AIQ-Lwcmw Farming, Friday, January 7, 1994
OPINION
Plan To Come
The Farm Show Too
To
Pennsylvania farmers are to be congratulated. Their numbers
are small when you make comparison to the total population. But
like a mighty economic army, they influence the life of every per
son in the Keystone State good food on the family dinner
table, for example.
But just as important is the impact on society when 20 percent
of the jobs in Pennsylvania have some foundation in agriculture’s
production, transportation, processing, marketing and the sup
pliers of products and services for these direct farm businesses.
According to the latest figures (1992) from the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture, the cash receipts from marketing
farm products reached $3.64 billion. That’s a three percent
increase over the previous year. Ag exports totaled $348.7 mil
lion. Pennsylvania is fifth in the nation for dairy products
exported: eighth for poultry products and ninth for prepared
fruits.
No wonderfarming continues to be the number one industry in
Pennsylvania.
And now it’s time again to honor these farmers and agribu
sinesses who keep Pennsylvania strong. The Pennsylvania Farm
Show opens this weekend in Harrisburg. As a showcase for our
industry, this yearly New Years’ event can’t be beat. And as an
educational tool for both farmers and consumers, the Farm Show
has been instrumental in keeping everyone abreast of the
advances made in agriculture.
For suppliers of equipment and services, the Farm Show gives
agribusinesses the opportunity to develop markets. And farmers
can find a variety of products in one building and see what’s new
and make comparisons of equipment that may need to be pur
chased in the coming year.
State Secretary of Agriculture Boyd Wolff says the Farm
Show has helped our farm community to develop new markets
and boost sales of livestock, crops and related products. In addi
tion, the Farm Show helps establish new standards of quality for
Pennsylvania agriculture that are the foundations of its interna
tional reputation.
“We are proud of the efficiency and productivity of Pennsylva
nia farmers and agricusinesses who keep agriculture the number
one industry of Pennsylvania,” Wolff said.
Everyone in Pennsylvania can find something of interest at the
Farm Show. We hope you plan to come to the Farm Show too.
Farm Calendar
Saturday. human S
Pa. State Farm Show, thru Jan. 13.
Pa. Rabbit Breeders Association
annual meeting, Farm Show
Eastern Pa. Turfgrass Conference
and Trade Show, Valley Forge
Convention Center, thru Jan.
13.
Mercer County income tax meet
ing, extension office, 9
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Pa. Charolais Association annual
meeting, Econo Lodge,
IJarrisburg^^^^^^^^^^
Dairy-MAP, Neshaminy Manor
Center, Doylestown, also Jan.
18.
Butler County income tax meet
ing, Days Inn Motel, Butler, 9
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Master Farmers Association annu
al meeting, Camp Hill.
Improving Swine Efficiency Satel
lite Conference, Lancaster
Farm and Home Center, 8
p.m.-lO p.m., also Jan. 18 and
Jan. 25.
Non-Mechanical Bam Ventilation
meeting, Dan Stoltzfus Farm,
Millheim, 10 a.m., and Joe
King Farm, Madisonburg, 1
Wayne County pesticide certifica
tion exam, Courthouse, Hones
dalc, 8:30 a.m.-noon.
PAA Convention, Harrisburg
Marion, Harrisburg, thru Jan.
15.
Dußois income tax meeting,
Dußois Holiday Inn, 9
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Pa. Beef Council annual meeting,
Harrisburg Hilton and Towers,
6:30 p.m.
Pa. Nut Growers Association
annual meeting, Farm Show
Complex, Harrisburg.
Pa. Veterinary Nutrition Forum,
Days Inn, Lancaster.
Intensive Wheat Management,
Lancaster Farm and Home Cen
ter. 8:30 a.m.-noon.
mi rv ii
Thursday, ,lamiar\ 13
Pa. Christmas Tree Growers Asso
ciation (PCTGA) Winter Meet
ing, Embers Inn and Conven
tion Center, Carlisle, thru Jan.
15.
Income tax meeting, Mansfield
Comfort Inn, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Northeast Farm Credit’s 4th annu
al Ag Outlook Conference, two
NOW IS
THE TIME
By John Schwartz
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agqnt
To Attend
Farm Show
January 8 marks the opening of
the 78th Pennsylvania State Farm
Show.
The show is open every day
from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. except Sun
day, when the hours are 11 a.m. to
6 p.m. and Thursday when the
hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The
show closes on Thursday, January
13.
Be sure to stop by the Penn State
booth in the main exhibit building.
This year’s theme is water quality
and nutrient management. The
booth will feature information on
underground water, water testing,
and the new nutrient management
law. Other attractions include the
butter sculpture, animal shows,
sheep to shawl contest, commer
cial exhibits, educational demon
strations and exhibits, baby animal
learning center, folk dance festi
val, and the famous food court.
Read this issue of Lancaster
Farming for more details on these
and other events at the Farm Show.
To Form
Agricultural
Security Districts
More than 10 years ago, the
Pennsylvania legislature passed
the Agricultural Security Act.
This allowed farmers in a town
ship to form agricultural security
districts. These districts entitle the
participating landowners to special
consideration from the local gov
erning body and state government
agencies.
The local government unit may
not impose ordinances that unrea
sonably restrict farm structures or
practices within the ag security
area, nor may normal farming
operations and practices be
deemed nuisances m a nuisance
ordinance.
State government agencies must
modify their administrative reg
ulations and procedures to encour
age viable farming in agricultural
security areas. To form an agricul-
locations, Corey Creek Country
Club, Mansfield, 12:30
p.m.-3:30 p.m. and Country
Cupboard, Lewisburg, 6:30
p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Dcl./Md. Vegetable Meeting,
Sheraton Inn, Dover, Del., thru
Jan. 14.
Non-Mechanical Bam Ventilation
meeting, Emanuel Beiler Farm,
Rauchtown, 10 a.m. and Esh
Bros. Farm, Hublersburg, 1
p.m.
Ohio Roadside Marketing Confer
ence, Ramada University
Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, thru
Jan. 15.
Susquehanna River Basin Com
mission meeting, Robert J.
Bielo Building, Harrisburg, 9
a.m.
(Turn to Pag* A4l)
tural security area, the fanners
must petition their local govern
ment unit and must have at least
SOO acres of land.
For more details on the Agricul
tural Security Area Program, con
tact your local Penn State
Cooperative Extension office.
To Realize
The Value
Of 1 Cent
Today I was reading an article
on how custom feed formulation
by laying hen strain reduced the
cost of producing eggs by one half
Cent a dozen.
My initial reaction was a half a
cent is not very much money until I
did some simple math. Based on
22 dozen of eggs produced per hen
housed, a half a cent equals 11
cents per bird. That figures to
$ll,OOO for every 100,000 layers
>/'. !i '-/
'/////w///
| BY LAWRENCE W AIIHOUSt
f ®asas
THE QUESTION OF
GOD'S WILL
January 9,1994
Background Scripture:
Luke 4:31-43
Devotional Reading:
Mark 6:l-6a; 9:1-8
You don’t hear this so much
any more, but when I was youn
ger, whenever affliction or
tragedy struck someone, there
were always those who would be
quick to proclaim; “it is God’s
will.” Many Christians still seem
to equate human suffering with
the will of God.
It is interesting to note that,
according to the gospels, this is
quite contrary to the view which
Jesus held. Nowhere in the four
gospels is there even any sugges
tion that He shared this idea. In
fact, if you note His response to
people who came to Him for heal
ing, you’ll find that He operates
under the assumption that illness
and possession are quite contrary
to the will of God.
In Luke 4:33-37, when Jesus
encounters in the synagogue “the
man who had the spirit of an
unclean demon,” He does not
question whether it is God’s will
for the man to be possessed; He
commands the demon to come out
of the man and he does. Note, too,
that Jesus does not greet the
demon as one who is doing the
will of God, but as one who is
thwarting that will. “Jesus
rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent,
and come out of him.’” (4:35).
That is not a greeting to a col
league, but an enemy.
REBUKING THE FEVER
Note also that when Jesus went
to Capernaum and the house of
Simon Peter and found that the
disciple’s mother was ill with a
high fever. He did not stop to dis
cern whether perhaps God wanted
her to be ill. Nor did He assume
that God sent her this illness so
that she might grow spiritually.
Neither did He for one minute
seek to discern if she was worthy
of being healed. He does not greet
this fever as a friend or ally with
God, but Luke says; “And He
stood over her and rebuked the
fever, and it left her;” (4:30). He
rebuked the fever is that any
way to treat a friend?
In all other healing incidents in
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Jesus assumes that it is God’s will
for these people to be whole. He
you have.
Based on information from sev
eral egg marketing companies, the
difference farmers receive for egg
prices may be as high as 5 cents a
dozen or $llO,OOO on a
100.000-bird flock.
The same is true for dairy,
swine, fruit farms, etc. Pennies do
add up to big dollars on our farms.
Now is the time to look for ways
to reduce costs by a few pennies or
increase the price you receive by
producing high quality products.
This means fewer dirty and
cracked eggs, lower somatic cell
counts, reduced feed waste, or bet
ter feed conversions.
Work with your service people
and spend the time to chase pen
nies and turn them into big dollars.
Feather Prof s Footnote: "A
penny saved is a penny earned."
never prays, asking God to heal
someone if it is your will." (He
actually only prayed that prayer
once and it was in the Garden of
Gethsemane and had nothing to
do with healing, but with his own
crucifixion.)
sn
So, I have never hesitated to
pray for God to heal someone, for
I believe with all my heart and
mind that God’s will for us is
wholeness. When I pray thus I do
not pray so that He will do my
will, but that I may join myself
with His to make us whole.
Neither, do I believe that God
sends us disease to punish us or to
make us grow spiritually. True,
when we are ill, there is often an
opportunity for spiritual growth,
but that doesn’t mean that God
afflicts us so that we may grow.
If God wills wholeness, why are
so many of us ill? Let’s look at it
from another angle. I also believe
it is God’s will for me to be a
righteous person. But I am not
telling you any secret when I
admit that I am something less
than that Why? Is it not God’s
will for me to be kind, loving and
compassionate? Yes, it is. God
wills me to be this way, but He
does not compel me to comply. In
the same way, I believe He wills
me to be whole, but doesn’t com
pel me to be whole. I have free
will, the power to make many
choices that impinge upon my
health. Others,, by their own free
will, may affect my health. Germs,
viruses, carcinogens, exercising a
kind of natural freedom, can sig
nificantly affect my health. God
wills for us a healthy, wholesome
environment, but He does not
compel us to have one. So, our ill
ness, our lack of wholeness, is part
of the price we pay for our
freedom.
Jesus knew that illness was
against God’s will and He spent
much of His time ministering to
people’s physical and mental
well-being. Furthermore, He
knew that He had the authority to
rebuke these illnesses and heal
them. Even the demons knew that!
Do we?
NOTE: For more on the subject
of healing and wholeness, see
Rediscovering The Gift Of Heal
ing by Lawrence W. Althouse,
Samuel Wesier, Inc., 1983.)
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stttunan Ertuprim
Robert Q. Campbell General Manager
Everett H. Newiwenger Managing Editor
Copyright IMS by Uncutor Arming
GOD’S WILL