Ainprwdw FyntiqfrjMtu^^febarnll, ■wtsaKpPittiiH OPINION Clean Air, The Internet, And An Angry Public Some of the comments made by speakers at this week’s National Poultry Waste Management Symposium were sure to raise a lot of hackles, especially those who study trends and recognize the wake-up calls. Wes Jamison, assistant professor of the environment and public pol icy at the University of Arkansas, spoke about how poultry producers must learn to deal with local officials and opposition groups—or face the consequences. Jamison, who remarked at the symposium that in Arkasas, “poultry is politics,’’ spoke about trends and changes in how the industry is reacting to the increasing amount of politics played as a result of a mote affluent, more educated society that has instant access (through the Internet) to loads of information. There is a saying, “environmentalism is a disease of success.” Because the poultry and other food industries have become so success ful in the U.S., affluence and education have risen in the general publ ic. Consequently, people have the time to get involved in politics and are setting the political agenda in their own backyards. Social science data indicate that the general public is increasingly well informed about issues that indirectly and directly affect them. In a question and answer session after Jamison spoke, because of newspapers, televi sion, and the Internet, Jamison remarked, ‘Tf a little bit of knowledge is dangerous, then we have a very dangerous public.” They serve on the boards of townships and in boroughs. They wield enormous politi cal clout and can stop growth in the poultry industry at will. Jamison told the producers that nowhere in the federal constitution is there a law giving producers the “right to farm" even though many states have their own laws, producers must do more to protect what rights they have to make a living. What is frightening is that Jamison believes that, in years to come, the Clean Air Law will be rewritten to include the esthetic aspects not just clean air, according to scientific guidelines, but air that smells good. Could there be a time when you could be put out of business by someone living in a development who simply cannot stand the smell of chicken manure, and claim it is federal law? People arc also becoming more “atomized and individualistic.” Jamison indicated. In the conference’s proceedings. Jamison wrote, “.. . social scientists have noted a disturbing trend mount among the American public away from reliance upon community decision making processes and toward individualistic decision pro cess. ... evidence indicates that people ate trusting less in traditional communitarian decisions and trusting more in themselves.” They watch a lot of TV. They hear the comments on a popular TV show, “Trust no one.” Jamison indicated that as a result, “people do not trust authority anymore” and often ignore the results of experts. These fundamental changes in American thinking are not going to go away easily. Jamison mentioned a book published by Lawrence Suskin, “Dealing With The Angry Public.” Jamison said that poultry producers should read that and start to take steps necessary to protect what we consider America’s right to be fed by American farmers. And, because the “conflict is intensifying it’s not going away,” said Jamsion, we believe farmers must do all they can to educate the public and take steps now to protect their future livelihood. S.itiii d.»\. (Klulht 26 Chester County Beef Assurance Meeting. Herr Farms Feedlot, 9 a.m. Delmarva Driving Club, the Fall Harvest at Pepperbox, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Pa. State Grange Convention. Pumpkin Patch Weekend, Landis Valley Museum, Oct. 26, 27. Maryland Shorthorn Association’s Fall Calf Sale, Frederick Fair through Oct. 31, Warren- Forrest Pomona Granges. Family Day on the Farm Resche duled, Mt. Ararat Farms, Port fits, Mercer County Coopera- Expo Center, through Oct. 30. Lancaster 4-H Swine banquet, Country Table Restaurant, Ml Joy. Lancaster County Poultry banquet. Willow Valley Convention Center. 6:30 p.m. Adams County Holstein Associa tion, East Berlin Fire Hall, 7 p.m. Pond Meeting. Carl Plummer farm, Fairlee, 1 p.m. Pesticide Applicator License Exam, Donohoe Center, Greensburg, 7-10 p.m. and Westmoreland County Com munity College. Youngwood, 10 a.m.-Noon. Cochranville-Atglen area farm 1 fr >fLee id Ramada Inn, Somerset. Cecil Soil Conservation District’s Annual Banquet, Sandy Grove To Prevent Feed Spoilage Bumper crop yields this year may force you to use alternative methods for storing feed, pile com higher on bam floors, etc. A rainy harvest season may make it difficult for com moisture to drop low enough for safe keep ing. These and other situations increase the risk of feed spoilage. Glenn Shirk, extension dairy agent, offers the following prac tices to reduce feed spoilage: 1. Dry grains down and cool them down as much as possible before storage. 2. Separate fines and trash from grains before storage to improve air circulation. 3. Clean storage facilities and treat grain for insect control. 4. Use narrow cribs and aerate large, round wire cribs. 5. Do not pile grain high and turn piles occasionally to aerate them. 6. Use a mold inhibitor with new, moist grain when preparing feed mixes. 7. Keep fermented feeds fresh. Feed it more frequently and keep feed bunks clean. 8. Prevent plastic from being punctured or gnawed. Fence them off and control weeds. 9. After feed has been removed from a bag, seal it up tightly again. To Be Safe Harvesttime is often spoiled by accidents which cause injury, loss of human limbs or even life. Robert Anderson, extension agronomy agent, reminds us that a few simple rules will help to keep this harvest season a safe one: • Keep children off and away from equipment • Keep all shields in place den Gate Restaurant, Prospect Bedford/Blair Vegetable Grow- p.m. Equipment Conference, Atlan ta, Georgia, Atlanta Marriott, through Nov. 3. Country Music Show, Talbot County Auditorium, Easton, MD, 7 p.m. Emu farmers Seminar, Pa. Farm Show Building. Pa. Equine Council EXPO and annual meeting, Wilson Col lege. Chambersburg. (Turn to Page A3l) • Always shut off the power before getting out of the operator’s seat, especially to unclog equip ment or make adjustments • Adjust the ground speed to match operating conditions • Teach children not to play contractors on equipment, even when it is not being used • Watch overhead power lines when moving equipment • Operate elevators and augers with care • When operating any equip ment on the road, be extremely cautious check tires, hitches, lights, slow moving vehicle emb lems and brakes. Let’s keep this harvest season a safe one. To Practice Farm Shop Safety A good farm shop is a valuable asset. It is also the site of cutting, grinding, chipping, and cleaning operations that may cause cuts, amputations, eye injuries and WHERE THE BUCK STOPS October 27, 1996 WHERE THE BUCK STOPS October 27, 1996 Background Scripture: Ezekiel 18 Devotional Reading: Psalms 3:1-12 It was a startling new idea that Ezekiel was presenting to the peo ple of Israel: “The son shall not suffer nor the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteous ness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (18:20). This message stands in vivid contrast to that which has been the traditional Hebrew concept since the days of the Exodus: “..visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations...” (Exodus 20:5). This is the idea of corporate responsibility. If a man sinned, either his neighbor or his grandson might suffer because of it So, the Jews in Babylonian exile blamed their fathers for their misfortunes. Their fathers had sinned and they were paying for it! As the old proverb put it: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the child ren’s teeth are set on edge” (Ezek, 18:2). WHOSE FAULT? Quite contemporary, isn’t it? ”1 am what I am because my parents made me this way!” “Now look what you made me do!” As a pas toral counselor I have listened to many people bemoan what others have done to them: parents, spouses, bosses, community, gov ernment and so on. Many of these people have a right to feel victimized. But all too often we fail to rec ognize our own responsibility. Yes. you may have had a drunken father or an unloving mother and it has certainly affected the develop ment of who and what you are. But, at what point in life do you assume responsibility for what you do with your bad or tragic his tory? When do we stop blaming others? Ezekiel is saying that his people arc not suffering for their fathers’ sins, but for their own. “If a man is righteous,” says Ezekiel, going on bums, according to Chester Hugh es, extension livestock agent Fuels and solvents contribute to farm shop fires and explosions. Fumes may be highly volatile. Ignition sources include the open flame of gas-fired space heaters and water heaters and sparks from grinding. Fuel and solvents should be handled only in well-ventilated areas and stored in secured con tainers. Use extreme caution with fuel spills in shops. Fumes may be ignited by the sparks from switch es in air compressors, refrigera tors, or light switches. Keep a fire extinguisher accessi ble. Remember to always wear eye protection when grinding, cutting, chipping, etc. to prevent eye injuries. Eye injuries are very painful, slow to heal, and often lead to loss of vision. Feather Prof’s Footnote: "The pleasure you get from life is equal to the attitude you put into it.” to list some of the ingredients of righteousness, “he shall surely live, says the Lord God” (18:5,9). And if a man lives unrighteously he shall be held responsible for his own sins. THE PRESENT MOMENT The prophet challenges them with an idea that, if not entirely new, was certainly contrary to the popular mind: “If a wicked man turns away from all this sins... and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live...” (18:21). Simi larly, “...when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity ... none of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered” (18:24). In other words, the time for salvation is always at hand. It is the present state of our souls that is important to God. I don’t believe that Ezekiel’s new concept is meant to stand in opposition to the old one of corpo rate responsiblity. Both must be recognized as part of the picture. If I sin, God will not hold account able my children, but my sins may have consequences that they can not escape. Sins, individual and corporate, do often have consequ ences that are passed on from gen eration to generation. Yet, essen tially, we have to be responsible for what we do with the lives that God gives us. Dr. Hans Selye, the late pioneer in the field of stress, tells of inter viewing two sons of the town drunk. One of these sons himself became a personal and moral fail ure; the other was one of the most respected citizens of the town. When in separate interviews Selye asked each brother to what he attributed the status of his present life, each replied, “What else would you expect with a father like mine?” One attributed his failure, the other his success, to the father’s drunken misspent life. The little sign that President Harry S. Truman kept on his desk, should be enshrined in the con sciousness of each of us: "The buck stops here.” Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Bphrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Bphrata, PA 17522 -by- Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Stelnman Enterprise Robert G. Campbell General Managar Everett R. Newawanger Managing Editor Copyright 1996 by Lancaster Farming
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers