AIQ-Lancastar Farming, Saturday, September 14, 1996 UafeMßlS OPINION A Life Saved Each year thousands of collisions between automobiles and farm vehicles on U.S. highways result in serious injuries or death. Off-highway accidents, including tractor rollovers, add to the tragic toll. An analysis of data from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health indicates that between one-third to one-half of fatal farm injuries involve tractors. A major time for farm accidents is when farm equipment is moved on public highways. As more and more acres are added to individual operations, the need to move equipment from field to field on public highways increases. You can reduce the risk of accident by planning to move equipment when on-farm traffic is low. If you avoid making left hand turns, you can also reduce your risk, even if it means going an extra mile or two out of the way. You may also want to consider using someone to drive a car or pickup truck in front or back of the slow-moving vehicle. A majority of roadway accidents involving farm machinery are rear-end collisions. Therefore, the extra vehicle’s driver should turn on the hazard signals and follow the slow moving farm equipment. The National Safety Council has designated next week, Sep tember IS to 21 as Farm Safety and Health Week. Throughout the 52 years of this observance, progress has been made in some areas, still other areas are a growing concern to the oldest industry in the U.S. For example, the average age of the American farmer is approaching 55 years. Also, in 1995, data shows the number one killer of farmers 65 years of age and over is tractor overturns. In the rush to get the fall harvest in the bams, cribs and silos, it is a good time to again remember that taking a little more time to do what is necessary to be safe will go a long way toward elimi nating costly accidents. The life you save may be someone’s fam ily member. S.E. Small Animal Show, Berks Beaver Community Fair thru Sept. 21. Gratz Fair thru Sept. 21. Honey Harvest Fest, Hashawha Environmental Center, West minster, Md., noon. Berks 4-H Open Horse Show, 4-H Tuesday, September 17 Harmony Grange Fair, thru Sept. 21. PennAg Annaul Convention, Hotel Hershey. Plastic pesticide container recy cling, Agway Crops Center, Blairsville, noon-4 p.m. Plastic pesticide container recy cling, Agway Crops Center, Eighty Four, noon-4 p.m. Plastic pesticide container recy cling, Agway Crops Center, Kittanning, noon-4 p.m. Plastic pesticide container recy cling, Agway Crops Center, New Wilmington, noon-4 p.m. ADADC Dist. S. meeting, Canajohoric/Fort Plain Elks Lodge, NeUiston, N.Y., 7:30 Dclmarva Broiler Housing and Flock Supervisors’ Confer ence, Delmarva Convention Center, Delmar, Md. Northeast Poultry Show, Holiday Inn Lancaster Host, thru Sept. 19. Southern Lancaster County Fair, thru Sept. 20. Berlin Brothersvalley Fair, thru Sept. 21. ■> Field D; Sept. 21. Oley Valley Community Fair, thru Sept. 21. Vermont Feed Dealers and Manu facturing Association annual (Turn to Pago A 37) Editor, While milk prices paid to area dairy farmers are escalating to higher levels than what most peo ple anticipated, our predictions that blend prices may go over $16.00 per cwt may come true on October’s produced milk. However, many dairy farmers are very apprehensive regarding the possibility of maintaining cur rent prices. One of the most realis tic ways will bp if dairy farmers don’t allow their production of milk to exceed the current strong To Observe Farm Safety This year is the S3rd anniversary of National Farm Safety and Health Week. During the week of Sept 15-21, the National Safety Council encourages all Americans to put special emphasis on farm safety. Agriculture still remains on of the most dangerous industries in America. U.S. data shows the number one killer of farmers 65 years of age and over is tractor overturns. In addition, thousands of child ren are injured on farms each year. Many farm tasks are being per formed by young children living on farms. Appropriate protective mea sures should be taken when a farm task involves children. As business owners, you are responsible for the health and safety of your employ ees and family members. Make safety a high priority and insure you have a safe and healthy work environment. To Vote In Sheep Referendum The United States Department of Agriculture will conduct a sec ond sheep referendum on sheep and wool promotion, research, education, and information on OcL 1. The order will go into effect if it is approved in this referendum by sheep producers and feeders and importers of sheep and sheep products. If approved, the order will become final and a nationwide program will go into effect to col lect assessments from the sheep and wool industry to cany out research and promotion activities. In-person voting will take place in the county extension offices on OcL 1. Voters who wish to vote absentee may request an absentee Farms, ducts. A 3 percent increase in milk production nationally could send milk prices crashing. The August blend price paid to Order #2 producers could approach December 1989 price of $15.47. (the highest blend price paid to order 2 producers) Because of the continued esca lation of the major class prices, dairy farmers are reasonably sure of seeing the blend price going over $16.00 cwt for October’s and November’s milk. Order #2's October Class I ballot from the extension office that serves the voter’s residence or place of business. Requests for absentee ballots must be made by Sept. 17 and completed and returned to the extension office by Sept 27. To be eligible to vote you must have been a person engaged in the production, feeding, or importa tion of sheep or sheep products during calendar year 1994. To Manage Feed Inventories Feed prices are high and they are expected to remain high for several years. Purchased feed costs is the major expense of producing meat, milk, and' eggs. The price of feeds is generally lowest at harvest time, according to Glenn Shirk, extension dairy agent. Thus, sharp farm mangers will be making an effort to lock in feed supplies and feed prices by BY LAWRENCE W. ALTHOUSE ‘mukls SPI DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? September 15, 1996 DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? September IS, 1996 Background Scripture: Jeremiah 1 Devotional Reading: Galatians 1:11-17 His response is not all that un usual, for, when Moses was called by God while tending his father in-law’s flocks, he responded: “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah, and bring the sons of Is rael out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). When God called Saul to be Is rael’s king, he hid among the bag gage. And when God spoke to Isaiah in the temple, he replied, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). But, no matter what we may think or say when we hear God’s voice, he never dials a wrong number! True, we are not up to the tasks to which he calls us none of us, including Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah. But the power comes from him; “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth” (1:9b) and “.. .they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you” (1:19). God does speak to you make no mistake about that. When you’re unsure, ask him: “Did you say something. Lord?” And when he answers, what will you say? I’m only one man! That’s no job for a woman! I don’t - have the ability. I’m only a (you fill in the NOT EXTRAORDINARY bli Recently, I raised my voice to ask my wife in the next room, “Did you say something?” “No,” came her reply, “I just sneezed!” At times it is difficult to know exactly what you are hearing. This is true also in communicating with God, at least from our standpoint I’m sure God always knows when we arc speaking to him, but there are many times when we aren’t sure whether what we’ve heard is the voice of God or a noise from some less divine source. In John 12:29 God speaks to Jesus in the presence of some of his followers. But, “The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thund ered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him’.” In Jeremiah 1:4 we find that the prophet is convinced that God has spoken to him in very precise terms: “Now the word of the Lord came to me saying . .We may regard Jeremiah’s experience as something quite extraordinary. Yet, what made it extraordinary was not Jeremiah himself, but the power with which God endowed him. I am convinced that it is not extraordinary for God to speak to us. Maybe the only extraordinary thing is for us to recognize and re spond to that voice. What Jeremiah heard God say ing is something that all of us can hear. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (1:5a). All of us know whether through heavenly voices or as the conclu sion of serious thinking that it was God who gave us life and that he alone knows who we really are. Jeremiah also heard God say, . . and before you were bom I conse crated y0u..(1:5b). Most of us probably acknowledge that in many different ways God has told us that he created us for some pur contracting, hedging, and purchas ing feeds at harvest time and stor ing them until needed. These may be profitable moves, even if you have to borrow money for a few months to do it If interest rates are 9 percent, it will cost you 9 cents to borrow one dollar for one year or 4.5 cents to borrow it for 6 months. If com is one dollar less a bushel at harvest time, it would be beneficial to spend 4.5 to 9 cents in interest to save one dol lar in purchased feed cost (minus storage costs). Plus you have the satisfaction of having an adequate supply of feed at a known price and quality. The important thing is to look ahead and determine future feed' needs and push the pencil and talk with your loan officer to discuss financing and its application to your farm. Feather Prof.'s Footnote: "Teamwork divides the task and doubles the success." But Jeremiah also heard some thing quite specific about God’s purpose: “I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (l:Sc). Are you really quite certain God has not been that specific with you? He may not have told you that he appointed you as a prophet to the nations, but I’m certain he has specifically appointed you to something and you have not even asked, “Did you say something. Lord?” If appears that Jeremiah thought God had dialed a wrong number. He can’t be a prophet because “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth” ... (1:6a). He could also have said that he didn’t have the education for it and that he was too frail for a prophet’s hard life. WRONG NUMBERS? lank). But don’t believe it He doesn’t Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 B. Main St. Ephrata. PA 17522 -by- Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Steinman Enterprise Robert G. Campboll Qomnl Manager Evaialt R. Nawawangar Managing Editor Copyright 1996 by Lencester Farming
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers