AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 24, 1993
OPINION
Energy Tax
Would Hurt Farmers
President Clinton’s proposed energy tax will hit farmers
especially hard because it will raise production costs, cut farm
prices and the make U.S. farmers less competitive in world
markets, the American Farm Bureau Federation told the presi
dent last week.
The proposed tax will cost farmers an estimated $1 billion
per year, about 2 percent of U.S. net farm income. Half the $1
billion hit would come from direct fuel costs; the other half
would come from indirect costs resulting from price hikes for
inputs like fertilizer and pesticides.
The president needs to remove the energy tax from his eco
nomic proposal because of its negative impact on efficiency,
productivity and competitiveness.
Agricultural production is highly energy-dependent. The
proposed BTU tax on the heat content of various fuels would
result in tax increases of 7.5 cents per gallon for gasoline, 8.3
cents for diesel and 2.3 cents for propane. The new levies
would affect all aspects of agricultural production, from run
ning combines to heating bams and greenhouses and operating
irrigation systems.
We believe this additional tax would prove to be especially
detrimental to U.S. agricultural products in the highly competi
tive world market and, therefore, to farmers and ranchers.
In addition all rural residents, not just farmers and ranchers,
will be hurt by the tax. The energy tax will disproportionately
increase the cost of living for 65 million rural people who must
drive further than urban and suburban residents to work, shop,
get medical care and take children to school.
Farm Calendar
Home Horticulture Seminar, Pan
sy Trial Day/Idea Garden Tour,
Farm and Home Center, 9
a.m.-noon.
Windmiller’s Trade Fair, Trinity
Acres, Federalsburg, Md.
Mifflinburg Young Farmers Toy
Show and Winross Truck Sale.
N.W. Pa. Polled Hereford Associ
ation Show and Sale, Mercer
Co. 4-H Park, Mercer, show 2
p.m., sale 7 p.m.
Old Time Plow Boys Club Spring
Plowing Show, Seidel Farm,
Mertztown, thru April 25.
Arabian Horse Mini Fair, York
Fairgrounds, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
45th annual A-Day, Delaware Val
ley College, Doylestown, 9
Wissahickon Day Parade, Fair
inounUPark^Phila^^^^^^
Delmarva Poultry Booster ban
quet, Wicomico Youth and Civ
ic Center, Salisbury, Md.
Ephrata Area Young Farmers
Ladies Night Program, Cloister
Restaurant, 6:30 p.m.
York Co. Beekeepers meeting,
Berks Co. 4-H Supper Series, 6
p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Home Horticultural Seminar;
Perennials, The Gardening Sol
ution, Lancaster Farm and
State College Lion Country Pony
Club Ride-A-Thon, Grange
Fairgrounds.
Siind;i\. Ma\ 2
Mdiul.in. M:i\ 3
Home Horticulture Seminar, Espa
liers: The Mystery Explained,
Farm and Home Center, Lan
caster. 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
(Turn to Page A3l)
Farm Forum
Editor,
I am writing to urge all farmland
owners to write to their legislators
urging them to pass legislation to
remove all designated wcltands
from the properly tax roles.
It is grossly unfair and unjust to
place such severe limitations upon
the use of wetlands as to render
them useless to a landowner and
still require that landowner to pay
taxes on that wetland.
According to a study done in
Dutchess County, N.Y., the owner
of farmland already subsidizes the
residential property owner.
Their study found that a farm
land owner receives in municipal
services 21 cents for each dollar in
taxes he pays, while the owner of
residential property receives $1.36
in services for each dollar of taxes
collected.
A soon to be released study by
Penn Stale University, done in
Adams, Lebanon and Chester
counties is expected to show quite
similar results.
In a recent decision by U.S. Jus
tice Anton Scalia, he wrote,
a regulation that
“When
declares all economically produc
tive or beneficial uses of land goes
beyond what the relative back
round principals would dictate,
compensation must be paid to sus
tain it.” Such was the majority
To Be Patient
The recent rains have placed
spring work behind schedule. This
delay seems worse when we com
pare it to the early springs of the
past several years.
We need to be patient. By work
ing soils 100 wet we will be doing
long-lasting damage that will
reduce yields for many years.
Also, we still have plenty of
ume to plant com and soybeans.
The normal planting time for com
in Pennsylvania is May 5 to June
20 and soybeans is May 20 to June
30. Depending on the growing
degree days we receive this sum
mer, we still could have excellent
yields.
The current rains are replenish
ing the subsoil moisture we need
for the summer dry periods. So be
patient and wait till you have the
right conditions to plant.
Remember one of the lessons
my grandfather taught me, “treat
the soil right and the soil will treat
you right.”
To Look
At Pastures
On many farms, pastures are
one of the most underutilized
crops. With minimal additional
effort and expense, pastures could
be made a lot more productive.
Chances are, you may accom-
dccision of the U.S. Supreme
Court.
I am sure that most landowners
understand that, given the present
economic conditions, compensa
tion m any form would be prohibi
tively costly. Even under normal
economic conditions, this would
not be possible.
However, to ask for property lax
relief is neither too costly, nor is it
unjust. If this land is to be untouch
ed in its natural state and can not
yield a fair return on investment,
property tax relief is the only route
to go.
Personally, I fail to see the great
importance placed on wetlands by
some enthusiasts. Certainly their
benefit as an aquifer is rather ml,
since usually such land is undci
lam with a dense, impervious clay
layer which prohibits percolation
This requires the surface to dry by
evaporation.
Suffice it to say that, for the pur
pose of charging underground
water supplies, farmland, wood
land and open land is a far better
source.
Again, 1 urge every landowner,
please write to your legislatoi
Urge lax relief for owners ol
wetlands
Harold Stoudt
Hamburg
(Turn to page A3l)
plish this without having to tear up
and reseed your present pasture.
Furthermore, the best time to
reseed is in late summer, not in the
spring.
Startoff by encouraging the pas
ture species that are already pre
sent by liming and fertilizing.
Mow pastures to encourage
growth and to control weeds. Limit
the amount of time cows have
access to the pasture.
Also, keep them off the pasture
when the soil is wet. In late sum
mer, evaluate the pasture and
establish new species by interced
ing or reseeding as necessary.
To Manage
Barnyards
Jeff Stoltzfus, extension agent/
nutrient management, reminds us
that barnyards are very busy places
on most farms.
Over the years many farmers
have increased the number of
livestock to remain profitable.
However, the size of the barnyards
often has not increased with the
number of livestock.
Unfortunately, this increased
NEVER HUNGRY
AGAIN
April 25,1993
Background Scripture:
John 6.
Devotional Reading:
John 6: 22-29.
As I write, the 1993 Super Bowl
is only a few hours away. By the
time you read this, it will have
become history. And I for one am
tempted to say, “Thank God!”.
I have always loved if not
excelled at sports. When I was a
junior in high school I was hired
by the local daily newspaper to
write a regular sports column and I
partially worked my way through
college and seminary writing
sports. I was then and still am a
sports fan and, more specifically,
a Dallas Cowboys fan.
But this past week I have been
tempted to say, Enough!: let’s get
this thing over with. It is, after all,
just a game a great game, per
haps, but still a game. On Mon
day, when the final score has been
posted (in favor of the Cowboys, I
hope!), there will be other head
lines that will not have gone away
by virtue of a Superbowl victory:
there will still be war, famine and
conflict
THE SECOND COMING?
During these past few weeks
the newspapers, radio and televi
sion have virtually identified the
Superbowl with the Second Com
ing. It isn’t. It wasn’t. It never can
be. Karl Marx defined religion as
“the opiate of the people”. He was
wrong: in today’s world sports,
entertainment and material things
are the opiate of the people. If
one-fourth of the energy and
attention given these last few
weeks to the Superbowl had been
devoted to solving some of the
massive problems that face us,
perhaps I wouldn’t be feeling so
frustrated.
The Bible is one long story of
people looking to things to give
them the peace and power that
things no matter how wonder
ful and beautiful can never bes
tow. In the Old Testament it was
the recurring fascination of Israel,
first with idols and then with mili
tary hardware. Again and again,
through his prophets, God called
livestock activity may cause water
quality and animal health prob
lems if not managed properly.
Barnyard areas may be
improved by utilizing some or all
of the following methods:
• Direct manure and runoff into
a manure storage area
• Direct clean water away from
the barnyard
• Use rain gutters to direct roof
runoff away from barnyards
• Terraces upslope of the build
ings may direct runoff around
barnyards
• If water needs to leave the bar
nyard area, allow it to pass through
a grass filter strip before it reaches
a stream, road ditch, or other
waterway.
Barnyards are often the most
visible part of any farm. A well
managed barnyard will go a long
way toward improving the image
of fanners with our non-farm
neighbors.
Feather Prof s Footnote
"Some people dream of worthy
accomplishments while others stay
awake and do them "
his people to find their hungers
and thirsts assuaged by the intan
gible things of the spirit. But even
when they seemed to hear the
message, they often settled for
some thing less and eventually
felt unfulfilled.
Jesus knew we have certain
physical needs and in his model
prayer, he taught us to pray, “Give
us this day our daily bread”. In
John 6, when a multitude followed
Jesus to the Sea of Galilee, he
knew these people would have to
be fed and the story of the feeding
of the 5,000 is the meeting of that
need. Getting, daily bread in those
days was no small feat. Today,
we’d probably sniff at a church
luncheon of five barley loaves and
few fish and a local newspaper
critic would probably give it a bad
review, noting “the servings were
small and the service was
unprofessional!”.
PERISHABLE FOOD
But Jesus is disturbed because
people are focusing on the physi
cal instead of spiritual dimen
sions. “Do not labor for the food
which perishes, but for the food
which endures to eternal life”
(6:27). Even the manna, which
was given to Israel in the desert,
although it came from God, could
ndt satisfy the true human hunger.
“Your fathers ate the manna in the
wilderness, and they died... This is
the bread which comes down from
heaven, that a man may eat of it
and not die. I am the living
bread...”.
Once again, some of them mis
understood him literally: “How
can this man give us his flesh to
eat?”. Always looking for a mater
ial thing, they miss the spiritual
reality. Nothing in this world
brings us satisfaction or nourish
ment that lasts not even the
World Series and Super Bowls.
We are meant to enjoy them but
briefly. Only the bread which
Christ offers us, Himself, can
endure throughout this life and
into eternity.
And now, if you’ll excuse me,
I’ve got to get ready for the Super
Bowl.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stonman Enlatpnae
Robert C. Campbell General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright 19*3 by Lancutor Farming