AlO-Lanc—tef Farming, Saturday, August 17, 1998
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Real Farm Sustainability
Just because you call alternative agriculture sustainable does
not make it so. Alternative agriculture may rely less on inputs, but
production may be diminished to the extent that the bottom line is
no better than before. In addition, with lower production, two of
the major responsibilities of agriculture may be lost.
Agriculture should prevent hunger around the world and pro
tect wildlife from the loss of habitat. Today’s modem, high
yielding fanning practices are the most sustainable we have ever
had. They are continuing to change and improve in efficiency,
safety, and sensitivity to the environment in direct proportion to
our investments in agricultural research and technology.
The evidence of mainstream farming’s gains in yield and sus
tainability reinforces the call for additional research investments
to develop high-yield technologies further, to meet these goals
and the increasing demands placed on agriculture, and to do so
safely and without failing in our long-term responsibility to wild
life or the environment. Low yield production means we will
need to plow up mote land to feed the world and in doing this we
reduce the land that can be given to sustaining wildlife and even
endangered species.
We must base our efforts on the real issues of agricultural sus
tainability and not on secondary social issues or unfounded fears.
♦ Farm Forum ♦
Editor,
After a thorough review regard
ing the need of the Northeast
Daily Compact, U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture Dan Glickman has
given the green light to allow the
Compact to become a reality.
The U.S. Congress approved
the Compact in the 1996 Farm Bill
and it was signed into law by Pre
sident Clinton on April 5, 19%.
However, Congress placed a
stipulation on the Compact which
gave Secretary Glickman the re
sponsibility to review the need of
the Compact and the impact the
Compact could have on the total
dairy industry.
All six New England States are
part of the Compact, and they now
will be gearing up to implement
the new pricing concept.
The U.S. Congress actions also
allow six other states to join the
Compact However, each of the
six individual states must pass
needed legislation which will al
low the states to become part of
the Compact
Now is the time for our state
legislators to take action. Sen.
John Kuhl Jr., chairman of the
New York State Ag Committee
has already introduced the needed
legislation in the New York Sen
ate. Eleven other senators co
sponsored the bill. Assemblyman
William Parmen has also intro
duced the needed Bill in the New
York Assembly.
In Pennsylvania, Sen. Roger
Madigan, chairman of the Penn
sylvania Senate Ag Committee,
has introduced Senate Bill 1637
which would allow Pennsylvania
to join the Compact Sen. Madi
gan immediately responded with
his action after Fro Ag and others
Crawford County Fair, thru Aug.
24.
Pa. Holstein Central Champion
ship Show, Huntingdon Fair
OPINION
held meetings with him and we
held to public meetings.
Now is the time for dairy farm
ers to contact their state represen
tatives and senators urging them
to support the proposed bills in
Harrisburg and Albany. Also,
dairy farmers in the other four
states should become involved.
These states are New Jersey, Dela
ware, Maryland and Virginia. The
governors in these stales should be
contacted and be urged to support
their states participation in the
Compact.
All dairy farmers must be aware
of strong rumors circulating
around the milk shed regarding
possible court actions that might
be taken by some milk handlers in
an attempt to block the implemen
tation of the Compact Again, I
urge all dairy fanners to contact
their buying handlers and urge
them to refrain from such actions.
With the strong possibilities of
milk prices paid to dairy farmers
approaching $l6 cwt this fall, it
will become easy for everyone to
become complacent toward any
new idea. Remember blend prices
in Order II fell from $15.47 cwt in
December of 1989 to $11.23 in
December of 1990 ($4.24 de
cline). Let’s not let it happen
again!
The Northeast Dairy Compact
could become a very important in
strument in maintaining much
needed higher prices for dairy
fanners.
You as a dairy farmer will play
an important role in the total ef
fort
Arden Tewksbury
Progressive Agriculture Organization
Meshoppen
grounds, Huntingdon, 4 p.m.
Third Annual Olde-Tyme Peach
Festival, Middletown, Del., 10
a.m.-4 p.m.
Northeast District 4-H Dairy
Show, Wycqming County Fair-
To Plan
Fall Seedings
Late August and early Septem
ber is a good time to establish new
pastures or new stands of grass or
alfalfa, according to Glenn Shirk,
extension dairy agent
Soil moisture and temperature
in early September generally favor
good germination and growth.
Compared to spring seedings,
there is less risk of young seedlings
being stressed or killed by hot,
droughthy conditions of summer.
Weed competition is less of a
factor with late summer seedings
because many of the annual weeds
will be killed by frost Young grass
and alfalfa seedlings thrive better
in the cooler months of fall. If soils
are dry, keep the alfalfa seed in the
bag until moisture conditions
improve.
If alfalfa is seeded too late, it
may not be well established before
entering winter dormancy. In that
case it may be better to wait for an
early spring seeding.
To Look At
Kernel Milk Line
Based on criteria of total plant
yield, nutritive value and diy mat
ter content, com silage harvest
(tower silos) should begin by one
half milk line (ML) and should
conclude by three fourths ML.
The ML forms on the endos-
grounds, Meshoppcn.
Warren County Holstein Sale,
Fairgrounds, Pittsfield, noon.
Ephrata Area Young Farmer Ice
Cream Social, Woodcrest
Retreat, 7:30 p.m.
Pa. Angus Field Day, Lime Ridge
Farm, Milton, 9:30 a.m.
Water Gardening, Hill Crest
Country Club, Lower Burrell,
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Carroll County Forgotten Arts
Festival, Westminster, Md.,
Franklin County Fair, thru Aug.
24.
Fulton County Fair, thru Aug. 24.
Somerset County Fair, thru Aug.
24.
Westmoreland County Fair, thru
Aug. 25.
Delaware State Grange picnic,
Claude Hoffman’s Farm, 2:30
Harford Fair, thru Aug. 24.
Mountain Area Fair, thru Aug. 24.
Sykesville Ag and Youth Fair, thru
Aug. 24.
Williamsburg Community Farm
Show, thru Aug. 24.
Susquehanna County Holstein
Show, Fairgrounds. Harford,
10 a.m.
A.I. Training School, Brethren
Service Center, New Windsor,
Md.. thru Aug. 21.
Penn State Bradford County Jersey
(Turn to Page Al 9)
perm tide of con kernels at they
pass from late milk to early dough
stage. As this begins, a starch layer
forms at the outer rim of the kernel.
The dent forms them as the starch
hardens around this outer kernel
rim. The conversion to hard starch
then moves down the kernel from
the dent (crown) to the tip during
the next 10 to 20 days, depending
on the hybrid.
Kernel color turns more yellow
as the starch in the endosperm
farthest from the cob turns solid.
When the ML reaches the kernel
tip, the Mack layer of cells forms,
indicating the kernel starch accu
mulation is complete.
To Examine Fields
For Blue Mold
The past week’s weather (cloud
cover, cool temperatures, and rain)
has been perfect for blue mold
growth.
Tobacco fields that have not
been lopped should be checked for
WHATEVER BECAME OF
SIN?
August 18, 1996
Background Scripture:
Psalms 51
Devotional Reading:
Ezekiel 18:25-32
Twenty-three years ago, Karl
Menninger, M.D., co-founder of
the famous Menninger psychiatric
center in Topeka. Kansas, wrote a
book entitled, “Whatever Became
of Sin?" (Hawthorn Books, NY).
The book shocked a lot of peo
ple because the concept had
seemed to become, obsolete, even
with many Christians. Struggling
against an overemphasis upon the
sinfulness of human nature, many
people went to the other extreme
of denying the concept of sin
itself. According to the prevailing
mood of many, people did not so
much sin as make mistakes.
Instead of being sinful, they were
presumed simply misguided.
Many people ascribed to the con
cept of sin serious problems of
low self-esteem.
Then along came a respected
psychiatrist who said that mental
and moral health are identical and
concept of sin is essential to both.
Granted that some religionists
emphasized human sinfulness to
the exclusion of'everything else,
when we deny the reality of sin we
deny ourselves the opportunity of
true self-esteem.
FACING THE BEAST
The late Samuel Terrien, Pro
fessor of Hebrew and Old Testa
ment at Union Theological Semi
nary in New York, in commenting
upon the Slst Psalm, wrote that:
“The psalmist knows that a con
sciousness of sin, far from leading
man into pessimism, despondency
and despair (as many humanists
and psychologist maintain), is on
the contrary the prerequisite for
the healing of personality and dis
covery of the power to live aright”
(The Psalms And Their Meaning
Today, Bobbs-Merrill, 1952).
Essentially, that is what Dr.
Karl Menninger was saying, too.
Only when we recognize the reali
ty of sin and deal with it forth
rightly can we escape the joy that
it sucks out of our lives. Classic
Christianity is not obsessed with
human depravity but the joy of
escaping from the guilt which no
one needs to teach us. Unless we
are mentally or morally impaired.
blue mold Fleldi that are being
topped or have been topped will
require no treatment
If you find blue mold in late
tobacco. John Yocum, Penn State
agronomist recommends you
spray with Acrobat He reminds
formers it is illegal to spray
Ridomil over the top of tobacco.
Ridomil is not labeled for this type
of spray and there is a good chance
the blue mold is resistant to this
chemical.
To help answer questions on the
growth and spread of blue mold,
formers are being asked to report
blue mold findings to Robert
Anderson, extension agronomy
agent at (717) 394-6851 or John
Yocum at (717) 653-4728.
Remember, blue mold appears
as yellow spots on the leaf with a
blue gray fuzzy growth on the
underside of the leaf.
Feather Prof.'s Footnote:
"Courage: The ability to over
come obstacles along the way."
guilt, no matter how well and
deeply repressed, poisons us from
within. As Seneca has said, “Some
have sinned with safety, but none
with peace of soul.” That is the
bad news.
The Slst psalm beautifully
demonstrates the need for repen
tance and forgiveness. The psal
mist uses four different words to
label what bedevils his consci
ence: “Sin,” “iniquity.” “trans
gressions,” and “that which is
evil.” “Have mercy on me, O God,
according to they steadfast love;
according to thy abundant mercy,
blot out my transgressions, wash
me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin”
(51:1,2).
DELIBERATE & TWISTED
A transgression means an act of
deliberate rebellion. Iniquity rep
resents a twisted or distorted state
of mind and soul. Sin is missing
the mark or falling short of the
goal. Note that the psalmist meets
the problem head on, neither
excusing himself or trying to shift
the blame, even partially, to
others. “Against thee, thee only,
have I sinned, and done that which
is evil in thy sight” (v.4a). Nothing
keeps guilt persisting within us
more than failing to consciously
recognize it Once we see it, we
can get rid of it And that is the
good news!
The psalmist uses diverse terms
to indicate what he is seeking from
the Lord: Mot out erase it from
the record, wash me thoroughly—
to purify completely, and cleanse
me —free me of that which makes
me feel unclean.
But the psalmist wants to be
free not only of his sins that he has
committed, but of the sinful pro
clivity that gave rise to the sins.
He asks not only to be forgiven,
but to be made a new person:
“Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and put a new and right spirit
within me” (v. 10). Following for
giveness there must be transfor
mation.
“Restore to me the joy of thy
salvation, and uphold me with a
willing spirit. Then I will teach
transgressors thy ways, and sin
ners will return to thee”
(vs, 12,13).
Lancaster Panning
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 B. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
Robert G. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newawanger Managing Editor
Copyright 1996 by Lancaster Farming