Aio>Lancasl*r Farming, Saturday, January 28, 1995
OPINION
The Most Empathic Methods
Researchers and farmers have a moral responsibility to minim
ize the suffering animals undergo in research and production. lan
Duncan, an animal behavior researcher with the University of
Guyelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, told the attendees of the
American Society of Animal Science annual meeting recently in
Pittsburgh that all too frequently things are done to animals only
to see benefits. But there may be a cost involved in the things we
do to our animals.
For example, Duncan noted that producers who raise chickens
in confinement often trim the birds* beaks to reduce fighting and
cannibalism among the birds. New research indicates de-beaking
causes acute and chronic pain for the birds and reduces their feed
intake.
“There is evidence that animals feel pain. We have an obliga
tion to alleviate that pain,” Duncan told more than 1,000
researchers gathered for a joint meeting of the society and the
International Society for Applied Ethology. Ethology is the study
of animal behavior.
Because there is no evidence that animals have any concept of
their own mortality, Duncan sees no reason to stop using animals
for research or food. But he believes the suffering of animals in
agriculture must be minimized. “The animal welfare issue will
not disappear and cannot be solved by public relations alone,”
Duncan said.
The only way we can answer critics of animal agriculture is to
prove by scientific research that our theories are correct. And
when we know the right way to treat our animals, we have a God
given responsibility to use the most empathic methods possible.
Beaver/Lawrence Holstein annual
meeting, Liberty Grange, New
Castle, 11 a.m.
Lambing School, T&R Center
Sheep Unit, Harford.
Estate Planning Seminar, Wicom
ico Youth and Civic Center,
Pa. DHIA Dist. 3 & 6, Hoss’s
Steakhouse, Greensburg.
Weed Science Society of America
meeting, Seattle, Wash., thru
Jan. 31.
Pesticide applicator certification
update training, Penns Valley
Area High School, Spring
Mills, 8 p.m.
Crawford County MFS Workshop,
Crawford extension office, also
Feb. 6.
Elk/Cameron Crops Day, Bava
rian Hills Golf Course, St
Marys, 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
Clean and Green information
meeting, Solanco Fairgrounds,
Quarryville, 7:30 p.m.
Beef Educational Evening, Train
er’s (Midway) Diner, 5:30 p.m.
Turf pesticide management meet
ing, Lebanon Valley Ag Center,
Pa. Vegetable Conference and
Trade Show, Hershey Lodge
and Convention Center, Her
shey, thru Feb. 2.
State Horticultural Association of
Pa. annual winter meeting, Her
shey Lodge and Convention
Center, Hershey, thru Feb. 2.
Pa. DHIA Dist. 1 & 2 meeting,
Bonanza Restaurant, Franklin.
Pesticide applicator certification
update training, Logan Grange
Hall, Pleasant Gap, 1 p.m. and
7:30 p.m.
Farm Records Workshop, York
extension office, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Pa. Crop Management Association
annual luncheon, Knights of
Columbus Hall, State College.
Cattle Feeder’s Day, Farm and
Home Center, Lancaster, 8:30
a.m.-3 p.m.
Crop Management Association
annual meeting, St. Thomas
Fire Hall, 7 p.m.
Solanco Young Farmers meeting,
funding for conservation
improvements, Solanco High
Ri^fflADdstlsnSrfSußo^
za Restaurant, Wysox.
Worker Protection Standard, Md.
Dept of Ag., 9:30 a.m.-12:30
p.m.
MFS Workshop, Lancaster Farm
and Home Center, also Feb. 8.
Pesticide applicator certification
update, Greene Township
Building, Loganton, 7:30
p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Making Crop Management Deci
sions, Mahantango Fire Co.,
Pitman, also Feb. 8 and 15.
Beef management meetings,
Wesley Grange, Barkeyville,
also Feb. 8 and IS.
Pa. DHIA Dist. 7 & 8 meeting,
Happy Hollow, Saxton.
Marketing Short Course, Hershey
Lodge and Convention Center,
Hershey, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Dairy Nutrition Conference,
Adams extension office, also
Feb. 9 and 16.
Md. Agronomic Dinner, Martin’s
Restaurant, Baltimore, 6:30
p.m.
To Know
Fire Safety
Being prepared fin- emergencies
can save lives and property. Child
ren especially have a greater
chance to survive a crisis if taught
how to react to safety signals.
Some items to consider
• Each house needs smoke
detectors. Do a battery check once
a week and replace batteries twice
a year.
• Make a map for your family
that will be used to escape from the
house in case of a fire. Have each
child talk and draw his or her own
map to explain how they will make
an emergency exit.
• Practice having each child
lead the family to a designated
place to meet outside the house.
• Practice stop, drop, and roll
techniques.
• Have emergency numbers
posted at each phone.
• Treat minor bums with cold
running water or hold an ice cube
on the burned area.
• Teach children that matches,
charcoal lighter fluid, and gasoline
can -start fires and are not play
items anytime.
To Analyze
Net Farm Income
According to Steve Ford, Penn
State agricultural economist, the
average net farm income for the
934 farms in the 1993 Pennsylva
nia Dairy Farm Business Analysis
was $20,132.
However, looking at averages,
we fail to recognize the variation
around the average. A truer depic
tion of the financial health of the
Pennsylvania dairy industry may
be drawn from the distribution of
net farm income across all farms.
Ranking farms by percentile, an
equal number of farms made more
or less than $17,784. More, impor
tantly, 30 percent of the hums in
the sample made less than $5,566
and only 10 percent made more
than $57,255. The range was from
-$115,040 to $283,575.
There are many factors that
affect net income, including pro
ductivity, investment, manage-
Beginning Fanner Workshop, Nit
tany Lion Inn, State College.
Dairy Nutrition Teleconferece,
Lebanon Ag Center and other
extension sites, also Feb. 9 and
16.
Clean and Green information
meeting, Blue Ball Fire Co.,
7:30 p.m.
Lancaster County extension annu
al meeting, Farm and Home
Center, 6:15 p.m.
Pesticide applicator certification
update, Courthouse Annex,
Lock Haven, 7:30 p.m.-9:30
p.m.
Pesticide disposal/safety,
(Turn to Pago A 29)
mcnt, business planning, etc.
As you start doing your 1994
taxes, now would be a could time
to evaluate your farm business and
see where you stand financially. If
you are not happy with the num
bers, you need to evaluate your
future.
Dairy MAP is an excellent prog
ram to help you map a future for
your dairy farm. Contact your loc
al county extension office for more
details.
To Plant
At Proper Depth
The depth at which forage seeds
are planted is extremely important
to the initial stand establishment
and ultimately to the life of a stand.
Forage seeds are small and con
tain a limited amount of energy to
support plant growth without
photosyntfaetic activity.
Planting forage seeds too deep
may exhaust the energy reserves in
the seed and inhibit seedling
emergence or weaken the newly
. - ;
ay LAWRENCE W ALIHOUSE
(tw
saisiLS
sn
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
January 29,1995
Background Scripture:
Matthew 20:17 through 21:17
Devotional Reading:
Matthew 20:17-28
In the November, 1994 issue of
Circuit Rider, a magazine for
United Methodist clergy, a former
colleague, Dr. Kenneth W. Kruger
of Dayton, Ohio, writes an article
entitled, “10 Reasons Why It’s
Hard to Be a United Methodist
Minister and a Christian. ” One
reason, he says, is that “our system
(the denominational structure)
fosters a caste society” in which
“the apex of achievement is to be
elected bishop.” Furthermore, he
says, “We (clergy) seek prestige
instead of practicing servant
hood.” He asks: “Have you ever
heard of the senior pastor of a
prestigious church leaving his/her
pulpit to become the shepherd of a
struggling church?”
Although these remarks were
directed specifically to United
Methodist clergy, they are applic
able to clergy of all denomina
tions. And I believe that, by exten
sion, they have some relevance for
laity as well. The church structures
we have fashioned —Protestant,
Roman Catholic, Orthodox— are
often more reflective of the values
of the secular world than of the
Gospel that motivated them in the
first place. Churches espouse spir
itual themes but tend to run on sec
ular principles.
Why is that? Probably the
answer lies in the fact that secular
values are generally more attrac
tive to us than spiritual ones.
When we want to know what “suc
cess” means, we look to secular
models, not spiritual ones. When
we want to know what is “impor
tant,” we look somewhere else
than to the example of Jesus.
Although the Gospel calls lay and
clergy alike to servanthood, this
concept has never really caught
on.
TO BE SUCCESSFUL
So, the situation in Matthew
20:20-28 is just as current as the
latest edition of your parish paper
or denominational magazine. The
mother of James and John, is very
understandable: “...kneeling
before him she asked him for
emerged seedling. Poor seedling
establishment of non-spreading
forage species can spell problems
for the stand through increased
weed competition and lower
yields. Precision in depth of plant
ing for forage seeds is extremely
important
In general, increasing seeding
depth of forage seeds below one
half inch is detrimental to seedling
establishment Increasing planting
depth from one-half to one inch
decreased forage seedling estab
lishment an average of 30 percent
in clay soils.
At shallow seeding depths,
seed-to-soil contact is also impor
tant to insure that the seeds can
imbibe adequate water from the
soil to germinate. This may be
accomplished with press wheels or
cultipacking.
Feather Prof.'s Footnote: 7i
takes courage to push yourself tc
places that you have never beer
before, to test your limits, and to
break through barriers."
something.” “What do you want?
Jesus replies. She said to him,
“Command that these two sons of
mine may sit, one at your right
hand and one at your left, in your
kingdom.” What did she want?
Just for her boys to be successful
in their chosen profession, that’s
all.
How did the other disciples
react to this audacious but honest
request? Understandably: “And
when the ten heard it, they were
indignant at the two brothers.”
How dare they put their mother up
to an obvious power play! I’m sure
their indignation was no little
fueled by their own ambitions. If
Jesus were to have asked each of
them the same question— “What
do you want?”—and they had
answered honestly, would any of
them ask for less? And when Jesus
asks each of us, “What do you
want?”, what is your honest
answer?
“WE ARE ABLE”
His reply to the mother of
James and John is also directed to
us: “You do not know what you
are asking.” The gospel is not
material or worldly gain, but ser
vanthood. “Are you able to drink
the cup that I am to drink?”, He
asked. And James and John
replied, “We are able.” It is easy to
say, “We are able,” but putting
that resolve into practice is some
thing else.
The only “success” Jesus knew
was his faithfulness to the Good
News. The only “importance” to
be gained in following him is the
role of the servant, not the welder
of power. “You know the rulers of
the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great men exercise authority
over them. It shall not be so among
you; but whoever would be great
among you must be your servant,
and whoever would be first among
you must be your slave; even as
the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve...”
After all these years we still
haven’t got the “success” and
“importance” thing right! Maybe
that’s because we don’t know
what we really want.
Lancaster Fanning
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Sleinman Enterprise
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Nawawanger Managing Editor
Copyright 1995 by Lancaster Farming