AiO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 18, 1995
OPINION
Nurturing The Bumper Crop
Starting today and all this week FFA members in high schools
all over the nation are planning to celebrate and highlight the
achievements of FFA and agricultural education during National
FFA Week Feb. 18-25.
The theme this year is “FFA The Leadership Advantage.”
This theme is certainly appropriate as many young people who
have gone through the FFA programs in their local school district
have become leaders both in agriculture, agribusiness, and the
community at large. Many local, state, and national leaders are
former FFA members.
FFA chapters conduct activities which develop leadership
skills of high school students. And these experiences give the stu
dent good references as proof of integrity and woik ethic in later
years when they apply for a job or enter some other field of
endeavor.
Right now 428,109 members of FFA across the nation are pre
paring for leadership and careers in the science, business, and
technology of agriculture. And behind the 7,257 local
are dedicated teachers who not only impart knowledge, but often
become the mentors of these young people.
FFA’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives or
students by developing their potential for premier leadership,
personal growth, and career success through agricultural educa
tion. Someone has said a lucky farmer is one who has raised a
bumper crop of good boys and girls. We think FFA helps to nur
ture this crop very nicely.
Thank You!
Northeast Purebred Beef Cattle
Breeders Forum, Toflrees,
National Mastitis Council annual
meeting, Worthington Hotel,
Fort Worth, Texas, also Feb.
22.
Dairy MAP-Labor Management
Workshop, Chester County
Government Services Center,
West Chester, also Feb. 27.
New Holland Vegetable Day,
Summit Valley Elementary
School, New Holland.
Bradford County Dairy Day, SRU
Middle School, East Smith
field, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Fences, Pastures, and Profits, Lan
caster Farm and Home Center,
7:30 p.m.
Octorara Young Farmers Associa
tion dairy meeting, Octorara
High School Ag Ed Room, 7:30
p.m.
Blair/Huntingdon Counties MFS
Workshop, Warriors Mark Fire
HaU, also Feb. 23.
Christmas Tree Growers meeting,
Biglerviile Fruit Laboratory, 7
p.m.
Garden Center and Green School,
County Services Building,
York, 9 a.m.-2;45 p.m.
Franklin County Fruit Growers
meeting. Savoy Restaurant,
Waynesboro, 8:30 a.m.-3:30
p.m.
York Dairy MAP, Olde Country
Buffet, also Feb. 28.
Producing Profitable Feedlot
Cattle, Hoss’s Steak and Sea
House, West York, dinner 6:30
p.m., meeting 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
❖ Farm Calendar*
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Nutrient Management Workshop,
northeast region, Wysox Fire
Dairy MAP Labor Management
Workshop, Neshaminy Manor
Center, Doylestown, also
March 1.
Mid-Atlantic Direct Marketing
Conference, Marriott’s Sea
View Resort, Absecon, N.J.
Farming For the Future: Partners
In Stewardship, Sheraton Uni
veral Inn and Conference Cen
ter, Syracuse, N.Y., thru Feb.
23.
Regional Potato Growers meeting,
Richland Mall, Johnstown.
Franklin County Dairy MAP,
Lighthouse Restaurant, north of
Chambersburg, also March 8.
Water Rights and Irrigation Man
agement meeting, Sheraton Inn,
Harrisburg, 8:30 a.m.-noon.
Estate Tax Planning Seminar for
Farm Families, Government
Services Center, West Chester,
Pennsylvania Holstein Conven
tion, Raddison Hotel. West
Middlesex, thru Feb. 25.
Adams County Farmer-to-Farmer
Meeting, Hoss’s Steakhouse,
Gettysburg, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Farm Regulation Changes meet
ing, Lebanon Valley Ag Center.
10 a.m.-noon.
N.Y. Farm Show, State Fair
grounds, Syracuse, N.Y., thru
Feb. 25.
Center County Cooperative Exten
sion Association annual meet
ing, South Ridge Motor Inn, 7
p.m.
Corestates Hamilton Bank Agri-
Education Seminar, Farm and
Home Center, 8:30 a.ra.
Bucks County Conservation and
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To Improve
Swine Profitability
The past several months have
not been pleasant experiences for
swine producers. However, this
has not been the first time we have
seen low hog prices.
One long-time producer told me
this is the third time in his career he
had seen such loses.
The important thing to remem
ber is, beyond hog prices, the
production-related items with the
greatest influence on profit are
feed costs, maintaining facilities at
capacity, and sow productivity.
The price of feed is difficult to
control. Decreasing building
capacity will generally reduce pro
fits per pig. However, increasing
sow productivity can add dollars to
your bottom line, according to Dr.
Ken Kephart. Penn State swine
specialist.
Most sows will wean at least
eight pigs per litter. Increasing that
average to 8.5 or 9, the profit over
feed costs on those extra pigs, even
with today’s depressed market, is
at least $25 per head.
However, it will take a little
extra effort on your part You will
need to make sure things go well at
farrowing, to check sow comfort
and temperature, and watch pigs
throughout lactation and
transferring.
Kephart notes of all the things
that farmers can do, it is farrowing
management that pays major
dividends.
To Manage
Crop Residues
There are many ways to reduce
soil erosion on the farm. A simple
and inexpensive way on fields is
the management of crop residues.
Crop residues left on the surface
of the soil will intercept rain drops
and reduce erosion. The more
residue, the less erosion. Any field
operation will reduce residue and
increase the potential for erosion.
Pesticide Update meeting,
Neshaminy Manor Center,
Doylestown, 7:15 p.m.-9:30
p.m.
Weed Management School, Dau
phin County Ag and Natural
Resources Center, Dauphin.
Forage producers meeting. Car
riage Comer Restaurant, Mif
flinburg, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and
Washingtonville Fairground,
Washingtonville. 1 p.m.-3:30
HDDBHm
Intensive Grain Mangement
School, Lebanon Valley Ag
Center, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Weed Management School, York
extension, Pleasant Acres, 9
a.m.-3;30 p.m.
Raleigh DHIA Record Workshop,
Paul B. Stoltzfus Farm, Chur
(Turn to Pago A3l)
Some operations are less
dantapng to residues. Each time
an implement is used in the field,
crop residue is reduced. Weather
ing also contributes to the loss of
' residue.
Some examples of percent
reduction in residue based on vari-
ous operations arc harvesting, 10;
moldboard plow, 97; chisel plow
ing, SO; disking. 60; anhydrous
' injection, 60; drill with disk open
ers, 10; (hills with hoe openers, SO;
and field cultivation, SO.
Crop residue management is
another way farmers arc helping to
protect the environment and main
tain the productivity of their soil
for future generations.
To Know
Cattle Feeding
Behavior
According to Glenn Shirk,
extension dairy agent, there has
been identified a behavior in cows
called social facilitation.
In this behavior, when one cow
eats, others will also eat whether
they are hungry or not. Cows eat
ing in groups eat more than when
fed separately. Cows in groups
also tend to be more content and
SAVE YOURSELF!
February 19,1995
Background Scripture:
Matthew. 27:1-44
Devotional Reading:
John 3:14-21
In last week’s The Bible Speaks
I said that I think Jesus could have
avoided the cross if he had been
willing to temper or forsake his
commitment to God. Even after he
was arrested there was still another
chance or two to avoid crucifixion.
When he was brought before
Caiaphas the high priest, Matthew
tells us, they found no actual wit
nesses to testify against Him. Then,
when some witnesses were bribed
and accused him of saying, “I am
able to destroy the temple of God,
and to build it in three days,” he
could have explained that he had
been misunderstood, for he was not
speaking of the actual Jerusalem
temple. When, standing before
Pilate he was asked, “Are you the
King of the Jews?” Jesus could have
talked his way out of the confronta
tion. He might have said that he
never claimed to be king, or that his
kingship was spiritual, not temporal.
LEGIONS OF ANGELS
Perhaps Jesus even had an
opportunity when he was hanging
on the cross. In the Garden of Geth
semane (Matthew 26:53) Jesus had
said to his disciples who wanted to
resist arrest with violence, “Do you
think that I cannot appeal to my
Father, and be will at once send me
more than twelve legions of
angels?” And this is what his tor
mentors had in mind when they
railed at him, “You who would
destroy the temple and build it in
three days, save yourself! If you arc
the Son of God, come down from'
the cross.” The chief priests, scribes
and elders also taunted him: “He
saved others; he cannot save him
self’(4o-42).
I’m not at all sure Jesus couldn’t
save himself, but it is apparent that
he did not attempt to do so. Had
Jesus .called down angelic legions to
save him from the cross, would he
really have been saved? If he had
argued his case before Pilate, might
less fearful.
Competition for feed may deve
lop when cows are housed in
groups and what manger space is
short In one study, intake of a total
mixed ration (TMR) Was depress
ed when manger space was less
than 8 inches per cow.
In another study, intake was not
different when cows had 8 or 20
inches of manger space. Also,
there is evidence that cows feeding
with their heads in the natural graz
ing position produce more saliva
than cows eating with their heads
held horizontally. This has an
impact on rumen function, because
saliva acts as a natural buffer.
A commonly overlooked feed
ing factor is a cow’s access to
water. Research has shown that
cows who had access to feed and
water 24 hours a day produced
more milk than if access to feed
and water were restricted.
The bottom line is to make sure
cows have adequate access to feed
space, feed, and water.
Feather Profs Footnote: “The
moment you commit yourself, the
opportunity for success becomes a
reality."
he not have been able to get off with
a reprimand? If he had gotten out of
town before Good Friday, might he
not have survived to preach, teach
and heal some more?
There are times when we too can
save ourselves by muting the mes
sage, keeping silent in the face of
injustice, going along when our con
science calls for us to “make
waves,” turning our backs on those
who need our help, waiting for
someone else to take the lead. But
when we save ourselves that way,
we find that we are not really saved.
Being rejected by others for the sake
of our convictions is not the worst
thing that can happen to us. Jesus
knew that the worst thing that could
happen would be to reject God’s
purpose of him. It is also our own
“worst case scenario.”
Actually, the one thing that we
cannot do is to save ourselves!
Not in the long run. Only God can
save us. To save ourselves in the
here and now may place us in jeop
ardy in the hereafter. What Jesus did
estranged him from many of the reli
gious people of his day. When we
put right before might, principle
before profit, eternal security before
temporal safety, we may find our
selves estranged from those who
march to the world’s tempo. But it is
better to be estranged from society
than from the kingdom of God.
The wonder of Jesus'crucifix
ion is not that he died, but the way he
died, totally innocent of the charges
made against him the victim of
trumped-up accusations, forsaken
by his disciples when he needed
them most, reviled by both passers
by and religious officials, suffering
an inhuman execution. Jesus could
well have thundered threats, curses,
and recriminations. Who among us
would have resisted the temptation
to call out to our tormentors, “You’ll
all be sorry!”?
But Jesus died as he lived with a
power and majesty that the world
could neither take away nor dimin
ish. And in doing so he saved both
himself and us.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephnta Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Panning, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
Robert Q. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Nawawangar Managing Editor
Copyright 1995 by Lancaster Farming