AlO-Uncwtof Farming, Saturday, Juna 3, 1995 OPINION You 9 re In Good Company They even have 700 dairy cows in Alaska. That’s important because it means every state in our country has cows. All told, 9.5 million dairy cows live in the U.S. Of course, Wisconsin has the most cows, followed by California and New York. Pennsylvania comes in fourth, followed by Minnesota. On the city side, ninety-nine percent of all U.S. households purchase milk. That’s good for the dairy farmers and the agribu sinesses that prbvide the inputs and machinery to keep the pipe lines full. According to the USDA, most of the milk sold now is either lowfat or skim. Only 38 percent is plain whole milk. But this milk provides the most important food source of cal cium, providing around 300 mg per one-cup serving. Milk’s importance rests on the fact that it lends itself to daily consump tion. The body’s need for calcium is on-going throughout life. In addition to milk, Americans consume an astounding 26.2 pounds of cheese per person. And now that medical research data proves what we have known all along—butter is good for you— sales of this dairy product have also increased. Market observers also suggest that lower prices, along with the enlightened attitude about nutrition, has helped increase the number of new butter users. And then there are ice cream and frozen yogurt. According to the International Ice cream Association, 1.5 billion gallons of fro zen dairy products are consumed each year in the U.S. The favo rite flavor is vanilla. Fruit and nut flavors are next. But only eight percent of the ice cream consumed is flavored with chocolate. This first week of June Dairy Month is a good time to drink your milk, and eat your cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. You are in good company of people who do. Goat Health Seminar, Cornell Uni versity, Ithaca, N.Y. Farm Safety Day Camp, Oregon Dairy Farm, Lititz, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Landis Valley Fair, Landis Valley Museum, thru June 4. Bradford County dairy princess pageant, Harlan-Rowe Middle School, Athens, 8 p.m. Wayne County dairy princess pageant, Belmont Fire Hall, Pleasant Ml Tulpehocken Young Farmers Ice Cream Social, Reu-Hel Farms, Scott and Connie Troutman, Grazing meeting, Black Run Farm, Buckhom, Columbia Co., 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Cambria County dairy princess pageant. Holy Name Church Lancaster County plastic pesticide container recycling program, Gideon King, Kinzers, 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m., also Aug. 9. Lancaster County plastic pesticide container recycling program, Moyer & Son, Inc., Honey Brook, 9 a.m.-ll:30 a.m., also Aug. 9, and Sept 19, 12:30 p..m.-3 p.m. York County Beekeepers meeting, Livestock Marketing Workshop, Potter County Extension, Coudersport, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Mifflin County dairy princess pageant, St. John’s Lutheran Delmarva Chicken Festival, Federalsburg, Md. World Pork Expo, lowa State Fair grounds, Des Moines, lowa, thru June 11. Dauphin County 4-H Communica tion Day, extension office, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Armstrong County dairy princess pageant. Center Hill Church of the Brethren Fellowship Hall, Kittanning, 7:30 p.m. Lebanon County dairy princess pageant, Lebanon County Voc ational School, 7:30 p.m. Butler County dairy princess pageant, Clearview Mall Cen ter Court, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Chester County dairy princess pageant, Coventryville U. Poultry Management and Health Seminar, Kreider’s Restaurant, Manheim, noon. Tioga County dairy princess pageant, Mainesburg Com munity Center, Mainesburg, 7 University, University Park, thru June IS. Mid-Atlantic Fruit School, W.Va. University Experiment Farm and Holiday Inn and Knights Inn, Martinsburg, W.Va., thru To Salute Dairy And Turkey Farmers June is Dairy Month and Turkey Month. A month where we salute two very important agricultural industries in Pennsylvania. In 1993, Pennsylvania’s 11,800 dairy farms produced 10.2 billion pounds of milk worth more than $1.4 billion. Our turkey farmers produced 8.6 million turkeys weighing 169.4 million pounds worth $71.2 million. Both of these industries consist of many small family farms. Through the dedicated and hard work of many family members, we enjoy a low cost, abundant and safe food supply. We will be seeing many promo tional activities informing people of the importance of farms and agriculture to our communities. We salute all our farm families and say thank you for a job well done. To Know Heat Stress Of Cows University of Florida dairy sci entists Dave Bray and Ray Bucklin say there are three quick tests that may be used to tell if cows are heat stressed and in need of supplemen tal cooling. The three indicators are: June 15. Centre County Wool Pool, Grange Fairgrounds, Centre Hall, 7 a.m.-ll:30 a.m., and 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Mercer County dairy princess pageant, Leslie N. Firth Center, Mercer, 7:30 p.m. Mercer County Wool Pool, Stoneboro Fairgrounds, Tree Health Seminar, Chatham Friday, ,|uiu' 16 Snyder/Union Holstein Associa tion twilight meeting, Joe Snyder, Millmont, 8 p.m. Econweekend, Olmsted Manor, Ludlow, thru June 18. Grange Leadership Academy, State College, thru June 17. Cumberland County dairy prin cess pageant. Embers Conven tion Center, Carlisle, 8 p.m. Franklin County dairy princess pageant. Lighthouse Restaur ant, Chambersburg. 7 p.m. Lycoming County dairy princess pageant, Lycoming Mall, Mun- Pa. Cattlemen’s Field Day, May town Park, Lancaster County. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Ludwig’s Comer Riding and Driv ing Club, Marsh Creek State (Turn to Pag* A3l) 1. Respiration rates that exceed 80 pet miaute. 2. Rectal temperatures exceed ing 102. S F. or 3. A drop of more than 10 per cent in diy matter intake or milk production or both. Remember that high producing cows generate more body heat and are more susceptible to heat stress. The more they pant, the more ener gy they expand thus energy no longer available for milk production. It is important to provide cows relief from heat stress during per iods of hot weather. To Reduce Heat Stress On Cows When hot weather occurs, there are a number of things that may be done to help provide cows some relief. Provide cows with fresh, clean water. Prevent cows from turning watering sites into mastitis-causing mud holes. Provide shade in the form of lots BY t AWRENCE W ALIHOUsT"" I SflSEyi sn THE PATHOLOGY OF POWER June 4,1995 THE PATHOLOGY OF POWER June 4, 1995 Background Scripture I Kings 11:26 - 12:24 Devotional Reading: Psalms 14 The story of the split between the ten northern tribes of Israel and the two southern tribes of Ju dah is a dusty page of history. Yet the meaning behind what happened almost 3,000 years ago in a little Palestinian town is as current as tonight’s television news or the headlines of tomor row’s newspaper. For behind this tragic event in the long ago history of the people of God was a reality that is just as much a curse in our world as it was in theirs: the mis use and abuse of power. The late Norman Cousins is perhaps best-known in our time for his writings Anatomy of an Illness exploring the relation ships between the mind and the body in relation to the health and wholeness of the individual. But Cousins also wrote a book about another kind of sickness. The Pathology of Power (W.W. Nor ton, 1987), an examinationjof how the lust for power contaminates and destroys the moral fabric of a nation. POWER CORRUPTS Cousins begins with the well known quotation from Lord Ac tion; “Power tends to corrupt; ab solute power corrupts absolutely” and then goes on to chronicle and explore other tendencies of power that “emerge from the pages of the historians.” One of these, says Cousins, is that of becoming “a theology, admitting no other gods before.” Human power becomes a substitute for God! Although King Solomon had made a good beginning in ruling Israel, along the way he succumb ed to the theology of power. For the sake of power Solomon had forsaken God and “worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Si donians, Chemosh the god of Mo ab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites" (11:33) and there of trees, shade cloths, well ventiiated stable, etc. Do not Jet cows turn the shade area into a muddy area. Reduce* cow activity. Do not make cows walk great distances for feed, water, and shade. Keep water and shade close to the feed ing area to stimulate greater dry matter intake. Keep cows stabled in a well ventilated bam during the heat of the day where they have a clean, comfortable stall and easy access to fresh water and feed. A ventila tion system that provides cows with lots of fresh air is preferable to one that merely circulates stale air. Feed cows during the cooler hours of the day and keep the feed fresh. Wet down cows periodically and dry them off in a breeze for evaporative cooling. These tips should help keep your cows pro ductive, even in hot weather. Feather Prof.'s Footnote: “Quality is a person’s showcase — it is the work:we do." foie God warned, “I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon.. When Solomon died it was logical that his son, Rehoboam, should succeed to the throne. But, journeying to Schechem to receive the confirmation of the ten north ern tribes, Rehoboam is confront ed by their representatives with an important condition: “Your father, Solomon, made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke upon us, and we will serve you” (12:4). It was certainly a legitimate complaint for Solo mon had virtually enslaved many of his citizens to build his royal trappings. POWER’S ARROGANCE Before answering, Rehoboam took three days to seek the advice of first the old counselors who had served his father. Their advice: “If you will be a servant to these peo ple today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants for ever.” Appar ently, that wasn’t the answer he wanted and instead he took the ad vice of his youthful advisors who counselled, “Thus shall you speak to this people . . . ‘And now whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions’” (12:10,11). Why did Rehoboam replay in such an arrogant and stupid man ner? The seduction of power! Re hoboam did not possess power, it possessed him. The exercise of power became more important to him than either God or even com mon sense, although he was prob ably convinced that he was pos sessed of both. Often those who abuse power most then and today! are those who are convinced that they are doing so with the blessing of God. As John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson. “Power always thinks it is doing God’s service when it is violating all His laws.” Thus it was almost 3,000 years ago; thus it is even now. Lancaster Farming N Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 —by— Lancaster Farming. Inc. A Steinman Entarpriae Robert Q. Campbell General Manager Everett R. Nawawangar Managing EdMor Copyright 1996 by Lanoaalar Fanning