AlO-lancasier Farming, Saturday, January 27, 1996 taflMi OPINION Unruly Bread Lines The blizzard of *96 destroyed the myth held by many consum ers. Milk, bread, eggs, and meat do not grow on grocery store shelves. Isn’t it interesting that when people think they may not be able to get food, they go into what William Schreiber, general mana ger, Holly Milk, calls a “mob mentality”? And it is always the basic foods close to the farm they fight for. ' A bread truck driver in south central Pennsylvania was hospi talized at the height of the empty shelf syndrome when panic striken store customers mobbed him as he tried to unload his truck outside the store in preparation to fill the empty space in the store. If the short term reduction in our basic food supply causes such violence, what would a permanent reduction in our nation’s food supply bring? Actually, we foresee, a growing permanent reduction to the supply of basic farm commodities such as milk, pork. and maybe even cereal grains. While no one really wants to face this reality, the economic pressures on the fanner has caused a reduction in basic food supplies available, especially those produced close to our eastern population centers. Pressure from the weather, hous ing and shopping center development, property taxation, nutrient management regulations, and the lack of competition among pro cessors is causing farmers to give up. And many of these farms that are being abandoned are now growing houses or put into the ever-popular but unproductive “open space.” As basic commodities must be shipped from western states to our eastern markets, the opportunity increases for food supply shortages to be realized from transportation disruptions. We think permanent shortages of basic foods are a realistic possibility. Forecasters say short milk supplies are likely in 1996. And the recent price-hit hog fanners have taken has noticeably reduced pork supplies. At the same time, exports of farm com modities are expanding. The panic at the grocery store from the relatively small disrup tion in the food supply during the recent Snow storm certainly indicates a much larger problem if the shortages become permanent. Don’t say it couldn’t happen. It is already a very real problem in other countries where political and social programs have destroyed the farm economy. Let’s start now to take better care of our fanners by improving their paycheck for our food and for their good production prac tices. We have many good fanners who would like to continue their way of life if they could just make a living at it. To pay far mers well to continue to produce our abundant food supply seems like a much more pleasant prospect than to need to call out the national guard to police the unruly bread lines at the local grocery store when the shelves are empty. . ence. Church Hill Elementary School, Church Hill, Md. York County FhiitGrowers 1 Asso ciation annual banquet, Olde Becn^edcrsTidi^ ing, Midway Diner, Bethel, 5:30 p.m. Adams County Dairy Day. Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, Gettys burg, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dairy Agribusiness Luncheon Meeting, Garden Gate Restaur ant. Butler, noon-2 p.m. 11th annual Elk/Cameron Crops Day, Bavarian Hills Golf Course, St Marys, 9:30 a.m.-3 Pa. Vegetable Conference and rm Calendars jv-irVv '* ~ i' * * ' Trade Show, Henhey, thru Feb. Solanco Young Fanners’ meeting, pesticide re-certification, Sol anco High School. Cattle Feeder Day, rescheduled to Feb. 6. PFGC annual meeting and award luncheon during Crops Conference. State Conservation Commission Nutrient Management Informa tion Meeting and Hearing, Somerset County Vo-Tech„ agement Short Course, Penn State Scanticon Conference Center and Hotel. State Col lege, thru Feb. 2. Soil Fertility School, Lebanon Valley Expo Center, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Also Feb. 7. Northumberland County Winter Conference. Otterbcin Uriited Methodist Church Hall. Sun bury, 10 ajn.-2;45 p.m. Now Is The Time By John Schwartz Lancaster County Agricultural Agent To Learn About Nutrient Management The proposed Nutrient Manage ment Regulations have been pub lished in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on December 30. 1995. There is a 90-day public com ment period for people to make comments, suggestions, or objec tions regarding the proposed reg ulations. The regulations define concentrated animal units, con tents of a nutrient management plan, manure application, manure management, storm water runoff control, manure storage, and record keeping requirements. Also, the proposed regulations detail manure marketing proce dures, well location, manure spreading, and financial assistance. These are very important reg ulations for Pennsylvania agricul ture. All farmers should under stand the proposed regulations and make appropriate comments to the State Conservation Commission. To Attend Meetings On Nutrient Management Regulations The Stale Conservation Commission will be holding a series of informational meetings on the proposed regulations before the public hearings. The informational meetings will be held Jan. 30 at Sommerset County Vo-Tech, Jan. 31 at Mer cer County Cooperative Exten sion, Feb. I at Wysox Fire Hall, Feb. 8 at Brynwood Dm. Feb. 12 at Shippensburg Sr. High School, and Feb. 13 at Lancaster County Farm and Home Center. All meetings are from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There will be an addi tional meeting from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Lancaster site. Ml Joy Co-op's annual meeting. Country Table Restaurant, Mount Joy, 11:30 a.m. Dairy Cattle Hoof Care bam meet ing, Stanley and Janice Burk holder Farm, Chambetsburg, 10 a.m. Nutrient Management Information Meeting and Hearing, Leslie N. Firth Leamr Ccp* Mi Extension meeting. Farm and Home Center. Lancaster (Raleigh) DHIA record meeting. White Horse Fire Hall. 12:30 p.m. Jefferson/Clearfield Counties Annual Dairy/Crops Day, Holi day Inn, Dußois, 8:30 a,m.-3;30 p.m. Nutrient Management Information Meeting and Hearing, Wysox Fire Hall, Wysox, 6:30 n.m.-9:30 o.m, (turn to Pago All) There will.be four public hear ings in March for people to make public comments. Also, people may make written comments to the State Conservation Commission, Room 304.2301 North Cammeren Street, Harrisburg PA 17110. For more details on the com ment procedure, meetings, hear ings and details of the regulations, contact Karl Brown, Stale Conser vation Commission, at (717) 787-8821. In addition to these meetings, this topic will be discussed at many meetings sponsored by coopera tive extension, conservation dis tricts, and other farm organizations. Plan to attend, learn about the proposed regulations, and take an active part in this regulatory process. To Know Wood Stove Safety Most people enjoy the comfort and warmth of a wood fire in the fireplace or wood stove. However, safety when using the fireplace or UY LAWRENCE W ALTHOUSL “saisas TICKER TAPE AIN’T SPAGHETTI Januaiy 28.1996 TICKER TAPE AIN’T SPAGHETTI January 28, 1996 Background Scripture: Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12 Devotional Reading: Revelation 3:14-21 Somewhere in Mexico there is a famous statue sculpted by Jesus Garcia. It has a most peculiar name: “In Spite Of.” In the midst of sculpting the statue, Garcia lost his right hand. That should have halted forever his work on it, but Qarcia determined that he would learn to sculpt with his left hand and finish the statue. He did leant to do so and some critics said he actually did better with his left hand than his right So, in honor of this man’s perseverance, they called that statue “In Spite Of.” It should have been Garcia’s defeat; instead, he made it a resounding victory. I have asked myself whether, if I had been Garcia, I would have thrown in the towel if I had lost one of my hands. I like to think I would have persevered as he didl but I don’t really know. Lots of life’s greatest struggles are defeats only because we surrender half way through. Bennett Cerf tells of a boy named Tommy Noonan who picked up a nice piece of change mowing neighbors’ lawns after school. One day his mother chided him for not getting started right after school and he replied: “I’m waiting for them to start them selves. I get most of my work from people who are halfway through.” FOURTH SERVANT SONG The fourth Servant Song of Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12) is the victory song of the servant But until near the very end of it it doesn't sound like a song of vic tory. In fact it sounds like down right defeat For, although God had promised, “Behold, my ser vant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up. and shall be very high," the Servant “was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief..." (52:13, 53:3). The wood stove should not be over looked, according to Robert Anderson, extension agronomy agent The burning of any wood, no matter how dry, will produce creosote which will build up in the chimney or flue pipe. The creosote buildup will ignite anytime the temperature reaches 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit A wood Are can produce temp eratures of more than 1,300 degrees within minutes. To be safe, chimneys and stovepipes should be cleaned of all soot and creosote at least once a year to pre vent the damage of a fire. It is a good idea to check the chimney or stovepipe every time the fire is left to go out- If a buildup of creosote is found, cleaning is needed. If you have a wood stove, it should be at least 36 inches away from any combustible surfaces to the side and 18 inches above the floor. Feather Prof.’s Footnote: "A leader envisions endless possibili ties and acts upon them.” Servant of Isaiah had become the Suffering Servant ' The early Christian church saw Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of this prophecy. Like the Servant of Isaiah, Jesus also “has home our griefs and carried our sorrows;... he was wounded for our transgres sion, he was bruised for our ini quities...” (53:4,5). Yet the suffer ing of Christ was not defeat but victory; “upon him was the chas tisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed...” The victory of the Suffering Ser vant and Jesus Christ was not escape from suffering, but turning suffering into healing and whole ness for many. The Servant does not seek suf fering, but neither does he or she flinch from it if God’s purpose may be realized. Victory is deter mined and pronounced, not by the world, but by God. “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors” (53:12). WOUNDED FOR US Jesus neither sought martyrdom nor did he run from it For the sake of the love and will of God “he poured out his soul to death.” The passion of Jesus was not about dying, but about pouring out one’s soul for others. And his manner was not one of defiance, but of vicarious love. He did not go to the cross cursing his enemies or protesting his innocence. Instead, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth” (53:7). The Servant and Jesus—or Jesus the Smart, if you like— show us how to both live and die victoriously. Real victory is not winning in the world’s eyes. As the late mayor of New York, Fiorello LaGuardia, once observed, “Ticker tape ain’t spaghetti.” It is a common human failing to spend our lives on ticker tape. But the real victory lies far beyond that. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building lE. Main St Ephrata, PA 17522 -by Lancaster Farming. Inc. A SMnman Emwprfw Hebert acemphn general Menager hwa a, Newniraneef MeneQbiQ EdNer Copyright IMS by Lancutar Faming
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