AIQ-Lmcaster Farming, Saturday, July 9, 1994
OPINION
Make Urban Population
Pay For Water , Too
Water resources have become the limiting factor for both the
expansion of agriculture and the development of the land into
residential and commercial use. Often the finger is pointed at
agriculture’s use of water. And the recent proposed fees for water
use in the Susquehanna River Basin emphasize this public
thinking.
In our report last week, a complaint was aired that said a good
farmer had pulled a stream dry from irrigation. This would indi
cate that the farmer was using more than his share of the water.
But at this time of year there should have been plenty of water in
this stream for the farmer and everyone down stream-except that
in the last few years, a veiy large residential development has
been installed in the upper part of the aquifer that feeds this
stream. Authorities who know about the situation believe it’s
these urban dwellers that arc the culprits in the lower stream
levels, and not the farmer. But no one is ready to point the finger
at this real source of the problem.
Why not? Management of water sources has become neces
sary. Most people realize that water, like air, is a natural resource
that must be shared by everyone. But agriculture should not be
singled out to pay the price of overuse. If development is put into
proper perspective in water conservation, we may very well eli
minate the need for farmland preservation efforts. Stop develop
ment where water resources cannot support it. That would take
care of many of our environmental problems.
It’s certainly more environmentally sound to use the water
to grow food and keep the open space of farmland than to cover
the earth with concrete and development.
Farm Calendar
Ephrata Area Young Farmers
Association annual family
picnic, Ephrata Community
Derry Township Fair, Derry, thru
July 16.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Fair,
Pocono Downs, thru July 16.
Mason-Dixon Red and White
Field Day, Em-Tran Farm,
Rheems, 1:30 p.m.
Cattlemen’s Field Day, Laurel
Valley Simmental Farm,
Penn State Animal Housing Expo,
Farm Forum
Editor:
There it was a time consum
ing, labor intensive and colorful
display consisting of a summer ta
ble, chairs, opened umbrella with
checkered tablecloth all on a rais
ed platform between the frozen
food cases and the dairy case. A
hand written sign hung suspended
from the ceiling said, June Nation
al Dairy Month (even though it
was July 1 when I stopped into the
busy, large supermarket).
What shocked me as I neared
the display was all along the base
(both sides facing the aisles); mar
garine and processed cheese
spreads. Every major brand one
could imagine!
The feelings I had at that mo
ment? Anger and disappointment.
We as dairymen work too long,
100 hard for a quality product and
share our hard earned money for
advertising to be confronted with
this ignorance. Trying to regain
my composure I asked to speak to
/ '*'
:
Lebanon Fairgrounds, Leba
non, thru July 13.
North Central Regional 4-H Edu
cation and Achievement Days,
Penn State Dußois Campus.
Milk Marketing Inc. Mid-Year
Delegate meeting, Fawcett
Center for Tomorrow, Ohio
Central Maryland REC Field Day,
Turfgrass Facility, 8:30
a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Nutrient Management Advisers
Board meeting, 2301 N. Came
ron St., Harrisburg, 9:30
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Pa. Purebred Dairy Cattle Assoc,
annual judging school, Juniata
and Mifflin counties.
(Turn to Page A 35)
the Dairy Case manager. “I would
like to make a comment.” The as
sistant manager approached and
asked if he could help me.
I stated that I noticed the June
Dairy Month display and the mar
garine everywhere. “Margarine is
not a dairy product!” 1 told him.
He proceeded to mention that the
display being in the middle of the
main aisle... I acknowledged the
fact that no refrigeration unit was
present. So I suggested a different
location of the sign might be bet
ter. Granted it was no longer June,
but I asked him if he realized July
was National Ice Cream Month.
His reply before he turned away
was “March is Frozen Food
Month.”
As I travelled home the more I
thought on the meeting the angrier
I became and the reality kick in
the mid-section prompted me to
share this experience with others
in our industry: dairymen, wives
To Say
It Is Hot
I was amazed this week when a
poultryman told me we were not in
the hot weather season yet. This
was in reference to how he was
managing his ventilation fans in
his poultry house.
Once hot weather arrived, he
was going to clean the fans and
open the louvers all the way to
move more air.
He was correct about cleaning
the fans and opening the louvers,
but I thought we had been exper
iencing hot weather for at least a
month!
Talking with the service person
on the way back to the office, he
told me many farmers manage
their houses by the calendar
instead of the thermometer. To be
excellent farmers, you need to
understand the weather and antici
pate what it is going to be.
Seasons, calendars, etc. are poor
indicators of the weather. Experi
ence, weather forecasts, and
weather in other parts of the coun
try are better indicators of the con
ditions you will need to manage.
We loiow hot weather brings
thunderstorms and possible power
outages. Thus, standby generators
should be tested more frequently
and be ready for a power failure.
Temperatures above 85 F. mean
we need to move as much air as
possible through confinement
housing and cool the house down
to 65 F. at night so animals will
want to eat feed and continue to
produce.
Let the thermometer and the
weather we are having dictate your
actions, not the dates on the
calendar.
To Cool
Milk Fast
Glenn Shirk, extension dairy
agent, reminds us that to preserve
-he quality and flavor of milk, it
needs to be cooled down from
body temperature to less than 40 F.
within one hour of milking. Simi
larly, at milking time, when warm
milk is added to cold milk already
in the tank from previous milkings,
the blend temperature should not
exceed 40 F.
As you can see, a lot of heat
must br removed from milk at
milking time. To help the cooling
compressor accomplish this big
task on hot, humid days, follow
these ideas:
• Install a pre-cooler to reduce
milk’s temperature before it enters
the bulk tank, allowing you to use
and families. We must speak up
and educate not only the consum
er, but the ones responsible tor
selling our products in a favorable
light Personally I am not a vigi
lante, on the contrary, but I will
not forget this experience for a
long time.
Susan Schnebly
Clear Spring, MD
this captured heat to preheat water
before it enters the hot water hea
ter. You save energy in cooling
milk and in heating water.
• Put the compressor in a breezy
location and, if necessary, use fans
to blow air over the compressor.
• Install a larger compressor.
To Practice
Food Safety
It is summertime, and with sum
mer comes chicken barbecues, siz
zling steaks, and grill-cooked
hamburgers, pork, and veal.
Along with summer heat and
food preparation comes increased
risk of microorganisms that may
cause food poisoning.
Following a few precautions
will help reduce food poisoning
risks.
Keep all food refrigerated until
preparation or grilling time. Pre
pare all foods in a clean area with
well-washed hands and utensils. If
meats are to be marinated, do so in
a plastic or glass container in the
refrigerator.
Keep the grill clean and free of
BY
m
MSILS
GOING IT ALONE
July 10,1994
GOING IT ALONE
July 10, 1994
Background Scripture:
Exodus 18
Devotional Reading:
Exodus 18:1-12
Moses had what I call “the Pas
toral Syndrome,” an affliction that
seems to particularly strike clergy
with the same disturbing frequen
cy with which the general public is
bothered with sinus and the com
mon cold. Unlike those two mala
dies, however, “the Pastoral Syn
drome” includes episodes of hal
lucination. Pastors are frequently
under the delusion that they and
they alone must do it all if it is to
be done at all. “It” may mean con
verting the neighborhood to
Christ, solving the problems of all
their parishioners, securing justice
in the community, and making
certain the church makes strides
which are recorded in heaven.
Of course, clergy are not the on
ly ones to be afflicted with these
delusions. Lots of people I know
believe that the world rests
squarely on their shoulders and
that they must hold it up all by
themselves. I can understand that
attitude, for it was mine for all tod
long. Unfortunately this attitude
dooms one to disappointment, de
feat and perhaps even bitterness.
At first, it is kind of flattering to
think that we are holding up the
world all by ourselves, but after
while we get a bit weary and begin
(o wonder why others aren’t doing
their share.
To be sure, people like this do
tend to get a lot accomplished. But
they also often discourage other
people from shouldering their
share of the burden, leading them
to conclude that they have nothing
to contribute. They sense that we
think that they can’t do it right
we’re the only ones who can!
and so they never do learn, to do it
at all.
A FAITH PROBLEM
Most of all this is a faith prob
lem. When we assume that it all
food particles. To prepare the grill
for cooking, rinse in warm water,
then coat it with a nonstick veget
able spray or vegetable oil to keep
food from sticking. Thoroughly
wash the grill in hot water and soap
after each use.
When building the fire, be sure
it is hot enough to properly cook
the meat. A good rule is to use 30
briquettes per one pound of meat.
Be sure food is fully cooked before
serving. The time it takes to cook
the meat or poultry depends on the
position of the grill, weather,
temperature of the coals, and
degree of doneness desired.
When food is fully cooked,
place it on a clean plate or serving
dish, not on the same plate used to
bring raw food to the grill. Thor
oughly wash all plates used to car
ry uncooked food before using
again. When the meal is over,
promptly refrigerate all foods and
leftovers.
Feather Profs Footnote: "The
best inheritance a parent can give
to his children is a few minutes of
his time each day."
depends upon us, it means we are
not willing to trust God. Just as
God taught the people to live one
day at a time and trust to him for
the rest, so Moses had to learn to
share responsibility and trust that
God had given abilities to others
beside him. Yes, we need to do
whatever we can with all the pow
er and devotion that we can, but
we also need to trust God to pick
up where our effort ends. A cler
gyman associate of mine preached
a sermon on this text from Exodus
18. He exhorted his congregation
to learn to trust God and share re
sponsibility with others. I was
amused because this clergyman
had a chronic and acute case of
“the Pastoral Syndrome.” He as
sumed that if he didn’t do it, it
would not be done or, at least, not
done rightly. Yet, although he un
derstood the meaning of this text
for his congregation, it never oc
curred to him to apply it to his
own life and ministry. Maybe I
was so amused because I had once
shared his delusion.
TAKING ADVICE
There are lots of times in our
lives when we need someone like
Jethro to come to us and say:
“What is this that you are doing
. . .?” Fortunately, Moses was
willing to listen to his father-in
law and because he was willing,
he was able to make an important
change in his life. Jethro encour
aged him to trust in the Lord and
share the responsibility. “What
you are doing is not good.” (If
someone said that to you. would
you listen?) “You and the people
with you will wear yourselves out,
for the thing is too heavy for you;
you are not able to perform it
alone” (18:18). It is “not good” for
Moses and it is “not good” for the
people. When someone tries to do
it on their own everyone is nega
tively affected.
But Moses was able to take ad
vice from his father-in-law and he
was able to share the burden, two
great achievements for any per
son. Moses learned that he didn’t
have to couldn’t go it alone.
Have you?
Lancaster Fanning
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMmtn EMapribe
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everec a NaMwingar Managing Editor
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