AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 27, 1996
■sums*
OPINION
Easy To Complain
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to complain? And, how hard it
is to be objective, upbeat and constructive. Cattle producers, it would
seem, can find a lot to complain about today. High grain prices, low
fed and feeder cattle prices, negative margins, Canadian imports of
fed cattle, Mexican imports of feeder cattle, consolidation in the
packing sector, dry weather, wet weather, cold weather, hot weather,
fertilizer cost, fuel cost, how much things have changed, why things
have not changed, change in general. Democrats, Republicans, BSE,
Oprah, low interest rates, high interest rates, tight credit, no credit, the
purebred industry, the crossbred industry, the show ring, unethical
practices, the past, the present, the future, breed associations, cattle
producer associations, associations in general, the cost of dues, bull
prices, cull cow prices, cattle buyers, cattle sellers, cattle dealers, the
checkoff, beef demand, pork and poultry competition, cholesterol,
saturated fat, trimmable fat, intramuscular fat, fat in general, vegeta
rians, animal rightists, the public sector, the private sector, the gov
ernment sector, universities and finally, the price of tea in China.
I would be the first to argue the merits of a little “venting” now and
then. Unfortunately, with some folks, this is where it ends. They just
like being contrary! I must admit that it gets a little old to listen to and
you come to anticipate the words each time these individuals begin to
pontificate. Nevera word of encouragement, a positive take on a situ
ation or any attempt to offer solutions. It is just too easy to complain.
As we move through these difficult times in the cattle industry or
through any uncomfortable change, it would seem prudent to focus on
the things we can influence at the expense of things out of our control.
For instance, as cow/calf producers we could focus on profitability
not cost. We can look for ways to add value to our products and gain a
competitive edge. We can build strategic alliances and partnerships,
not bum bridges. We can articulate our needs for the tools to be com
petitive and profitable and search them out We can work coopera
tively with universities and allied industries to ensure timely and effi
cient access to pertinent research, education and information. Or, we
can just complain.
Things are sure to get better. They always have. (I think it has
something to do with a “cycle!”) We can wait and complain or we can
act and react This is the real challenge.
Lebanon Area Fair, thru Aug. 2.
Pa. Holstein Southwest Champ
ionship Show, Fayette Fair
grounds, Uniontown, 9:30 a.m.
Frederick/Montgomety Ayrshire
Field Day, Frederick Fair-
grounds, 10 a.m.
Western Md. Guernsey Field Day,
Mercer County Grange Fair, thru
Aug. 3.
National Farm-City Conference,
Wyndam Garden Hotel, Anna
polis, Md, thru July 30.
Maryland State Grange annual
' ■' s <\ Rs ' Club Pavilir
Aug. 2.
Goshen Country Fair, thru Aug. 3.
Clearfield County Fair, thru Aug.
Northeast Dairy Show, Troy
Northwestern Branch,
' Hoytville.
New Stanton Fair, thru Aug. 3.
Ag Horizons VII Conference,
Wildwood Conference Center,
Harrisburg Area Community
College.
ocott Barao, Extension Livestock
Specialist, University of Maryland
Franklin County Field Day, Lynn
and Sue Eberly Farm, Fayette
ville, 10:30 a.m.
Fayette County Holstein Show.
Fairgrounds, Uniontown, 9
a.ip.
U. of Del. Grain Crop Field Day,
Research and Demonstration
grounds, York, 10 a.m.
Rodale Institute Experimental
Farm Field Day, Kutztown.
9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Feeder Cattle Grading Workshop,
New Holland Sales Stables,
7:30 p.m.
Pesticide institute at Radisson
Harrisburg, 9 a.m.
Octorara Young Farmers Associa
tion trip to see Phillies baseball,
bus departs ag ed parking lot,
5:45 p.m.
Pa. Holstein Northern Tier
Championship Show, Wyom
ing Fairgrounds. Meshoppen,
9:30 a.m.
Morrison Cove Dairy Show,
Memorial Park, Martinsburg, 9
a.m.
South Central Dairy Show, Ship
pensburg Fairgrounds.
Capitol Summer Turf and Oma-
To Consider
Alternative Feeds
Com grain is in short supply and
expensive. This situation is not
likely to change over the next year.
Because of this, many farmers
planted more com this spring and
are anxiously waiting this year’s
barley and wheat crop.
Glenn Shirk, extension dairy
agent, reminds us that barley and
wheat are high energy feeds that
may replace some of the com in the
ration. Their energy is very solu
ble, digested very quickly, and
causes a rapid increase in acid pro
duction in the rumen.
Because of this, barley and
wheat should not be slug fed. In
other words, they should be fed in
small quantities and at frequent
intervals so rumen acidosis is not
created.
It is also important cows be fed
enough soluble protein at the same
time. This will allow the cows to
more effectively utilize the energy
released by the rapid degradation
of soluble carbohydrates in the'
rumen.
To improve the digestibility of
small grains, they should be finely
ground or rolled. This can create
another problem of reduced palala
bility. However, this problem may
be minimized by feeding some
coarser feeds or a TMR mix.
When making ration changes,
you should consult your nutrition
ist for advice.
To Dewonn Calves
According to Chester Hughes,
extension livestock agent, spring
bom calves which are to be
weaned in the fall will, in most
cases, respond by being 20 to 40
pounds heavier at weaning if they
arc given a deworming treatment
in July or August or 60 to 90 days
prior to weaning.
In most instances, cows do not
need to be dewormed, only the
calves. Deworming calves will
show the greatest response in herds
mental School, Fort Hunter
Lebanon County Holstein Show.
Fairgrounds, Lebanon, 10 a.m.
Berks County 4-H Fair, 4-H and
Ag Centers. Lcesport.
Southwest District Junior Dairy
Show, Morrison Cove Memor
ial Park, Martinsburg.
Ag Field Day, Western Md.
Research and Education Cen
ter, Keedysville. Md.
Wheat Threshing, Steam and Gas
En r ' Sho T sho»" nds
Greene County Fair, thru Aug. 10.
Lancaster County Conservation
Expo, in conjunction with the
Shbktown Threshing Festival,
Robert Shirk Farm.
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which have first calf heifers and
other young cattle grazing with
mature cows.
Young cows shed significant
numbers of worm eggs while old
cows shed very few since they
have built up an immunity to inter
nal parasites.
The choice of deworming
materials is relatively immaterial.
Use the product which suits you
best
To Stay Cool
Dr. Robert Thee, extension
housing agent, reminds us there
are ways beside using air condi
tioning to stay cool this summer in
our houses. Moving air, no matter
how hot, feels cooler.
One of our options in a hot
house is to get air circulating with
an electric fan. Although floor,
table or ceiling fans will help move
air, they will not cod the room
unless they ate bringing in cooler
air from somewhere else.
NO PLACE TO HIDE
July 28, 1996
NO PLACE TO HIDE
July 28. 1996
Background Scripture:
I Peter 5:6-11
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 121:1-8
Do you remember when you
first leirned to play "hide and
seek?” I remember that I assumed
that if my face were hidden, then I
was hidden and I’ve since ob
served a tot of children who share
the same misconception.
One time I hid behind some
suits hanging in a closet My head
was well hidden, but my torso,
legs and feet were not hidden at
all. I was found out in no time.
How strange to think we are hid
den, when in reality we arc not
Actually, that’s a lesson we
need to carry into our adult lives.
No matter how hard or cleverly we
may try to hide from God. some
thing always gives us away. The
problem is not that we don’t hide
cleverly enough, but that hiding
from God is not possible and nev
er has been. I hope God has a
sense of humor. How ridiculous
we must look, thinking we are
well hidden and yet so obvious.
NEVER OUT OF SIGHT
This is what the Psalmist found:
“O Lord, thou hast searched me
and known me” (139:1). Despite
our assumptions, God knows us
fully and completely. Although
we may carefully select the words
we use in praying, he knows what
is behind those words and what
isn’t. Although we do not usually
share with him our worst thought
and feelings, he knows them just
the same. “Thou discemest my
thoughts from afar. Thou search
es! out my path ... and art ac
quainted with all my ways. Even
before a work is on my tongue, 10,
0 Lord, thou knowest it altogeth
er" (139:2-4).
“Whither shall I go from thy
Spirit?” he asks, “Or whither shall
1 flee from thy presence” If I
ascend to heaven, thou art them! If
I make my bed in Sheol, thou art
there” (139:7,8). This last state
ment must have shocked some of
his contemporaries, for the early
Israelites believed that in Sheol,
At night, place a window fan in
an open window with the fan blow
ing interior air to the outdoors. On
the opposite side of the house,
open another window in the room
you want to cool.
While forcing the hot indoor air
outside, the window fan will actu
ally pull cool night air into the far
room. On occasion, an exhaust fan,
like those in the kitchen or bath
room, can be used for cooling.
When used to remove humidity
in the heat of the day. they will
bring hot outside air in to the
house. But at night, running the
exhaust fan can remove some of
the hot air.
Open windows on opposite
sides of a room will provide good
cross ventilation if you do not have
a fan. Keeping draperies or blinds
closed during the day will also help
keep out the heat from the sun.
Feather Prof.'s Footnote: “See
the invisible, feel the intangible
and achieve the impossible.”
the shadowy, dark place of the
dead, there is separation from
God. In Psalm 6:3. we read: “For
in death there is no remembrance
of thee; in Sheol who can give
thee praise?” But the Psalmist of
Psalm 139 is saying that even in
Sheol, God is there!
NEVER OUT OF HAND
But, just as we are never hidden
from God’s sight, so we are never
hidden from his power. “If I take
the wings of morning and dwell in
the utter most parts of the sea,
even there thy hand shall lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me”
(139:9,10). And that’s the encour
aging part of this discovery. It is
frightening to think that we can
never hide anything including
ourselves from God, but it is
also comforting to know that we
can never be beyond his help. Nor
can we ever be so lost in the dark
ness that he cannot see uk “If I
say, ‘Let only darkness cover me,
and the light about me be light,’
even the darkness is not dark to
thee, the night is bright as the day;
for darkness is as light to thee”
(139:11,12).
The Psalmist realizes how futile
it is to try to hide from God. The
Lord not only knows him now, but
He knew him before he existed;
“Thy eyes beheld my unformed
substance; in thy bode were writ
ten, every one of them, the days
that were formed for me, when as
yet there was none of them”
(139:16). And he will always
know him. “When I awake, I am
still with thee” (139:18). Whether
he meant “awake” from sleep or
“awake” from his delusion of be
ing hidden, the result is the same;
"I am still with thee.”
At last the Psalmist comes to
that realization that awaits us all;
since we cannot hide anything or
ourselves from God, then let us be
as open to him as we can: “Search
me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting!” (139:23,24). No
longer is God the One from whom
we cannot hide, but the One whom
we invite into our lives at every
level.
Lancaster Farming
- Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Bphrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Bphrata, PA 17522
-by-
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Sleinman Enterprise
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett a Newawangar Managing Editor
Copyright 1996 by Lancaster Farming