AlO-Lancasfer Farming, Saturday, November 12, 1994
OPINION
Appreciate Blessings
The 1992 Census of Agriculture (the most recent information
available) shows that the United States had 1,925,300 farms,
making it the first census since 1850 with fewer than 2 million
farms. The census counted the highest number of farms, 6.8
million, in 1935. The value ofiU.S. agricultural products sold in
1992 reached $163 billion. Even though the number of farms
declined, overall farm production increased, thus continuing
the trend toward more efficient agricultural productivity. The
333,865 farms with sales of $lOO,OOO or more accounted for
only 17 percent of all farms, but 83 percent of total sales. There
were 46,914 farms with sales of $500,000 or more in 1992,
compared to 32,023 farms of that size in 1987.
The increase in value of sales was largely due to increased
crop production in 1992. Although total land in farms dropped
from 965 to 946 million acres between 1987 and 1992, harvest
ed cropland rose from 282 to 296 million acres, and crop sales
rose by 28 percent in the same period. Farmer participation in
Federal annual commodity programs has declined since 1987.
Acres idled by those programs fell from 43 million acres in
1987 to 7 million acres in 1992.
Notable regional shifts in milk cows and hogs have been tak
ing place in recent censuses and have accelerated between 1987
and 1992. Since 1987, milk cow inventories decreased in 39 of
the 50 states. Five Great Lakes states, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania had large declines.
Collectively they lost 514,948 head, or 12 percent of their com
bined 1987 inventories. Five western and southwestern states,
California, Texas, Washington, Idaho, and New Mexico added
a total of 314,595 head. California and New Mexico accounted
for 73 percent of that increase. Despite a nationwide decrease in
the number of milk cows, the value of dairy products sold reg
istered an 11 percent gain between 1987 and 1992 to a value of
$lB billion.
There has also been a shift in hog production. It has remained
strong in traditional midwestem states such as lowa, Illinois,
Minnesota, Indiana, and Nebraska. However, North Carolina
registered a 108 percent growth in number of hogs sold in 1992
compared with 1987, becoming the second ranked state in num
ber of hogs sold in 1992; up from sixth in 1987.
Sales of poultry and poultry products-continued on an
upward trend, registering a2l percent increase between 1987
and 1992. Poultry and poultry products sales were $15.4 billion
in 1992, up $2.7 billion from 1987. Alabama, Arkansas,
California, Georgia and North Carolina accounted for 46 per
cent of all poultry and poultry products sold. The number of
broilers sold was 5.4 billion.
Americans continue to have an abundant, cheap food supply.
Do they really appreciate their blessings?
Editor’s Note: Reports for individual states may be obtained
by writing the Editorial and Information Office, Agriculture
and Financial Statistics Division, Bureau of the Census,
Washington, DC 20233, or by calling 1-800-523-3215. Data in
machine readable format are available from the Census Bureau
by calling (301) 763-4100. Sampling is used to collect data for
selected items and to account for nonresponding farm opera
tions. Thus, the results are subject to sampling variability as
well as reporting and coverage errors. Dollar values have not
been adjusted for changes in price levels.
Farm Calendar
Pa. State Beekeepers Association
winter meeting and banquet,
Lewisburg.
Goat Health Conference, Penn
State Ag Sciences and Indus
tries Building, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Central Md. Forestry Seminar,
' Oregon Ridge Nature Center,
Hunt Valley, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Crawford County Annual Meet
ing, Sara Byler’s Restaurant,
Frenchtown, 7:30 p.m.
Lackawanna County Cooperative
Extension annual meeting,
Genetli Manor, Dickson City,
2:30 p.m.
Berks County Horticulture Club
Enrichment Day, Berks County
Ag Center, 8:30 a.m.-3:20 p.m.
Small-Scale Beef Production, First
Congregational Church of
Greene, Greene, N.Y., 10:30
a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Annual Convention of Cumber
land County Society of Farm
Women of Pa., Rillo’s, Mecha
Equine Respiratory Influenza
Seminar (influenza outbreak in
horses), Lancaster Farm and
Home Center. 7 D.m.
mmmammm
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau annual
meeting, Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center, Hershey,
thru Nov. 16.
Poultry Management and Health
Seminar, Kreider’s Restaurant,
To Watch For
Influenza In Horses
According to local veterina
rians, we are experiencing an out
break of a hot strain of equine
influenza.
This virus is hopping from bam
to bam and making horses very
sick. First signs of the disease are
running nose and coughing.
Temperature may rise slightly.
If not treated, the horse could
develop pneumonia or the lungs
may fill with liquid. Contact your
veterinarian at the first sign of a
cough or running nose.
Vaccinations should help slow
down the spread of the disease.
However, die normal vaccination
program of every three months
may not be adequate for this new
strain. The current recommenda
tion is vaccinate now unless you
have vaccinated in the last two
months. Then repeat vaccinations
every two months.
To reduce the spread of the dis
ease, make sure your bam is
adequately ventilated and practice
good biosecurity. Do not allow
visitors to your bam and change
clothes before tending your horses
or visiting other horses.
This is an emergency situation
that needs your attention. Viruses
may be become more pathogenic
as they pass from one farm to
another. The best way to keep this
virus from becoming very
pathogenic is to vaccinate. If you
have any questions, contact your
Manheim, noon.
1994 Dairy Feed Industry Semi
nar, Shadow Brook Inn and
Resort, Tunkhannock, 9
a.m.-3;45 p.m.
Dauphin County Cooperative
Extension annual meeting.
Dauphin County Ag and Natur
al Resources Center, Dauphin,
7 p.m.
Lancaster County 4-H Dairy
Awards Night, Farm and Home
1994 Dairy Feed Industry Semi
nar, Holiday Inn, Morgantown,
9 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Pa. County Agents Association
Annual Meeting, Atherton
Hotel, State College, thru Nov.
16.
W c(lin s().i\, No\cnilu r 1(>
1994 Dairy Feed Industry Semi
nar, Ramada Inn, Somerset, 9
a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Efficient Land Application of Bio
solids Workshop, Md. Dept, of
Ag Headquarters, Annapolis.
Adams County Ag Overview
meeting, Penn State Fruit
Research Laboratory, Bigler-
Chester County DHIA annual
meeting, East fyandywine Fire
(Turn to Pago A 29)
veterinarian.
To Check
Your Insurance
Remember last winter? Record
snow falls and ice caused a lot of
damage to farm property.
Frozen pipes and fallen roofs
were a couple of the loses farmers
experienced. However, many far
mers found out too late their insur
ance policy did not cover snow or
ice damages.
Now would be a good time to sit
down with your insurance agent
and discuss your insurance cover
age. Another type of insurance you
may want to consider is income
interruption insurance. This insur
ance could become very valuable
in making loan payments if you
have a major lose from Are, roof
collapse, etc. and lose the use of
your confinement animal housing.
Also, review your health, liabili
ty. and life insurance coverage.
These insurance policies are
designed to reduce the risk of los
ing your farm. The amount of
insurance you njcd depends on
how much money you can afford
| BY
’IHf m
sasius
YOU ARE THE ONE!
November 13,1994
Background Scripture: 2
Samuel 11:1-12:19
Devotional Reading:
I John 1:5-10
Have you ever noticed how
different sin appears when it is in
your own backyard?
If my neighbor does something
reprehensible, I generally don’t
have any difficulty in seeing his
actions for what they are. If, on
the other hand, one of my children
does the same thing, I may regard
it as an “unfortunate mistake,” but
suggest there were some reasons
for it. And if, instead, I am the one
who does this thing, I may regard
it as quite justified and refuse to
see it as wrong.
From time to time I read about a
physician being sued for malprac
tice and, on the strength of what I
read, my sympathies are usually
with the patient. But I have a friend
who is a physician and he was sued
for malpractice and knowing the
circumstances of the case, I feel
that the suit is unjustified and my
friend did nothing wrong. When
we are close to a person, we may
see his or her actions in a less con
demnatory light.
MORAL SENSE INTACT
When we are the person in
question—the person to whom we
are closest, ourselves —it is ex
tremely difficult to be objective.
We may ignore what we don’t
want to acknowledge as if it never
happened—and we may quickly
forget pertinent incriminating de
tails. Have you never condemned
anyone for doing the very thing
which you have done without
remorse?
That’s what makes the story of
King David and the prophet
Nathan so compelling. When
Nathan tells the king of a rich man
who took the lamb of his poor
neighbor, David’s moral sense is
very much intact. “Then David’s
anger was greatly kindled against
the man; and he said to Nathan,
‘As the Lord lives, the' man who
has done this deserves to die; and
he shall restore the lamb fourfold,
because he did this thing, and
to spend on unexpected costs and
still stay in business.
To Purchase
The 1995-1996
Agronomy Guide
The new Penn State Agronomy
Guides are available at your local
cooperative extension office.
TTiis 215-pagc book is a must
reference for anyone growing
crops. It includes the latest pest
control recommendations, cultural
practices for growing com, sorg
hum, soybeans, small grains, for
ages, cover crops, and conserva
tion plantings. The guide also
includes information on soil fertili
ty and proper application of animal
manures.
In one book you have the seed
ing rate, planting time, harvesting
guidelines, storage considerations,
and pest control recommendations
for agronomic crops. The cost is $7
per book. This is a vary valuable
reference book that should be on
every farmer’s desk.
Feather Profs Footnote:
"When you have a true desire to
play, excelling is no longer work"
because he had not pity’” (12:6).
Our moral sense is usually quite
intact when we are judging others.
How devastating, then, when
having delivered himself of this
ringing condemnation, David is
told hy Nathan, “You are the
man” (12:7). Having already pro
nounced judgment upon himself,
it is now too late for him to offer
excuses and extenuating circum
stances. There is no point, now, in
David saying, “Just a minute, you
don’t understand what was in
volved here.”
EXEMPTED BY RANK
It was also too late for David to
claim exemption because of who
he was, another reason we are so
varying in our judgments. As I-sefe
it, justice in our society usually
varies in direct proportion to the
economic and social status of (he
person accused. White collar
crime is much more acceptable in
this country than blue collar crime.
There is much less stigma
attached to stealing millions of
dollars from your company than
stealing one hundred dollars from
the cash drawer of the local gas
station. If you are socially or eco
nomically prominent, your sins
are more acceptable to the pubic
than if you are not.
David’s sin began with lust
then became adultery, and culmi
nated in murder. Sin has the
»
nature: one paves the way for and
leads to another. (In today’s world.
King David would probably sue
Uriah for permitting his wife to
bathe in a place where he, David,
could see her and lust for her.)
Often, the most destructive sins we
commit are those that we do to
hide another sin.
Most of us do not have a
Nathan to confront us and trick us
unto pronouncing judgment upon
ourselves. But, whenever we find
ourselves condemning the actions
or words of others, let us remem
ber Nathan and examine ourselves
to see if his “You are the one!”
could not apply to us, too.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A SMhnwi Entmprtm
Robert Q. Campbell General Manager
Evens R. Nawawangar Managing Editor
Copyright ItM by leneaaltr Farming