Aio-Lancasttr Farming, Saturday, February 5, 1994
OPINION
A Serious Business
A dairy farmer called us this week to ask us to warn other far
mers they may get hurt if medicine residues get into their milk.
Most milk handlers make the farmer pay for the part of the tank
truck load they have contaminted.
The only people who get caught are the ones who are careless
and use extra label drugs in their dairy herds.
Not!
The farmer who talked to us was following the drug label,
according to approved regulations, but he got caught last Friday.
In an effort to find out why, this dairyman took milk meant for
his family’s consumption from Friday’s tank to a professional
lab. These samples from the supposedly contaminated tank tested
negative.' In addition, the dairyman has a negative test from the
next day’s milk that was produced from the same feed formula
tion he has used for the last four years. He has record of the num
ber of pounds of product he put into the TMR mixer to show he
used the drug according to label, and he knows that several neigh
bors with milk in the same condemned tank truck load use the
same product at the same level, but their samples tested negative.
Actually, this is not the first time this kind of problem has been
reported to us. And when it happens the farmer is at the mercy of
the buyer’s test. Even if for some unexplained reason a sample
shows positive, the farmer has no recourse even if he followed all
the rules. Proof that you have followed the label has not stood up
in court against evidence of a positive sample test.
We look on from the outside, but this seems like a situation that
would be like the Super Bowl played with unmarked goal posts.
The kicker knows the goal posts are somewhere in the end zone.
He kicks the ball toward the place where the official rules say the
goal should be and then waits for the referees to make a secret rul
ing to see if the ball has cleared the markers or not.
What a serious game dairy farming has become! You think it
can’t happen to you. That’s what the above dairyman thought.
But evidently it can.
Farm Calendar
SmaUßusiness Development
Seminar, Cross Creek Resort,
Titusville, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Lancaster County 4-H Benefit
Auction, Farm and Home Cen
ter, Lancaster, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
EAYFA annual banquet, Durlach/
Mon(la>. ltl)riiar\ 7
ISA Penn-Del Chapter Annual'
Shade Tree Symposium, Host
Conference Center, Lancaster,
thru Feb. 8.
Integrated Crop Production Work
shop, Schuylkill Campus,
Schuylkill Haven, continues
Feb. 14 and 21.
PDA pesticide exams, Lancaster
Farm and Home Center, 8:30
a.m.-noon.
Schuylkill Agribusiness Fomm,
Pine View Acres, Pottsville, 9
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Pa. Dairy Promotion Program, Nit
lany Lion Inn, State College, 10
a.m.-3 p.m.
Adams County Crops and Soils
Day, extension office, 9:30
a.m.-3 p.m.
Blair/Huntingdon Crops Day, Fir
Hall, Alexandria, 9:30 a.m.-3
p.m.
Tulpchocken Young Farmers
meeting, Tulpchocken High
Pa. Young Farmers Association
Winter Convention, Eden
Resort and Conference Center,
Lancaster, thru Feb. 10.
Sire Power county meeting, Red
Lion Cafe, Deturksville.
Intensive Forage School, Lebanon
Valley Ag Center, thru Feb. 15.
Lancaster County Crops and Soils
Day, Lancaster Farm and Home
Center, 9 a.m.-3;30 p.m.
Holstein Winter Forum, Columbus
Marriott/North, Columbus,
Ohio.
Swine producers meeting, Frank
lin County Extension Office,
Chambersbuig, 7:30 p.m. -
Custom manure haulers meeting,
Lancaster Farm and Home Cen
ter, 1 p.m.-3;30 p.m.
Pa. Forage School, Gap Diner,
Gap, also Feb. 16.
Lebanon Valley National Bank
Annual Ag Seminar, Prescott
Fire Hall, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Herd Health Management Work
shop, Rostraver Grange, Belle
Vernon, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Farm tax update meeting. Country
Focht’s Restaurant, 1 p.m.-3
p.m,
York County Soybean Growers
(Turn to Page A3O)
Farm Forum
Every time we start talking
about a new-improved dairy bill,
the red flags go up all over the
areas. Some political people and
many farm leaders cry out oh,
you can’t change things, congress
is against you your program
will cost taxpayers too much
money and the consumers will
turn against you.
First for one more time let’s
get things straight Every dairy
farmer must realize one thing.
NOW IS
THE TIME
By John Schwartz
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agqnt
To Vote In
Soybean Referendum
On February 9, all producers
who certify they produced soy
beans between September 1,1991
and December 1,1993 will be elig
ible to vote in the soybean
referendum.
In the referendum, producers
will decide if they want to continue
to pay the current assessment of
one half of one percent of the net
market price of the soybeans they
sell.
This assessment funds the Soy
bean Promotion, Research and
Consumer Information Program.
In Pennsylvania, a total of
$186,872.53 was collected.
Half the proceeds goes to the
national board. The national board
supports overseas promotion and
new market development Some of
the new market development
includes soy ink, soy-based bio
diesel, and increased soy in diabe
tic diets.
The Pennsylvania board spent
$27,047.78 for soybean education
and promotion and $31,838 for in
state research. An additional
$80,095.57 was spent for ongoing
research and promotion programs.
The registration and voting will
take place at your county coopera
tive extension office. County Agri
cultural Stabilization and Conser
vation Service (ASCS) offices will
determine eligibility of challenged
voters, count ballots, and report
referendum results.
To Keep
Cows Pregnant
If you are striving for a
12.5-month calving interval, days
open cannot be more than 100
days. If you do not start breeding
cows until 60 days after calving,
that means you have 40 days to get
a cow pregnant. That is only two
heat periods.
To have cows pregnant in two
heat periods, you need an overall
success rate of SO percent What
does it take to have an overall suc
cess rate of 50 percent?
If you successfully detect 70
percent of all possible heats and 70
percent of all services result in pre
gnancies, your combined success
rate is only 49 percent (0.70 times
New dairy programs can be writ
ten that will raise prices to dairy
farmers and even cost the
U.S.D.A. less money.
U.S.D.A.’s Budget
The total U.S.D.A.’s budget is a
little hard to understand because
it’s made up of categories like:
Investment Proposals;
Proposals; Agency Programs;
Program Levels - Out-lays; and
the most important is the Budget
(Turn to Pag* A3l)
0.70 equals 0.49). That is no easy
If your success rates are less,
valuable time slips away from you
in a hurry.
That is why cow health, proper
nutrition, good heat detection,
proper timing of insemination,
good techniques, and good quality
semen are so important
To Care For
Animals In
Cold Weather
According to Dr. Larry Hutch
inson, Penn State extension
veterinarian, most farm animals
tolerate cold weather better than
humans.
In extremely cold weather, how
ever, there are a few extra mea
sures you may take to ensure the
well-being of your livestock.
One thing you may do is
increase energy levels in the lives
tock feed. All classes of livestock
require more energy to maintain
body temperature in cold weather.
Make sure all livestock have
easy access to feed. Hay bales and
WHO WINS?
February 6,1994
Background Scripture:
Luke 18:15-30
Devotional Reading:
Matthew 19:13-30
You’ve heard that line, “The
person with the most toys wins!”
Although used facetiously for the
most part, that saying is a reflec
tion of the value by which our soc
iety operates: success is deter
mined by our possessions; the
more we have, the more success
ful we are.
Of course, as Christians, we do
not acknowledge that principle
but more than likely we live by it
Even in the church we can see this
value at work. Which do we
regard as the successful churches?
Answer those with the largest
memberships and edifices. Which
ministers are judged as the most
successful? Answer those with
the largest churches. (They also
get the largest salaries.) No matter
what we profess, materialism
adulterates religion as much as the
rest of society.
The big question is not so much
“Who wins?”, but what is win
ning? What is success? In other
words, in the long run, what is
really important? In Luke 18
“winning” is described in three
different ways. When they bring
infants to him for blessing, Jesus
says to his grumbling disciples:
“for to such belongs the kingdom
of God” (18:17). When the ruler
comes to Jesus, he asks about the
same reality, saying, “What shall I
do to inherit eternal life?” (18:18).
And, when Jesus speaks of how
hard it is for those who have riches
to enter the kingdom of God, his
disciples ask; “Then who can be
saved?” (18:26).
WHAT COUNTS?
The “kingdom of God”, “eter
nal life”, and “saved” three dif
ferent terms, but all pretty much
expressing the same idea: the
supreme reality in the life of each
of us. Ultimately, this is what life
is about; living in God’s kingdom,
experiencing eternal life, being
saved. When we leave this mater
ial world, this is our eternal des
tiny, our eventual destination. In
short, it is the most important
feed bunks are harder to reach in
deep or drifting snow. You may
need to feed in a sheltered area or
pack the snow with a tractor
around feeding areas.
Keep water available. This is
hard to do in sub-zero tempera
tures. Heated watering devices or
frequent ice breaking may be
necessary.
Always keep air moving in a
bam. All livestock generate mois
ture and heat. A tightly closed
building may become so damp that
animal comfort and health is worse
than if some air movement is
maintained.
Help prevent the loss of body
heat by using deep bedding and a
dry environment as well as wind
breaks for outdoor animals.
With our groundhog friends pre
dicating six more weeks of winter,
watch your livestock closely and
give them the extra care they need
to get through the frigid weather.
Feather Profs Footnote:
“Every season of our lives holds a
beauty all its own."
issue of our existence and all
others pale by comparison.
Sometimes, when I seem over
whelmed by the present moment, I
try to place it in the perspective of
eternity. When I pass on to God in
the life beyond, how important
will this matter be? How will it
affect my participation in the
kingdom of God? What will it
matter to my eternal life? Without
fail, the answer that comes to me
assures me that this matter, as
important as it may seem right
now, will be of no consequence.
If this is true and I believe it
is why do we spend so much of
our time and effort on matters
which in the perspective of eterni
ty mean so little? It is because we
trust in things more than we trust
in God. That’s why Jesus says to
his disciples: “Let the children
come to me, and do not hinder
them; for to such belongs the king
dom of God”.
The response of children is that
of simple and unquestioning trust.
That is what faith is all about
entrusting ourselves to God and
his goodness, living as if we
believe God is our greatest and
most ultimate need.
TOYS OR GOD?
That is also the issue that is at
stake with the ruler who asks
Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit
eternal life?” Despite what the rul
er says about his desire of eternal
life, he indicates by his response
to Jesus that he trusts, not in God,
but in his material wealth. That’s
why Luke tells us; “...when he
heard this he became sad for he
was very rich” (18:23).
It is not that being rich in itself
keeps us from the kingdom of
God. Being rich is not the problem
but depending upon riches for our
salvation is. God does not reject
the rich man because of his
wealth, but often the rich man
does not accept the grace of God
because he clings to material
things. The ruler did not possess
bis goods; they possessed him.
Much of life comes down to our
choices between toys or God.
Choosing God is the only way can
win.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farmlnfli Inc.
A SMmm Enlmprim
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Evaiel R. Nawiwangar Managina Editor
CapyrlgM IM4 by Uncntor Firming