Faritiing,' S*h/rd«y, November 23, 1996
t
bIMK
The Farmer As A
Public Relations Specialist
Most farmers don’t think of themselves as public relations spe
cialists. And yet one of the greatest needs in our society is to have
the good news of agriculture communicated to the general public.
Farm-City Week, November 22-28, is a good time to think
about how you can improve relations with your city and urban
neighbors. Not only arc we dependent upon the people in our
communities to buy our products, they provide a variety of
important services. Of course, we provide an abundant food
supply that takes just 11.4 percent of an average family’s income.
In addition, 20 percent of all jobs are dependent on agriculture’s
base in the economy.
The National Farm-City Week originated in 1955. Since then,
farm-city programs have expanded to more than 15,000 com
munities nationwide. Many farm-city councils work throughout
the year to strengthen understanding and communication
between consumers and producers with activities such as job
exchanges, banquets, farm and business tours, poster and photo
graphy contests, youth and family exchanges, career days, or
commodity festivals.
But the most important event in farm-urban relations comes
from individual farmers. Get to know your neighbors. It is easier
to talk to people you know if a problem occurs. Wave as you drive
by.
Call and alert neighbors not to hang out laundry on days you
spread manure. Your own bath towels don’t smell very good if
they have dried on the line downwind from your own manure
spreading operation. Think of what it would be like if this hap
pened and you were not accustomed to the farm smells.
Ask neighbors if they have picnics coming up or other special
events that would be disrupted if you spread manure or spray.
Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Today, one farmer produces enough food and fiber for 129
people. In Pennsylvania, along with the food processors, farming
annually creates $3.74 billion in cash receipts and $4O billion in
related economic activity. But these fantastic statistics don’t
mean a hill of beans if your neighbor hates your farming
operation.
So do a little public relations work during Farm-City Week,
You may find this work enjoyable.
Dauphin County Holstein Club
Annual Meeting, Western Siz
zlin Steakhouse, Harrisburg,
noon.
Susquehanna County Farm-City
Feast, Mountain View High
[ Vlnnil ;n, Nmynilu-r 25 |
Lehigh Valley Horse Council
meeting. Community Room,
Whitehall Mall, 7:30 p.m.
Milk Marketing Meeting, Double
Tree Hotel, Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.
and Nov. 26, noon.
Frederick County Walk-A-Bout,
Grossnickle Farm, Inc., Walk-
Banquet, Holiday Inn, Lancas
ter Host Resort, 5:30 p.m.
Statewide Dairy Organizational
Meeting, New Midway Fire
Hall, Woodsboro Pike, Md., 10
a.m.
Susquehanna River Basin Com
mission meeting, Radisson
Penn Harris, Camp Hill, 9 a.m.
Del. State Grange delegates meet-
C r ital G) Hall, Do 1
OPINION
Ihiii'sdaN, Nom'lhlut 2S
I hanksj>i\ Da\
Sinula\. IHtimilht 1
N.Y. Farm Bureau Convention,
(Turn to Page A3l)
Editor:
Re: Opinion column Nov. 9,
1996.
Yes, $lO to $2O for a 100 lb.
veal calf is not very much. But
what is there? As I see it, just a
pile of slime! Many umbilical
cords are still wet-looking as the
calf goes through the auction ring.
Is it any wonder the consumer is
turned off? I sure ami Re: your
last sentence.
When I was growing up on a
To Celebrate
Farm-City Week
November 22-28 is National
Farm-City Week.
This is the week we recognize
the importance of both farms and
cities. Without farms, cities would
have no food. Without cities or
towns, farmers would have no
markets or producers of equipment
and supplies needed in agricultural
production.
The link between our fanners
and urban dwellers is vital to eco
nomic opportunity and economic
progress throughout the state.
Urban and rural residents need to
work together to ensure a better
quality of life for future
generations.
As suburbs continue to grow
and replace farmland, there is
sometimes a lack of effective com
munication between rural and
urban neighbors.
This would be a good week to
stop and visit your neighbors. Stop
and talk to them. Take them a gift
of your farm production and thank
them for being a good neighbor.
A small act of kindness goes a
long way in building a good
relationship.
To Know
Some Statistics
Pennsylvania has the largest rur
al population of any state in the
nation, along with some of the
most productive farms and
industries.
She has 51,000 farm families
and 2,300 food processing compa
nies. This places her among the top
five states nationally in the produc
tion of eggs, milk, cheese, ice
cream, butter, mushrooms, potato
chips, grapes, tart cherries, trout,
apples, pears, and Christmas trees.
With $3.73 billion in annual
cash receipts, Pennsylvania’s agri
culture generates an additional $4O
billion in related economic activity
each year. It also creates jobs for
20 percent of our residents.
Agricultural exports are valued
at $431 million annually. With 12
small farm some 55 years ago, our
calves were milk fed (not milk
replacer) for six weeks and would
weight out in the range of 190 to
225 pounds.
Can’t you just imagine the nice
veal steaks from such an animal
versus the present day ground up
slime mixed with whatever filler,
so called veal cutlet?
Can it be said today that a calf is
just a necessay evil in order to pro
(Turn to Page A 25)
million people. Pennsylvania
ranks fifth nationally in
population.
The highway system is the
fourth largest in the nation. There
are 43,000 miles of state highways,
115,000 miles of secondary high
ways, and 1,567 miles of interstate
highways. Our rail system
includes more than 60 railroads
and 6,000 miles of railways.
With more than 800 airports and
six international airports, Pennsyl
vania ranks fourth in the number of
airports nationwide and landing
facilities per square mile.
This infrastructure makes it pos
sible for Pennsylvania farmers to
market their products to a large
segment of the United States,
Canada’s, and world’s population.
To Protect
Venison Quality
Pennsylvania deer season
begins soon.
According to Robert Anderson,
THE SOUND OF DRY
BONES
November 24, 1996
Background Scripture:
Ezekiel 37
Devotional Reading:
Hosea 14:1-9
Have you ever known true de
spair —even if just momentarily?
Have you ever concluded that
there was no solution to your
problem, no way out of your des
perate situation?
If you haven’t, I salute you.
And maybe even envy you un
less it means that your time is sdll
to come! Few of us escape com
pletely the experience of despair
and hopelessness. I am much more
an optimist than a pessimist, but
there have been times in the dark
night of the soul when I have won
dered if morning light would even
return. In those moments I could
say with the exiled people of Ju
dah, “Our bones are dried up, and
our hope lost; we are clean cut
off’ (37:11).
The visionary Valley of the Dry
Bones which the Spirit of the Lord
shows Ezekiel was quite possibly
an actual valley wherein the peo
ple of Judah fought the Babylon
ians and lost, not only the battle,
but the kingdom as well. Either
literally or figuratively it was a
valley strewn with the sun-dried
bones of the losers. Actually or
symbolically, it was the graveyard
of Judah’s hopes. A valley of
wounded soldiers might still give
some hope, but a valley of dry
bones holds no promise.
THE GRAVE OF HOPES
E.L. Allen, writing an exposi
tion on this chapter, asks: “Who
among us has not stood at some
time or other by the grave of his
hopes?” The grave of our hopes
may be a home destroyed by na
tural disaster or a brokenness of
human relationships. 1 may be a
career which has come to an
abrupt, apparent end or a physical
condition that promises only dis
ability and perhaps even death. Or
it may be a deep feeling that the
very stuff of human vitality has
dried up within us and we can no
longer meet life’s demands.
Sometimes we despair because
we wrongly interpret our situa
tion. We may jump to the mistak
en conclusion that “All is lost!”
when it is not. We may misinter
pret the severity of our danger or
Lancaster County extension agent,
the deer hunter needs to remember
that venison quality depends on
how it is handled.
Preserving carcass quality
begins with the right tools and an
understanding of what to do after
the deer is bagged.
The best quality venison is
obtained with proper field dress
ing. Excessive blood, the digestive
tract, and other internal organs
should be removed immediately.
The body cavity should then be
washed with clean water as soon as
possible. Any organs being kept
should also be washed thoroughly.
Cool the carcass as quickly as
possible. Avoid transporting the
carcass on the hood of a vehicle
where it will warm up. During
warm weather, keeping the carcass
cool is critical in avoiding meat
spoilage.
Feather Prof's Footnote: "We
make a living by what we get. We
make a life by what we give."
the resilience of our resources. But
there are times when our despair is
justified because we have nothing
left with which to struggle but the
skeletons of our failures and vicis
situdes.
This was the situation that faced
the people of Judah. Any realist,
even the most optimistic of the lot,
would have to agree that there was
nothing for which they could
hope. Judah and her jewel in the
crown, Jerusalem, was a stone
cold memory, nothing more at
least from a very human point of
view. This is what Ezekiel saw in
the valley, nothing but dry bones!
And the writer tells us “and 10,
they were very dry” (37:3).
CAN THESE BONES LIVE?
I would like to know what
Ezekiel thought and felt when
God asked this ominous question:
“Son of man, can these bones
live?” He knew that there was no
way humanly possible for these
bones to live again. Yet, he also
knew the Lord and must have
wondered whether God was going
to do something spectacular. His
answer is guarded and open
ended, “O Lord God, thou know
est.”
His answer of possibility is just
enough an opening of the door
through which God can accomp
lish his mighty act. It appears that
this is something in which he
needs Ezekiel’s compliance.
“Prophesy to these bones, and say
to them, O dry bones, hear the
word of the Lord” (37:5). The pro
phet is no mere spectator to the
miracle of rebirth, but the agent
through which it takes place. So
long as there is a prophet willing
to speak for God and dry bones
ready to listen, there is nothing for
God which is impossible. “So I
prophesied as I was commanded;
and as I prophesied, there was a
noise...” the sound of the dry
bones taking on sinew and flesh
and Anally breath, a whole people
rising up from the grave.
When we obey God’s com
mand, the spirit breathes into us a
miraculous new life and breath
and those dry bones can live
again. That and that only is the
ground of our hope.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
I E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by-
Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
Robert Q. Campbell General Maneger
Everett R. Newawanger Managing Editor
Copyright 1996 by Lancaster Farming