AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 13, 1996 The agriculture industry—farmers, their oranizations, and agribusinesses need to focus attention on the lack of knowledge about fanning among our nation’s young people. The Poultry Port,published by the Pennsylvania Poultry Federation, reports in the January issue that 35 percent of teenage girls and 18 percent of teenage boys expressed enough concern for animals that it was the major reason they thought it was a good idea to be a vegetarian. The Gillette Company receives hundreds of threatening letters every year from students (some encouraged to write by their teachers) about their “Nazi” cruelty to animals in their laboratory. Many young female teachers are likely to teach some or all of the animal rights philosophy. There is no end to the examples of the prevalence of the animal rights influence in the classroom. But there is little evidence that the agricultural side of the story is being presented. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has a product promotion matching grant program that one dairy group thinks it could use to develop a workbook on agriculture products for fourth grade students. This is commendable but still involves only a limited part of the agriculture industry. And the classroom is only one way young people learn. Not only should animal husbandry and technological advances in agriculture be taught in the classroom, the teachers in these classrooms need to be taught, too. In addition, sympathic agricul tural ideas need to invade the kids’ educational programs on TV. And who should get involved? Let’s drop a few names. The Grange. Farm Bureau. The Council of Farm Organizations. Penn State’s Ag Council. The Council of Cooperatives. The American Dairy Association and Dairy Council Mid East. The Middle Atlantic Milk Marketing Association. The FFA Foundation. The Association of County Agents. The Association of Agriculture Teachers. Every farm organization and business. Everyone should participate in a project to focus on the humane methods now used to produce animal products and the environmental havoc that would occur if we didn’t have farmers there to care for the land. Agriculture has a very important and positive message to tell. But this good news of food is not getting through to our young people. Why? Dauphin County Holstein annaul meeting. Western Sizzlin Steakhouse, Harrisburg, 11:45 a.m. Md. Organic Food and Fanning Association annual meeting, Md. Dept of Ag Headquarters, Annapolis, Md., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Small Flock and Gamebird Semi- Jgl- Restaurant, Chambcrsburg, Conference, State College, thru Jan. 18. Solanco Young Farmers meeting. Survival of the Small Farmer— Networking, Solanco High School. On-Foot, On-Rail Beef Evalua tion, Lccsport Market and Peter Bros., also Jan. 18. New Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting, Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, N J., thru Jan. 18. Dairy Managing For Success Program, Holiday Inn, Mid- OPINION WHY? ❖ Farm Calendar* } K’ dlesex, also Jan. 23. 4-H Tractor Safety Program, Lebanon Valley Ag Cento', consecutive Tuesday nights, 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Dairy Forage Feeding Systems, Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke, 9:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Turf Management Day, Lebanon Expo Cento, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dairy-MAP, Sadie’s Restaurant Beaver Falls, also Jan. 23. Dairy-MAP, Donohoc Center, Greens burg, also Jan. 23. Pond Weed Management Seminar, Harford County Administrative Building, Bel Air, Md., 7 p.m.-8 p.m. sity Park, thru Jan. 19. Clarion County Dairy Farm Finance Workshop, Clarion County Extension Office, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., also Jan. 24. Dairy-MAP, Fair Office, Union town Fairgrounds, also Jan. 24. Dairy-MAP, Jack’s Mountain View Inn, Sarver-Freeport, also Jan. 24. Franklin County Extension Dairy Day, Kauffman Community Center. The Blizzard of 1996 is now history. With more snow being fore casted for this weekend, our nerves are starting to wear thin. As people, we are creatures of habit We like our daily routine without changes. We have deve loped our management programs that work and require little extra N. Y. and Pa. Horticultural Produc er* Conference, Graham’s Greenhouse, Bradford, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Kent/Quecn Anne’s Agronomy Lancaster County, also Jan. 25. Dairy-MAP, Cambria County Extension office, Ebensburg, also Jan. 25. Dairy-MAP, Washington County Extension, Washington, also Jan. 25. Adams County Extension Ban quet Community Fire Hall, York Springs, 6:30 p.m. York County Holstein Banquet Shrewsbetry Fire Hall. 7 p.m. PA State Association of County Fairs, Hershey Lodge and Con- ant Gap, 9:30 a.m. Lycoming Crops and Daily Day, Pcnnsdalc Fire Hall, 9:30 a.m. Two-day Dairy-MAP School, Lancaster County, also Jan. 26. McKean-Potter Craps Day. St -V 4 > _ meeting, 11:30 a.m. Bradford County annual meeting. Bonanza Steakhouse, Wysox, noon. Maple Production School Video Conference, Bradford County Extension office, Towanda, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Alternative Income Conference, Church Hill Elementary School. 8:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Holstein Club annual meeting, Bonanza Restaurant, Wysox, noon; Springs, 9:30 a.m. Dairy MAP Management For Suc cess. Schuylkill County Ag Kauffman Community Center, 9:30 a.m. To Control Stress (Turn to Pago All) effort Hie real tetlof people is how we handle the unexpected, such as 30 inches of snow. Attitude deter mines how we cope. Since we can not change the weather, we must work to control the results. Some ideas on how to cope: • Take time to enjoy the snow. • Spend some time playing with the' children. • Get plenty of rest • Do preventative maintenance on equipment The few extra minutes checking and replacing worn parts could save many hours of fixing breakdowns under less than-idetl situations. • Help neighbors and work together to help each other. By keeping a good attitude, things go better and people will enjoy being around you. To Watch Roofs With this much snow coupled' with drifts, roofs could begin to fail, especially if we receive rain or sleet The snow will act as sponge, absorb water, and increase its weight Often snow piles up very deep at certain spots on the roof. Do a check of your roofs, especially flat roofs or ones with very little slope. * BY LAWRENCE W, ALTHOUSE ‘n&n FAILING GLORIOUSLY January 14,19% FAIUNG GLORIOUSLY January 14, 1996 Background Scripture: Isaiah 49:1-6 Devotional Reading: Malachi 3:1-5 Longinus wrote, “In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.” I don’t know who Longinus is, but I wish I had come across that quotation decades ago. Learning to deal with failure and disappoint ment is one of our hardest lessons and perhaps some of us never pass the course. Fortunately, God per mits us to take the exam over and over again. Failure is particularly hard to handle when we think we are doing something for God. When I came out of seminary, I naively expected that I would evangelize my parish the first year, all of Harrisburg the second year, and the rest of the state of Pennsylvania the year after that. (Tm overstating the case just a little!) Well, it didn’t go like that and there were certainly times when I could have easily joined Isaiah in complaining, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity...” (49:4a). There must be times in the lives of each of us when we feel that way. THE LAST WORD It is strange that we should be so discouraged by what appear to be poor results. After all, we follow Jesus who died on a cross in shame and defeat. Of course, you and I know that he was raised from the tomb and vindicated. So. the last word on Christ’s ministry and mis sion was pronounced, not by the world, but by God. So it is with us, too. The Servant comes to this reali zation, too: “ ...yet surely my right is with the Lori, and my recom pense with my God.” We are justi fied in our discipleship, not by the judgements of the world, but by Some shoveling of snow now could prevent a major problem later. When shoveling roofs, be sure to take some safety precautions. Use ropes and make sure they are securely fastened to help prevent you from filling off. To Check Ventilation Systems Another area you will want to check is the components of your ventilation system. Check inlets to make sure snow has not Mocked them closed. Next, check the fans to make sure they are not snowed in. Finally, check your standby generator to make sure it is operat ing. Make sure you have adequate feel to operate die generator for several days. Also, check all vents to genera tors, heaters, femaces, dryers, etc. to make sure they are not Mocked. This will ensure proper operation and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. If you are using space healers, follow all safety precautions to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Feather Prof.’s Footnote: "What happens to a person is less significant than what happens within him.” those which come from God. In his book. The Keys of the Kingdom, A. J, Cronin says, “One should remember that the defeated still have everything if they still have God.” If we still have God we are never defeated and our work is not in vain! I do not deny that earthly honor is nice to receive. But no matter how sweet those accolades are. they do not last As the Servant says, “I am honored in the eyes of the Lard, and my God has become my strength..." (49:5b). There itis: if I can focus upon my honor in the eyes of the Lord, I cannot be defeated and my life cannot be wasted. A BIGGER TASK! God makes a surprising response to the discouraged Ser vant Despondent in the results of his mission to date, the Servant’s mission is expanded rather than reduced Originally he was to revive Israel. But, says God “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of lacob and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (49:6). In the face of the staggering tasks to which God calls us. it is vital for us to realize that “my God lias become my strength.” What ever we need to do what God calls us to do is to be found in him alone. It is nice to have our efforts recog nized. It is wonderful to have someone supporting us in our efforts. But only the strength that Sod gives us is sufficient for the tasks to which he calls us. It may seem as if we are failing, but let us remember that "In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.” So let us not duck the great chal lenges to which he calls us. And, if we fail, let us fail gloriously! Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrala Review Building IE. Main St Ephrata, PA 17522 —by— Lancaster Farming, Inc. A SMrman Entarprita Retort aCampMl Omni Marne* Cwttt He NiwtwinQtr MwMQlno CdNof Copyright 1995 by Lancaatai Fairing
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers