a farm wig^|^B^jL
-And other
hazards
Joyce Bnpp
What a difference a rain makes,
Just ask the thousands of folks
in the Midwest who have spent
their summer sandbagging, float
ing out, wading in, mucking up,
hosing down and wondering
when it would all end. And why
them?
Why anyone? After umpteem
consecutive years of drought
through the ’Bos, the feeling of
“why us" on the short end of the
weather stick is one farmers
around these parts can identify
with.
But has the weather really turn
ed so much more weird in the last
two decades? Or do we just keep
better records dispersed more ra
pidly through today’s instant com
munications systems, which keep
us more abreast of weather abber
rations?
The country seems to be suffer
ing from the “Goldilocks” weather
syndrome it’s too hot or too
cold. Or too wet or too dry or too
windy or too calm. It just isn’t
“normal.” And, frankly. I’ve
grown to suspect there is no such
thing as “normal” weather.
Yet, we never cease to be amaz
ed at how the “green stuff” of the
world adapts almost overnight
to weather abberrations.
Two weeks ago, many parts of
York County were facing serious
drought crop damage again. A
“checkerboard” is how one soil
specialist described conditions of
moisture, with a little section here
that got rain, and a little section
there that looked Sahara-like.
Next door to each other.
Leaning heavily on the dry side,
our late corn, beans and hay show
ed little promise. Til Mother Na
ture blessed the region with a
soaking rain and plants instantly
perked up. Third-cutting alfalfa.
showing the grayish hue of dis
tress, poked up shoots of lush
green. Curled com unfurled and
spread long leaves wide to soak up
sun with new enthusiasm from
thirst-quenched root systems. The
heifers once again found new
shoots of grass to graze in the
meadow.
And the weeds went bananas.
Especially in the flower border; I
walked by one evening and sud
denly realized the old enemy had
struck with vengeance. Though
they’d been lurking there in the
bushes and daylilies, two inches of
rain sent them spiraling skyward.
Ragweed. Ragweed grows six
or eight feet tall in the rich, moist
soil of our low-lying lawn. You
could almost build tree houses in
the really big ones, which develop
similarly impressive root systems.
So, you don’t just go along and
yank these guys out by the roots.
And. every ragweed that goes to
seed spawns the growth next sea
son of a gazillion descendants. To
say nothing of the pollen the stuff
spews into the air for hay-fever
sufferers, a real case of natural air
pollution.
This was war. Out came the big
guns. Or in this case, a powerful
limb-lopper acquired through a
sale a few years ago, a tool worth
fighting for - a nipper that would
cheerfully take your finger off
should you be so careless.
Even with that, it took some
muscling to pinch its curved jaws
through the inch-plus thick
“trunks” of the sequoia-like rag
weeds. After an hour of ragweed
lumberjacking and numerous
loads lugged to the brush pile, it
looked as though the enemy just
might be curtailed for the rest of
the season.
Still, the ragweed managed to
Food And Today s lifestyle
Maryland Ag Field Day
At Western
COLLEGE PARK, Md.
Gone are the days when people
had the time to sit down and really
plan their meals. The days when
people ate without regard for
nutritional information are obso
lete too.
Today’s consumer demands
healthful food that can be obtained
quickly without a lot of planning
or preparation. The Home Eco
nomics Program at the Maryland
Agricultural Experiment Station’s
(MAES) Western Maryland Ag
Field Day on September 9 will
highlight ways people can make
nutritious meal choices without
wasting time.
By May 8, 1994, more than 90
percent of packaged foods will be
required by the FDA to wear
“Nutrition Facts” labels contain
ing true and exact nutridon infor
mation, according to Maxine
Casey, area Extension nutridon
agent. The new labels, which
require companies to disclose
more detailed informadon about
fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates,
base recommended daily values
on a 2,000-calories-per-day diet.
In a discussion called “The
get in a few licks of its own.
Damped onto the brush pike
weeks ago and long since for
gotten were trimmings of a nas
ty sort of briar. The trimmings had
virtually disappeared. Until I
found them by stepping squarely
wit’i both feet onto them while
di.mping ragweeds. Barefooted.
Tiptoeing around the next day, I
conceded once again that you can
never... never... never get one
up on Mother Nature.
Sometimes she enlists rather
painful ways of reminding us of
that. Like floods. Droughts. And
even briars.
CLOSED SUNDAYS, NEW YEAR,
EASTER MONDAY, ASCENSION DAY,
WMT MONDAY, OCT. 11, THANKSGIVMG,
FVIRITIIE CHRISTMAS A DECEMBER 26TH.
FISHER'S FURNITURE. INC.
NEW AND USED FURNITURE
USED COAL A WOOD HEATERS
COUNTRY FURNITURE A ANTIQUES
BUS. HRS: BOX 57
MON.-THURS. 8-5 1129 GEORGETOWN RD.
FRI. 8-8, SAT. 8-12 BART, PA 17503
GOOD FOOD OUTLET STORES
See Our Original Line Of Golden Barrel Products Plus All Kinds
Of Beans, Candies, Dried Fruit, Snack Mixes, Etc. At Reduced Prices
* BAKING MOLASSES * MAPLE SYRUP
* BARBADOS MOLASSES * PANCAKE A WAFFLE
* BLACKSTRAP SYRUPS ■
MOLASSES * SORGHUM SYRUP
* CORN SYRUPS * LIQUID ft DRY SUGARS
cash ft HIGH FRUCTOSE * PANCAKE ft WAFFLE
SYRUPS SYRUPS
* CANOLA OIL
I —i * COCONUT OIL
'L, 1 * CORN OIL
ft COTTONSEED OIL
' * OLIVE OIL
* PEANUT OIL
ft VEGETABLE OIL
ft SHOO-FLY PIE MK
Processors Of Syrups, Molasses,
Cooking Oils, Funnel Cake Mix,
Pancake ft Waffle Mix ft Shoofly Pie Mix
GOOD FOOD OUTLET
Located At Good Food, Inc.
W. Main St., Box 160, Honey Brook, PA 19344
215-273-3776 1-800-327-4406
Located At L & S Sweeteners
388 E. Main St., Leola, PA 17540
717-656-3486 1-800-633-2676
- WE UPS DAILY -
New Food Label.” Casey will
teach people how to use these
labels to their benefit.
‘The new food labels will help
us all to make healthier and more
educated decisions about the
foods we eat," Casey said. “After
we learn how to use the new
labels, it will become a lot easier
for people to compare foods at the
grocery store.”
She added, “In the future, when
a product says it is ‘light,’ it will
have to meet certain standards.
We’ll really be able to trust the
products we buy.”
Because people today eat most
of their meals away from home,
another Home Economics Prog
ram discussion called “Nutrition
on the Run” will feature tips and
suggestions for quick and healthy
eating. Jeanne-Marie Holly, Balti
more County Extension home
economics agent, said the discus
sion will compare current attitudes
and trends about nutrition with
today’s lifestyle.
“There really is a paradox today
people want to eat healthy but
need to eat in a hurry, so they grab
a quarter-pound burger and fries,”
Holly said, adding, “Our goal is to
Lebanon County Flower
Club To Hold Show
LEBANON (Lebanon Co.)
The Lebanon County Flower Club
will hold its 44th annual show
August 2S and 26, at the Lebanon
Valley Mall, Route 422 West,
Lebanon.
Amateur flower growers are
invited to participate. The public
\gg>
If your local store
does not have it,
SEND FOR
FREE
BROCHURE
teach people they can make wise,
healthy decisions about food away
from home.”
In addition to the Home Eco
nomics Program, the 1993 West
ern Maryland Ag Field Day will
offer other exciting and informa
tive activities.
Concurrent wagon tours of
MAES research will include top
ics such as: paulownia tree man
agement; nutrient management
and the Bay; high yield wheat
management; crop residue man
agement; weed control in com;
and pathogen and parasite control
of leafhopper.
The Field Day will also include
tillage and planting equipment
demonstrations and agricultural
equipment and farm service dis
plays. Enjoy a hog roast featuring
Maryland’pork for a $2 fee paid
the day of the event. Reservations
for lunch are required.
For more information on the
Western Maryland Ag Field Day,
contact your local Cooperative
Extension Service agent or the
Western Maryland Research and
Education Center at (301)
791-2298.
may view the flower displays and
gardening exhibits on Wednesday,
August 25, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
and on Thursday. August 26, from
10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information, call
Cathy Reist (717) 838-4730.
SPECIALS FOR THE
MONTH OF AUGUST
GOLDEN BARREL TABLE SYRUP
*lO Cuts Regularly $4.89
now $4.39
GOLDEN BARREL PEANUT OIL
33 Ounce Regularly $l.BO
NOW $1.59
GOLDEN BARREL
FUNNEL CAKE BOX
3 Lba. Regularly $1.49
NOW $1.19
BUT 2 BAGS OF CANDY & GET
A CANDY JAR FREE
* FUNNEL CAKE MIX
* PANCAKE * WAFFLE
* ASSORTMENT OF
CANDIES
* DRIED FRUIT
* SNACK MIXES
* BEANS
* HONEY
* PEANUT BUTTER
* BAUMAN APPLE
BUTTERS
* KAUFFMAN PRESERVES
* SPRING GLEN RELISHES