AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 6, 1995
OPINION
Keep Us Out Of Foreign Hock
About 25 percent of the value of our farm products comes from
exports, more than $45 billion this year. Until somebody figures
out bow to get American consumers to willingly spend more
money for their food, expanding expoit markets are our best
-opportunity to produce most efficiently, effectively, and
profitably.
Dean Klechner, president, American Farm Bureau, says
increased standards of living around the world are changing our
markets and the demand for our products. The sale of bulk com
modities is declining somewhat in value and market share. Fore
ign competition plays a large role in this decline. On the good
side, we see mushrooming foreign demand for our fresh fruits,
nuts, and processed foods.
Last year, we exported $9B million worth of frozen french fries
to Japan, for example. We don’t know of a single frozen french
fry grower. We grow potatoes. Other American workers truck,
process, maiket, distribute, advertise, and do all the other steps
needed to get an American potato into a Japanese wok. One of
every six American workers already depends on agriculture.
Increasing exports will make an even greater contribution.
President Bill Clinton is also aware of the contribution farmers
make to the export situation. Speaking at the national rural con
ference at lowa State University in Ames last week, President
Clinton said, “We have a $2O billion surplus in agricultural trade.
We’ve got a big trade deficit in everything else.”
Being in debt to other nations provides the greatest weakness
in our economic system. Farmers and related agribusinesses cer
tainly do their part to help keep us out of foreign hock.
Capitol Area Beekeeper’s Associ
ation Eighth Annual Short
Course. Dauphin County Ag
and Natural Resources Center,
Dauphin.
Goat Field Day, Rosemary K.
Sprenkles’ Troubled Acres
Dairy Farm, York County, 10
a.tn.-4 p.m.
Apple Blossom Festival, South
Mountain Fairgrounds. Arendt
sville, thru May 7.
Pa. Draft Hose and Mule Clinic.
Butler County Fairgrounds,
8:30 a.m.
Maryland Sheep and Wool Grow
ers Field Day. Howard County
Fairgrounds, West Friendship,
Md., thru May 7.
Poultry Auction, Bloomsburg
sors Convention and Meat Pro
duct Competition, Scanticon
Convention Center, Penn State,
thru May 9.
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festi
val First Annual Shepherd’s
Auction, 1 p.m.
Delaware Valley Milk Goat Asso
ciation meeting. Stump Hollow
Poultry Management and Health
Seminar, Kreider’s Restaurant,
noon, and Days Inn, Shamokin
Dam, 6 p.m.
Clean and Green Educational
meeting, Eugene Martin Farm,
New Holland, 12:30, p.m.-9
p.m. ■
Farm Pond Management Seminar
and Field Trip, Dauphin Coun
ty Ag and Natural Resources
Center, 7 p.m., field day May
25, 6 p.m.
Clean and Green Educational
Seminar and dropoff meeting.
Ephrata High School, Room
192, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Clean and Green Educational
Seminar, Garden Spot High
School Auditorium, 8 p.m.-10
Clean and Green Form dropoff
meeting, Martindale Fite Hall,
12:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Clean and Green informational
meeting, Hoffman Building,
Solanco Fairgrounds, Quarry
ville, 7:30 p.m.
Clean and Green informational
meeting, Ken Zurin Farm,
Mount Joy, 6 p.m.
Clean and Green Educational
Seminar, Manheim Central
High School Auditorium, 8
meeting, Amos Huyard, New
Holland, 12:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Mid-Atlantic States Veterinary
Clinic, Maryland State Fair
grounds, Timonium, Md.
SRBC meeting. The Inn at Turkey
Hill, Bloomsburg. 9 a.m.
Clean and Green Educational
Seminar, Cocalico High School
EastemEmuExpoTrade Show
and Conference. Lancaster
Host Resort, Lancaster,, thru
May 13.
Hardwood Lumber Manufacturers
To Attend
Clean And
Green Meetings
Reassessment notices will be in
the mail.
One important option for Lan
caster County farmers is Act 319,
or Clean and Green.
To help farmers better under
stand Act 319, Lancaster County
Cooperative Extension has
planned two more meetings on Act
319. The first one will be at 7:30
p.m. on Wednesday, May 9 at the
Hoffman Building at the Solanco
Fairgrounds, Quarryville. The
other meeting will be at 7:30 p.m.
on Monday, May 15 at the Farm
and Home Center, Lancaster.
I will be presenting the program
at both meetings. We will be dis
cussing why Act 319 was enacted,
the appraisal process in Lancaster
County, Clean and Green values,
and how farmers may enroll.
For one 91-acre farm in the
county, Clean and Green may save
the farmer more than $5,500 in
taxes in 1996. In addition, by
enrolling in Clean and Green, this
farmer’s taxes would be about
$lOO higher in 1996 compared to
1995.
Also, other organizations are
planning meetings on Act 319 and
scheduling dropoff points where
notary publics will be available
and applications will be accepted.
Remember, June 1, 1995 is the
deadline for filing applications for
the 1996 tax year.
To Prepare
For Skunks
Sooner or latter your pet will
have a run-in with a skunk and
bring back an odor that will make
him very unpopular.
Paul Krebaum, a chemist, has
used an alkaline hydrogen perox
ide compound to remove hydrogen
sulfide from waste gas streams in
his laboratory. This compound
also destroys a class of chemicals
called thiols, which are the major
constituents of skunk spray.
One evening, a neighbor’s cat
had an encounter with a skunk and
was exiled from the house. He
tried the usual remedies (tomato
juice, etc.) without success.
Krebaum suggested they bathe
the cat in a modified version of the
Association of Pa. (HLMA)
Timber 9S Expo, Clearfield
Fairgrounds, thru May 13.
State FFA Leadership Camp. Hid
den Valley Boy Scout Camp,
Western Pa. Sheep and Club Lamb
Sale, Mercer County 4-H Park,
(Turn to Pago A3l)
laboratory reagent It worked, and
the cat was allowed back into the
house.
Here is the formula forpeff; one
quart of 3 percent hydrogen perox
ide (from a drug store),cup bak
ing soda (sodium bicarbonate),
and one teaspoon liquid soap.
Thoroughly bathe the animal,
working the soapy solution well
into the fur. Follow the bath with a
tap water rinse.
this remedy may also work for
cleaning the front bumper of your
car should you hit a skunk.
To Control
Flies
According to Glenn Shirk,
extension dairy agent, the three
keys to fly control on dairy farms
are sanitation, sanitation, and
sanitation.
Without good manure and feed
handling practices, neither chemi
cal nor biological control methods
will work. Integrated fly control
offers the most effective strategy
and less insecticide use.
Farmers often overlook feed
based breeding sites. Cleaning up
after silo filling and spilled feed is
just as important as regular clean-
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GETTING WHAT YOU
DESERVE
May 7,1995
GETTING WHAT YOU
DESERVE
May 7, 1995
Background Scripture
I Corinthians 9
Devotional Reading:
Galatians 5:13-26
An elementary school boy was
showing his report card to his par
ents, who were upset because he
had received a “D” in “conduct.”
“Yeah,” he acknowledged, “that’s
my worst subject!"
We are fortunate that, finished
with school, we are seldom, if
ever, graded on conduct Today
two of our “worst subjects” are
commitment and self-discipline. It
is resistance to commitment that
undermines all kinds of relation
ships personal, professional,
and occupational. It is resistance
to self-discipline that underlies so
many failures and keeps us from
fulfilling our potential.
Over the years we’ve had a few
friends whose predictable re
sponse to any invitation was gen
erally, “I’ll have to see and let you
know.” It seemed they wanted to
wait and see if something better
came along. That’s also the differ
ence between living together and
marriage reluctant to commit
themselves, people want to keep
their options open and avoid re
sponsibility.
WHAT IT TAKES
At the conclusion of one of Van
Clibum’s concerts, someone is re
ported to have said to him, “I’d
give everything if I could (day like
that!” Replied the pianist, “Yes
that’s about what it takes —,
everything!” Maybe that’s why
people so admire entertainment,
artistic and athletic stars. We share
their aspirations, but not their per
spirations. Like them, we want
fame and fortune; unlike them,
many of us are unwilling to pay
the price.
In today’s world, people seem
so much more intent on getting
what is coming to them and are
obsessed with their rights. The
ing of manure.
Big round bale feeding areas are
major breeding areas for flies.
Change the site with each bale and
clean up and remove residue from
the previous bale.
House flies and stable flies are
the major fly pests on dairy farms.
House fly is a serious nuisance
threat, especially with neighbors.
Stable flies look a lot like house
flies, but they bite. House flies
breed in manure, decaying silage,
feed, bedding and other organic
matter.
Moisture is required for fly
breeding. Stable flies choose many
of the same breeding areas as
house flies but will not breed in
straight manure. They prefer wet
straw or bedding with manure,
spilled feeds, silage, green chop,
decaying hay, or other vegetation.
Flies have become resistant to
most chemicals registered for use
on dairy farms. A regimen that
includes careful manure handling
and sanitation, parasite releases,
and pyrethrum sprays can reduce
fly problems.
Feather Prof.’s Footnote:
“Excellence is the exceptional
drive to exceed expectations."
problem is that when we concen
trate solely on our rights and what
we deserve, we usually see no
thing or no one else. And that is
one of the most fatal of human
conditions.
sn
Paul outlines and specifies what
he deserves as an apostle. On this
basis he protests, “Do we not have
the right to our food and drink? Do
we not have the right to be accom
panied by a wife, as the other
apostles and the brothers of the
Lord’and Cephas?” (9:5).
MOST IMPORTANT
But then, having established his
rights as an apostle, Paul goes on
to say, “Nevertheless we have not
made use of this right, but we en
dure everything rather than put an
obstacle in the way of the gospel
of Christ” (9:12). Paul carefully
protects his rights as an apostle,
but he holds something else much
more important: the gospel of
Christ
Some of the most agreeable ex
periences in my life have been
those occasions all too few
probably when I have stepped
aside from my rights and preroga
tives and given way to someone or
something else. There is deep
satisfaction in knowing that some
higher good is being served. Per
sonal rights are important, but the
gospel is more important
Maybe the key is to be found at
the bottom line. The highest good
is not in getting what we deserve,
but in getting something more. We
may stand on our rights and get
nothing more. Using the analogy
of the athlete, Paul says, “they do
it to receive a perishable wreath,
but we an imperishable”
(9:2s).Wreaths, no matter how
pretty, are perishable rewards.
Getting what is coming to us is
also a perishable reward. To get
the imperishable kind, we may
have to be willing to forgo de
manding what we deserve.- For
true rewards have more to do with
God’s grace than what is ours by
right
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
Robert Q. Campbell Oaoaral Manager
Everett R. Nawawannar Managing Editor
Copyright 1906 by Lenoetler Farming