AlO-Uncwtr FanrtnO, Saturday, March 13 1993
OPINION
4-H Week Is Time To Join
Many 4-H members leam things that help them in later life. In
fact, some very famous people were in 4—H clubs as youth.
Orville Redenbacher, popcorn magnate; Reba McEntire, singer;
Johnny Bench, baseball star, Harold Poling, Ford Motor Com
pany chairman and Vice President A 1 Gore, Jr., to name a few.
But mostly ordinary people benefit from the variety of 4-H
programs and opportunities now available through extension. Dr.
Robert Lewis, professor of 4-H and youth development at Penn
State, says youth in 4-H leam and grow by completing projects in
activities they’re interested in.
“Along with practical skills, 4-H’ers acquire good work habits,
responsibility, business skills, cooperation and sportsmanship,”
Lewis said. “By setting goals and making plans to reach them,
4 —H’ers leam to make decisions and use lime efficiently. In the
course of each activity, they gain experience in public speaking
by demonstrating their new skills and giving oral reports to their
clubs.
“4—H not only helps youth grow personally, but also prepares
them to help lead their communities. It’s hard for young people to
develop leadership skills if they never get to lead. 4—H provides
opportunities for them to practice being leaders in a variety of
situations,” Lews said.
The week of March 15 to 21 has been designated Pennsylvania
4-H week. Since the late 1970’5, this week has marked the start of
a new 4-H program year. Local clubs enroll new members and
prepare for the year ahead. Since this program, coordinated by
Penn State Cooperative Extension through the local county
offices, benefits so many people, we suggest that if you have
youth between the ages of 8 and 19, encourage them to join 4-H
this year. We’re sure they will find some program of interest that
will help them expand their skills for life.
Farm Calendar
Fourth annual Forest Stewardship
Landowners Workshop, Allen
Hall, Mansfield U., 9
a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Bradford County Lawn and Gar
den Workshop, Stall Resource
Center, Wysox, 9:30 a.m.-3:30
p.m.
Grapevine Pruning Training and
Pest Control, Naylor Wine Cel
lars, Stewarlstown, 10
a.m-noon, continues March 20.
-Ag’s ann.- 1 Pink
Fairgrounds, 9 a.m.-noon and 7
p.m.-lO p.m.
Pa. Landowners meeting, Lancas
ter Farm and Home Center, 7
p.m.
Green Thumb Gardening Clime,
Wayne Co. Extension, Court
house, Honesdale, 7:30
the Christmas Tree business.
Weed Control In Christmas
Tree Plantings, UNILEC
Building, Dußois, 7:30
p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Delmarva Safety Seminar,
Wicomico Youth and Civic
Center, Salisbury, Md., thru
March 17.
Swine meeting, Line Mountain
High School, 7:30 p.m.
York Co. IPM Workshop, exten
sion office, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Lancaster Co. Holstein Tour to
Doyleslown, Easton, Kempton,
and Robesonia, leaves Farm
and Home Center, 7:45 a.m.
Eastern Milk Producers Meeting,
Hers hey Lodge and Convention
Center, Hershey.
Westmoreland Co. pesticide
update meeting, Greensburg
extension office, 7:30
p.m.-9:45 p.m.
Central Md. Beef Management
Short Course, Eldcrsberg Publ
ic Library, 7:30 p.m.-9:45 p.m.,
continues March 23 and 30.
Wednesday March 17
National An Week
St. Patrick’s Day
Tri-County Agronomy School,
Gratz Fire Co. Hall, 9:30 a.m.-3
p.m.
United Dairy Cooperative Ser
vices annual meeting. United’s
office, Seneca Falls, N.Y.,
10:30 a.m.
Cecil Co. Md. Pasture Manage
ment Series, extension office, 7
p.m.-9 p.m.
Lancaster Conservation District
annual banquet, Yoder’s
Restaurant, New Holland, 7
p.m.
Penn Manor Adult Education
Program, pesticide safety, Penn
Manor H.S., 6:30 p.m.
Wayne Co. Wool Growers Associ
ation annual dinner, Aldenville
Baptist Church, 7 p.m.
Chester Co. Holstein Tour to Col
umbia, Lycoming, and Sullivan
counties, from Dick Hostetler’s
farm, 7:15 a.m.
Montgomery Co. DHIA/Holstcin
banquet, Towamencin Fire
Hall, 6:45 p.m.
To Salute
Agriculture Week
March 14 through March 20 has
been proclaimed Agriculture
Week.
This week recognizes Pennsyl
vania’s diverse food and agricul
tural industry. Its cash income gen
erates $3.8 billion each year and an
additional $3B billion in related
economic activity.
Twenty percent of the common
wealth’s work force is engaged in
agriculture. Agriculture Week
gives us the opportunity to remind
people of the extraordinary food
system we have. It is a system that
is known for variety, abundance,
dependability, and quality.
Americans spend ten percent of
their disposable income on food
compared to 60 and 70 percent in
some other countries. However, if
we begin to take this system for
granted, we are in great danger of
losing it.
As Eastern Europe is trying to
learn how to build a modem agri
culture system like ours, we need
Fayette Co. annual meeting, Shady
Side Inn, Unionlown, 7 p.m.
Mercer Co. Sheep and Wool
Growers meeting, Trinity Pre
sbyterian Church, Mercer, 6:30
meeting, Radisson Hotel Pitts
burgh, Monroeville, thru March
2Q
Saturday March 20
National An Week
Sprinn Ik'nins
National Aj> Day
Agricultural Industry Dinner, John
M. Clayton Hall, University of
Delaware, Newark, 6 p.m.
Women and Horses Inaugural
Conference and National Tour,
Cook Center, Cook College
Campus, New Brunswick, N.J.
Grapevine Pruning Training and
Pest Control, Naylor Wine Cel
lars, Stewartslown, 10
a.m-noon.
Home Horticultural Seminar, Veg
etables For All, Farm and Home
Center, 7 p.m.-9;30 p.m.
Farm Safely Series, North Jackson
Large Dairy Herd Conference,
Embers Inn and Convention
Center, Carlisle, thru March 24,
Pesticide Safety, Farm and Home
Center, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Pesticide Label Changes For ’93,
Farm and Home Center, 7
p.m.-9 p.m.
Clarion Co. Farm Safety Demon
stration, Clarion Co. Park, 7:30
p.m.-9 p.m.
(Turn to Pag* A3B)
to understand why they need to
rebuild their agriculture system
and not repeat their mistakes. The
agricultural industry must con
tinue to develop new ideas, con
cepts, and technological advance
ments so it may continue to pro
vide quality products in abundant
supply.
So, this coming week take time
and tell people the importance of
agriculture and be proud you are a
part of this large industry.
To Check Corn
In Storage
Last fall a lot of com went into
storage at high moisture levels
after outside temperatures had
dropped.
As long as the storage tempera
ture stayed cool, this com may
have been stored successfully.
However, as outside and storage
temperatures increase this spring,
these stored masses of com may
start heating and spoiling.
To minimize the risk of
increased spoilage, try to feed out
the com before warm weather sets
in. Or, after temperatures rise, dry
it down by aeration. The use of
drying fans, spreading it out to dry,
| BORN AGAIN? |
i March 14,1993
Background Scripture:
John 3:1-21.
Devotional Reading:
John 3:22-36.
There is hardly any human
experience that cannot be trivial
ized by human systematization.
While rituals are important and
valid for human life, there is
always the danger of reducing
experience to a ritual or formula.
Particularly in the realm of the
spirit. While it is understanable
that we should want to hold on to
and repeat our spiritual highs, it is
arrogant and even blasphemous
for us to assume that we can write
rules and specifications for them.
In a sense, it is telling God that he
must do it “this way” and no other.
God intends for us to experience
these things, not to package and
merchandise them.
We need to keep that in mind
when we approach the matter of
being “bom again.” Few human
experiences have ever been so
systematized than the encounter
between Jesus and Nicodemus. It
is ironic that this experience of
regeneration should serve to
divide so many Christians. Some
wear it proudly as a badge of their
spiritual superiority. Others shun
it because of their discomfort with
those who have advertised them
selves as “bom again.” The prob
lem is not with being “born
again,” but what people try to
make of that experience.
THE OLD ORDER
The story of Jesus and Nicode
mus in John 3:1-21 is a good
example of the kind of attitude
that can spoil rather than enhance
the experience. Nicodemus, a
member of the supreme council of
the sanhedrin, comes to Jesus at
night. He comes as a Pharisee, a
representative of the old order
which Jesus seems to want to
supersede. According to that old
legalistic order, the kingdom of
God is entered by moral achieve
or transferring the com to other
storage may help.
Check your stored com and
monitor its temperatures regularly
to prevent excessive losses.
To Watch
For Children
Spring work is rapidly
approaching. This also means
children will be playing more
outside.
To prevent accidents, we must
be aware of hazards around the
farm.
A few safety rules are:
• No seat = no rider!
• Idle farm equipment are not
toys. Keep children from playing
on, in, or under machinery and
equipment.
• Know where children are
when you start farm machinery
and vehicles.
• Fence ponds and manure pits.
• Lock up chemicals and electri
cal power sources.
• Have monthly family safety
reviews. Taking a few extra
minutes to be safe could prevent a
very serious accident or death.
Feather Profs Footnote:
"Today's preparation determines
tomorrow’s achievement."
ment based upon faithfully keep
ing the law.
But Jesus makes it clear that
the new order is dependent, not
upon moral achievement, but
God’s grace: “...unless one is bom
anew, he cannot see the kingdom
of God” (3:3). A variant reading,
the Jerusalem Bible and a footnote
of the RSV, says “bom from
above,” while the King James ver
sion say “bom again.” It really
doesn't matter, for the intent is to
sgy that one must be transformed,
not our own efforts, but by God.
What Jesus is lifting up for
Nicodemus here is not a formula
but a spiritual reality.
So, how does Nicodemus
respond? Immediately he looks
for a formula, a system, a ritual;
“How can a man be bom when he
is old? Can he enter a second time
into his mother’s womb and be
bom?” (3:4). If Jesus will just tell
him the right way to do this, he
can package it, make it a rule or
ironclad procedure for all Israel.
WHERE IT WILLS
Jesus responds by explaining
that spiritual rebirth is not some
thing to systematize or ritualize.
“The wind blows where it wills,
and you hear the sound of it, but
you do not know whence it comes
or wither it goes: so it is with
everyone bom of the Spirit” (3:8).
We cannot capture or detain the
Spirit Nor can we regulate it.
Note what Jesus does NOT say
about a spiritual rebirth. He does
not put a stopwatch or calendar on
it He does not say that it carries a
lifetime guarantee. He does not
suggest that rebirth is so much an
event as it is a continuing condi
tion and reality.
Spiritual rebirth is not just for
some people, some time, but for
all of us, all the time. It will take
place whenever we open ourselves
to God’s renewing grace. And
when it does, we will be humble,
not proud.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMuntn Entmpri**
Robert C. Campbell General Manager
EveiM R. Nawiwanger Managing Editor
Copyright ins by Laneaaler Farming