Aiounctsttr Firming, Saturday, November 27,1993
OPINION
Number One Need
We have just experienced another Thanksgiving day feast
But farmland that produces much of our traditional holiday fare
has become vulnerable to being gobbled up.
According to American Farmland Trust, of the 27 top produc
ing counties of such Thanksgiving staples as turkeys, cranber
ries, sweet potatoes, squash, green peas and carrots, snap beans,
pecans and pumpkins, 20 lie in urban-edge counties having
nationally significant agricultural production under pressure
from rapid population growth and urban sprawl. AFT, a national
farmland conservation group based in Washington, said farm
land in those areas is highly vulnerable to permanent conversion
to nonagricultural use and conflicts with urbanization such as
complaints over farming-related odors, dust and noise.
“At this time of year, we should all consider the threat facing
the farmland that produces the bounty forourThanksgiving din
ner tables,” said AFT President Ralph E. Grossi. “All too often,
our best and most productive farmland, much of it on the urban
edge, is being lost to sprawl that is wasteful, expensive and
unnecessary.
“We must change our basic approach to farmland on the edge
of our urbanized areas. This Thanksgiving season, let’s be grate
ful for the most abundant food supply history has ever known.
But let’s also resolve to protect the farmland that makes it possi
ble so future generations can be just as blessed as we are today.”
While it’s true we need to preserve farmland, we also need an
economic and political climate that allows us to farm the land we
preserve. This may be the number one need for today.
Farm Calendar /^/
USDA’s 70th Ag Outlook Confer
ence. USDA Headquarters,
York County Ag Preserve Board
informational meeting, York
County Vo-Tech School, York,
U.S. Senate Labor and Human
Resources Committee Field
Hearing On Rural Health
Issues: The Pennsylvania Per
spective, Cumberland County
National 4-H Congress. Chicago,
111., thru Dec. 10.
Estate Planning Seminar, Carroll
Co. Extension Office, West
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WBMeBMMSBBM
National 4-H Congress, thru Dec.
Estate Planning Seminar, Holiday
Inn, Hagerstown, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Maryland Pleasure Horse Semi
nar, South Carroll High School,
Agronomy Ag-Servicc School,
Bradford County Extension.
Towanda, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Farm Forum
We, as farmers are proud of our commodities, better marketing is
quality tobacco crop this year and our goal, be it direct, indirect or
appreciate the interest shown. international.
We hope for much better prices Southeast Farmers
than last year. As with most other
Biological Control of Farm Insec
ts, Ag Room, Cumberland Val
ley High School, New Kings
■DS&EBBBSSSSOBH
Solanco Young Farmers meeting.
Farm Liability.
Mid-Atlantic Cooperative Exten
sion meeting (MACE), Univer
sity of Delaware, Newark, Del.
Lancaster DHIA annual meeting,
Good and Plenty Restaurant,
11:30 a.m.
Southwest Pennsylvania Hay Auc
tion, Westmoreland
Fairgrounds.
Agronomy Ag-Service School,
Berks County Agri-Center,
Leesport, 9 a.m.-3;30 p.m.
Franklin County Cooperative
Extension Dairy Reproductive
Management Workshop,
Rhodes Grove Camp Confer
ence Center, Chambersburg,
9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., thru Dec. 8.
Stray Voltage Satellite Confer
ence, Cambria Extension
Office, Ebensburg, 1 p.m.-3
ADADC District 21 meeting,
Bryncliff Motel and Confer
ence Center, Varysburg, N.Y.,
noon.
Pennsylvania Veterinary Nutrition
Forum, Days Inn, Lancaster.
Agronomy Ag-Service School.
Lancaster Farm and Home Cen
ter, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
On-Farm Biogass Production
Conference, Voder’s Restaur-
(Turn to Pag* All)
NOW IS
THE TIME
By John Schwartz
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
To Lock Out
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza (A. 1.) is around
again.
The HSN2 vims (the same one
we had in 1983) was isolated from
a pheasant flock on the eastern
shore in Maryland. This reminds
us the avian influenza vims is
always around looking for a place
to gain a foothold.
To prevent this, we need to prac
tice excellent biosecurity. This is
especially true during die winter
months when the virus may sur
vive a long time in manure at cold
and moist conditions.
All poultry producers should
practice the following:
■ Do not allow unauthorized
visitors in your poultry house.
■ If you allow people into your
poultry house, keep a log with the
following information: date, time,
telephone number, where they last
visited, and where they are going
next.
■ Ifpeoplemustenteryourpoul
try house, insist they wear dispos
able clothing that they may leave
on your farm.
• All tools or equipment they
carry into the house must be
cleaned and disinfected before
going in and after leaving.
• People should park as far away
from poultry houses as possible.
■ Do not visit other poultry
farms, backyard flocks, or live bird
markets.
■ Avoid contact with wild
waterfowl.
• Always shower and change
clothes before leaving the farm and
before going into your poultry
houses after you have bear off
your farm.
Remember, humans are not
affected by avian influenza as a
result of direct contact with or con
sumption of poultry and egg
products.
To Study
Living Wills
On April 16,1992, living wills,
also known as advance directives
for health care, were legalized in
Pennsylvania.
If you become terminally ill and
unable to communicate with doc
tors and family members, a living
will allows you to designate your
desire to not have life artificially
prolonged. An advance directive
provides specific direction to your
physicians and medical care pro
viders concerning your personal
wishes for “life-sustaining treat
ment’' if you become incapable of
providing that direction
personally.
No one wants think about dying,
but everyone should sit down and
discuss their feelings about living
wills, organ donation, and final
wishes. Talk with your family,
clergy, and lawyer for their advise
and counsel.
To Recertify
Pork Quality
Assurance
Chet Hughes, extension lives
tock agent, reminds pork
producers it may be time to recer
tify your level in position within
the National Perk Producers Coun
cil’s (NPPC) Pork Quality Assur
ance Program (PQA).
If you are one of many produc
ers who reached level m more than
a year ago, you need to recertify.
The process may be simple, if you
have established or maintain a
relationship with the verifier.
Most verifiers ate veterinarians,
extension personnel, or agricultur
al instructors. If the verifier is
familiar with the detailed opera
tions of your hog business, a short
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RANDOM CHANCE OR
GOD'S BLESSING?
November 28,1993
Background Scripture:
Genesis 48
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 103:14
This past week I was at a meet
ing of a board of directors which
began with each of us giving a
brief biographical statement and
an indication of when and how we
had become associated with the
organization.
Even as I recapped some of my
milestones along the way and peo
ple who influenced me in some
way or another. I marveled at the
connectedness of my life. Because
I net X, I came to know Y, and
because I knew Y, I got to work
with Z, and working with Z has
made all the difference in my life.
Random events and people, but
in the long run they seemed not so
random at all. The connectedness,
I decided, was God. Although I
exercised my free will virtually
every step of the way, still there
was a sense of something more
than random choices and accident,
the sense of a broad plan that
guided me both consciously and
unconsciously, yet without deny
ing me my freedom. Even when I
seriously messed up that divine
plan, God has been able to make
something good out of the pieces.
Some would call it coincidence,
but I cannot help seeing it as pro
vidence, the will of God.
HUMAN ACTS
In the story of Jacob blessing
Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph’s
sons, in Genesis 48, we can see
this same sense of connectedness.
There were human acts and there
was a divine will. The divine will
shaped the direction, but the
human acts filled in the details
along the way. Writing in The
Interpreter's Bible (Vol. I), Wal
ter Russell Bowie says, “As is
repeatedly evidenced in Genesis,
they saw the destiny of Israel
shaped not by human intentions,
but by the long sure purpose of
God.” According to the custom of
the time, Ishmael, Abraham’s
firstborn, should have been his
father’s heir, but instead it was
Isaac God chose to perpetuate the
covenant. So. also, Esau should
discussion of any changes made
since certification may be all you
need
Specific areas to review include
drug usage, product availability,
herd health practices, and the type
of medication records you are
keeping.
Residue testing is not mandat
ory for PQA recertification. This is
left to your discretion and that of
the verifier. Following the review,
your verifier should complete the
verification postcard enclosed in
the NPPC’i mailing last April. If
you cannot find yours, contact
NPPC for another.
As a level m certified producer,
you will continue to receive
updates on changes in federal reg
ulations, NPPC symposiums, and
regional seminars as well as the
Update newsletter. If you have any
questions or need additional infor
mation, contact NPPC at (800)
456-7675.
Feather Profs Footnote:
'There is never the wrong time to
do the right thing."
have been the father of the Israel
ites, but it was Jacob whom God
was able to use for that purpose.
In Genesis 48 we see still
another evidence of God’s hand in
the story of Israel. Normally,
Joseph’s two sons should have
had no inheritance from their
grandfather, Jacob except what
they would eventually inherit
through their father. Joseph’s por
tion of Jacob’s estate as one of
twelve sons, should have been
one-twelfth of the inheritance.
But, when Joseph brings his two
sons to see their grandfather,
Jacob proposes something that
must have seemed radical: they
will receive equal share of Canaan
with their uncles and, although
Manasseh was Joseph’s oldest son
and heir, Ephraifn would be the
greater of the two, The patriarchtii
may have had their time-honored *
traditions, but in the long run it f
was the will of God that would
prevail.
A PRIOR BLESSING
The story in Genesis 48 is often
called “The blessing of Ephraim
and Manasseh,” but there is a .
blessing that antedates the bless
ing that Jacob gives. That is the ’
blessing that Jacob already has
experienced. He blesses Ephraim >
and Manasseh because he himself
has been blessed. How? The wri- ‘
ter says, “And, he blessed Joseph,
and said, The God before whom
my fathers Abraham and Isaac
walked, the God who has led me
all my life long to this day, the
angel who has redeemed me from
all evil, bless the lads” (48:15). ?
Most of us have been blessed ;
like that. We can discern the bless- >
ings that God has bestowed upon
those who have walked before us.
We can perceive God’s blessing in
the way he has led us through this
life. And, like Jacob, we have
been blessed as our lives have .
been redeemed from the^evil'
around us and even the evil within '
us. 1
That's what life is all about;
recognizing the blessings we have
received and letting God bless "
others through us.
Lancaster Farming
Establithed 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, (no.
A SMumn BVepriw
Robert G. Campbell General Msnagsr
EvarM a Managing Editor
C*pyrt|M INS by Laneaalar Farming