profs Footnote: “Excellence is the exceptional drive to exceed expectations” or written symbol and John was thinking far beyond that He was speaking of the mind, the know ledge, the activity of God. In fact the only two translators I have found not using “Word” for Logos are James Moffatt who simply said Logos and J.B. Phil lips. who begins his translation/ paraphrase of John with these words: “At the beginning, God expressed himself.” In other words, Phillips is saying, the Logos is God’s own self expression. When he created the world, he expressed himself. When he gave Israel the law, he expressed himself. When he wants us to know him, he expresses or reveals himself to us. THE EXPRESSION This is an important concept because in Jesus* day-as well as in our own-many people were convinced that, while there is compelling reason to believe in a Divine Source, it is virtually impossible for us to know what God is like. In fact, great numbers of thinkers and seekers through the centuries have struggled to And the God that seems so elusive, so obscure. The whole point of the Pro logue to John’s Gospel is that this God, whom many have thought of as being always beyond human reach is, according to John, a God, not who hides from us, but who expresses himself so that we may know him-because that is his nature: this Logos aspect of God wants us to be enlightened. God sends his light into the world in many different ways, but the ful lest expression of God’s nature and purpose occurred when the “the Word became flesh... .” Meaning: the Logos, God’s expressiveness, as Phillips puts it, “became a human being.” All that we can and need to know of God is wrapped up in one human being. That human being was and is Jesus the Christ. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Eveiy Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 by Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Sfkumn Enmphba Robert C. Campbell General Manager EvtrM R. Nawnrangar Managing Editor Copyright INS by Lancaster Farming
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers