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OPINION
God Forbid That We
Should Ever Forget
In pursuit of freedom, they came to this distant, unknown
land.
Seeking the right to worship freely, they left family and
friends, jobs, and the security that comes with living in a famil
iar setting.
They faced a harsh new environment, wary natives, were
unprepared and unfamiliar with how to make a living on these
primitive, forested* shores.
Indeed, many of them starved to death
Then, they learned to farm.
Oh, it was surely primitive by today’s standards, crude tools,
fish for fertilize*, cutting trees and burning to clear land. Back
breaking labor, which many of them had perhaps not before
known.
But after they learned to farm, they ate. They put away for
the winter. And they survived.
Once fed, they prospered, grew, fanned out to settle this
America.
They built settlements, raised families. Elected leaders and
established a government.
Because they were fed, our founding fathers could pursue
this experiment in freedom. Even then, the rich soils and pro
ductivity of American farms freed a good portion of the citizen
* ry to pursue the finer points of civilization. Doctors, teachers,
craftspeople, printers, shopkeepers, preachers.
They organized, rebelled against oppression, formed an
aimy. Threw off the yoke of foreign rule. Led by bands of far
mers, who laid down their plows and took up rifles, this fledg
ing, upstart nation of renegades rebelled against one of the
“ world’s mightiest powers. And won.
Because they were fed, they could defend this precious
freedom.
Seeking land they could call their own to farm, the more
adventurous among the populous headed West. Civilization
followed as farmers split the virgin prairie soil with plows and
fattened cows and sheep for food and fiber on its lush grasses.
Because there was abundance of food, railroads followed.
Rutted wagon paths widened into roadways. Ports grew. Immi
grants from around the world fled oppression and hunger in
their native lands to embrace this land of peace - and plentiful
food.
With full bellies, inventive minds were free to dream and
dare. To power with waterwheels and belt drives. To dig can
als, to mine useful minerals, to raise up institutions of medicine
and of learning. To invent the likes of electricity and steam
engines and gasoline motors.
A fed country is a country with freedom to grow, to imagine,
to try. to dream. A hungry country expends its limited energy
stalking its next meal, generally amid political, social and eco
nomic chaos.
Because we were fed, American ingenuity has prospered.
Curious minds have been freed to develop rocket science and
nuclear power, cures for polio and controls for insects which
spread killer diseases, lasers, microwaves, instant communica
tion and computerization.
America is certainly not perfect. Still, others continue to
arrive at our steps, yearning for freedom from oppression, from
dictators, from war and from the wrenching hunger still preva
lent in too many parts of the world, hunger which skeletonizes
aging bodies and bloats the bellies of starving infants.
Yet, after more than 200 years of abundance, we increasing
ly seem to take for granted that we arc free because we are fed.
We have become a citizenry too far removed from the source of
plenty. Generations distant from tilling the soil need to know
more about the production of food for our national full bellies.
It might simply magically materialize somewhere in the dark
recesses of supermarket warehouses.
As we celebrate our national birthday on July 4, may we
remember that we have come this far because we have not had
to scrabble, hand to hand for every daily bite. America’s rich
agriculture resources and productivity have powered our
prosperity.
We are free because we are fed.
God forbid that we ever forget or neglect that blessing.
Joyce Bupp, On Being A Farm Wife And Other
Hazards. Lancaster Farming. June 29, 1991.
Farm Calendar
(Turn to Pag* A 34)
To Attend
Animal Housing Expo
If you are in a poultry, livestock
or dairy business and are interested
in building, remodeling or expand
ing, you will want to attend the
Animal Housing Expo. The event
will be held at the Lebanon Fair
grounds on July 13 and 14.
Visit a host of exhibitors and see
what products and ,services are
available. Observe the new pro
duct’s display plus a variety of
demonstrations on floor surfaces,
pit ventilation, freestall design,
swine handling, poultry compost
ing, and more.
Panels of producers will be shar
ing their experiences on dairy
expansion and remodeling, trends
in the swine industry, and poultry
mortality composting. Speakers
include Dr. Temple Grandin, Col
orado State University, discussing
successful animal handling tech
niques and Mike Gamroth, Oregon
State University, discussing get
ting the most from your milking
parlor.
Topics to be addressed by other
speakers include environmental
impact studies, basic ventilation
concepts, update on the nutrient
management law,, and handling
swine safely. The expo is open
from 9 a.m. to. 4 p.m. each day.
For more information on the
Expo, see related articles and ads
in this paper.
To Evaluate
Creep Feeding
Cattle
When pasture quality deterior
ates in the summer, your beef calf
crop could suffer from lowered
weaning weights, according to
Farm Forum
Dear Editor,
You are to be complimented for
your fine report of the National
Dairy Summit recently held in
York, Pa.
Everyone should have felt hon
ored to have the event held in
Pennsylvania.
However, I feel too many peo
ple, including some farm organiza
tions and dairy cooperatives had a
lackadaisical attitude towards the
Summit. Possibly some were
expecting a small turnout for the
event, which might indicate little
interest on the part of dairy fanners
for any change in dairy policies.
For those who thought this way,
they were certainly fooled.
It's odd that so many people
were unaware of the event taking
place. The event warconceived at
Secretary Espy’s confirmation
hearing. Since the hearing, we in
PRO AG started working to build
up support for the Summit.
In March we merged our efforts
(Turn to Pag# A3S)
sTexl
'CnL
is the time to provide some
supplement, such as creep
lecision to creep feed is not
. easy. You must consider
conditions, milk production
calf growth potentials, pro
weaning weights, price
- between calves of diffe
body conditions, calf prices.
•lans for retained ownership.
' critical consideration is the
added gain. The most effi
mversions of creep feed to
weaning weight are seen
waives cannot reach weaning
appropriate for their
potential without supple
feed.
•ther condition conducive to
feeding is low grain prices
to feeder calf prices. Input
costs may be lowered while poten
tial revenue remains constant.
Also, if you are planning on retain
ing ownership of the calves, you
reap the benefits of added weight
gain.
]‘ ' N \ Al IHi l i , i
WHAT A REPUTATION!
July 4,1993
WHAT A REPUTATION
July 4, 1993
Background Scripture:
Colossians 1
Devotional Reading: 1 Corin
thians 3:10-23
The churches are big news to
day. Unfortunately, most of it is
bad news.
A noted televangelist is accused
of living the prodigal life style of
“the rich and famous.” A major
denomination is tom by a vicious
struggle over national leadership.
A local church is devastated in
finding that its treasurer has ab
sconded with most of the Building
Fund. The bishop of a certain de
nomination dies of AIDS after a
secret long life as a homosexual.
Members of an area religious
coalition face a court injunction
for harassing a local physician
who performs abortions.
Unfortunately, I haven’t made
up any of the above and there
are lots more. The Good News of
Jesus Christ is getting a lot of bad
press.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t
any good news for the churches,'
but it is the news that makes the
morning papers, the grocery store
tabloids and the evening TV news.
It’s about time that the Good
News of Jesus Christ gets some.
good press. But, instead of this be
ing one of those why
don’t-they-do-something-about-it
concerns, it is something that, if it
is to be done, you and I must do it.
(I know that wasn’t what you had
in mind it wasn’t what I would
have picked either but that’s
the way it is.)
All we need to do is to see that
our local churches your’s and
mine earns a reputation some-'
thing on the order of the one en
joyed by the church of Colossae.
Biblical historians tell us that
Colossae was a rather insignifi
cant town of Phygia in Asia Minor
(today’s Turkey). Apart from
Paul’s letter in our New Testa
ment, you’re unlikely ever to find
any references to Colossae either
in history or ouf contemporary
world. Colossae was the biblical
times version of East Podunk.
To Improve
Conception- Rates
One of the challenges dairy far
mers face during hot summer days
is getting cows bred. When body
temperatures are high, cows fail to
conceive and bulls may temporari
ly become sterile.
Conception rates also decline
when cows are off feed and
become poor in flesh. To minimize
these problems, Glenn Shirk,
extension dairy agent, offers the
following tips: 1. Keep cows well
fed and in good flesh. 2. Keep
cows cool with shade, fans. etc. 3.
Do not allow cows to become
excited and overheated. 4. Observe
cows for heat signs during cooler
hours of the day and night. S. Use
heat detection aides. 6. Synchron
ize heats so more cows are sexual
ly active at appointed times. 7.
Plan your calving programs so
fewer cows need to be bred during
the heat of the summer.
Feather Profs Footnote: "The
future is not a gift it is an
achievement."
But what a reputation they had
there! This little backwater town
was - known throughout Asia
Minor because of the exceptional
quality of the Christian congrega
tion there. Paul says, “we have
heard of your faith in Jesus Christ
and of the love which you have for
all the saints” (Col. 1:4). Paul is in
prison as he writes this letter and
the good news about the Colos
sians has reached him even there.
Paul even heard the good news
from Epaphras, Paul’s co-worker
and founder of the Colossian
church: “He is a faithful minister
.. . and has made known to us
your love in the Spirit” (1:8).
JUST FAITH & LOVE
I’ll have to admit that the basis
of Colossae’s good news doesn’t
seem all that exciting: they are re
nowned for their faith and their
love. The reputation that has beeh
getting around says nothing about
a beautiful church building, a rec
ord budget, the area’s most popu
lar preacher, or any of the more
positive things for which a church
is usually known. Just “faith” and
“love.”
But who could ask for anything
more? “Faith” and “love” may not
sound exciting, but, in light of the
mess in which we find so much of
our world today, is there anything
really more exciting than Chris
tians who keep the faith in a time
of despair and practice Christlikc
love where bitterness, strife, and
revenge are the commonplace
realities?
That’s what the church is really
for, isn’t it: to do the work of Gpd
that brings reconciliation, not di
vision. into our world. If we really
want to see the churches start get
ting some good press for a change,
let’s make some headlines with
our faith and love.
♦ a *
(For information concerning
the 33rd Spa Holiday in Bad
gastein, Austria with the Alt
houses, Aug. 27 - Sept 11. write:
Friendship Tours, 4412 Shenan
doah Ave., Dallas, TX 75205
(214) 521-2522.)
Lancaster Farming
EstaUmhad 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lanoaater Farming, Inc.
a namisß oapw
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Evaral H. Naamanaef Manning EdHor
CapyrigM IH2 by LanaaUar Fuming
raw