A3s-Lkrtd««tef~ Firtnlhfl, Saturday, November 23, 1906 Farm-City Events Create (Continued from Pago A 29) Elders and Butters are to be mar ried Dec. 8. While the typical close relation ships that develop through Farm- City programs are better described as family friendships, there are many potential benefits that can result from establishing job exchange programs. Job exchange programs are fair ly widely used as Farm-City activi ties because they capitalize on what is largely regarded as the best type of long-term effective educa tion and advertising personal experience and word-of-mouth. When they get back to their own workplaces, those from non farming backgrounds who learn about actual farming practices can become “experts” on farming among their day-to-day aquaintences. Every visitor to a farm should be considered a spokesperson of agriculture. Whether the message that gets spread by that spokesperson is good or bad depends upon the experience they had at the farm. Though the sentiment has been often repeated over the years, per haps there has never been a time with such a strong need for honest, face-to-face exchanges of infor mation between the farming and non-farming people, than there is today. There are a multitude of rural/ urban issues with which to con tend. Zoning problems, other land use issues, and taxing fairness are just a few. In addition, there seems to be a general increase in misleading por trayals of day-to-day life. In some cases, the purpose for distorting truth is clearly to entertain. In other cases, such as in televi sion or other photograph-based commercial advertisements, fan tasy is presented as reality in order to stimulate a purchase ol a product. Automobiles are often portrayed on long empty highways with out electricty and tele phone lines and poles. Those highways don’t exist and the fake land scapes are actually com posite images created using computer and other techniques to make the fantasy images seem real. Who may be the worst offenders of the truth, however, are the self-created lobbyist/ advocates. These are people without a proveable or registered constituency, who claim to represent classes of people and segments of society. Using fascimile machines, letterheads and titles, they know how to work the media’s “news” system by mak ing outrageous, unsub stantiated, and generally non-science supported claims. The “news” media tends to foster these claims because they are mostly sensational, and sensationalized claims attract readers and viewers. In an era when job competition is tight, fund-raising based on inaccurate claims has become big business. Some of these people claiming to defend animals or consumers are in reality professional fund raisers. They tend to reappear time and time again, each time wearing a different mantle and crusading for cash to support a new cause. They make a living in the nation’s largest and most expen sive cities distorting facts, vilify ing animal use and farming prac tices, and creating public fear of food in order to raise “non-profit” funds for their “organizations.” They create new organizations to raise funds as each new “cause” is discovered. They also frequently name their organizations so as to confuse themselves with estab lished respectable organizations. In fact, there are even publica tions devoted to helping these types of operators come up with ways to raise funds and stage pro tests and manipulate the media. The only way to fight these career opportunists is to invite the public to see for themselves what animal use is about Farm-City programs can be a major effort in the battle to break through the false illusion of agri culture that is presented to the gen eral public. Most non-farming, job exchange participants have reported learning about the level of sophistication and dedication needed to be successful in farming and the new respect and admira tion they have for their agricultural partners. Likewise, many farmer particip ants report that they have taken away a new-found respect and understanding for certain non farming jobs. There is a national Farm-City Council that can provide some information and support materials. Supported by national businesses and donors, it held a conference in April in Birmingham, Alabama, where participants from around the United States shared experiences of successful programs, and awards were presented. 0 FRANCO BELGE #2 OIL STOVE • 33,000 BTU • Heat up to 1500 sq. ft. • No electricity required Ffr- 906 E. 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These nonfanning neighbors may complain about noise or odors from farms, or about agri cultural practices such as pesticide or fertilizer application. Conflicts often result, some times escalating into lawsuits. Pennsylvania’s “Right to Farm” law offers farmers some legal pro tection from nuisance lawsuits, but because of the costs involved, no one really wins a legal battle. “It’s easier and cheaper to pre-, vent problems from escalating in the first place,” said Dr. Timothy Kelsey, assistant professor of agri cultural economics at Penn State. “Building a trusting relationship with neighbors makes it much easier to discuss problems that arise.” “Good Neighbor Relations: Advice and Tips from Other Far mers,” a new brochure from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, contains tips and advice from 36 farmers on coexisting peacefully with nonfarming neighbors. Prices Start At $873 Low Cost Heating At Its Best! (717) 733-4973 800-642-0310 The national program has announced that public service announcements are expected to be aired during official National Farm-City Week. A fall newsletter by the national organization has information about new materials available to help with programs, such Farm- City place mats, fact cards and a brochure with a list of ideas for projects and events. There are costs associated with the materials, however. For more information about the National Farm-City Council Inc., call (312) 399-5764, or write to the organiza tion at 225 Touhy Avenue, Park ridge, Illinois, 60068. For those in the Pennsylvania seeking more information, call Yingst at (717) 787-5805. Professors Work To Bring Harmony She can provide some start-up kits and infoimation and perhaps help with getting in contact with someone who may also have simi lar interests. There are many excellent exam ples of Farm-City activities in Pennsylvania. Berks County has two exchanges a farmer/business exchange; and an agribusiness/ non-ag business exchange. The turnout at the their banquet is large, with more than 500 people and the food is usually considered very excellent They also offer different foods to sample and distribute agricultur al prizes, such as quilts and foods. The Lebanon Farm-City prog ram is to start at 6 p.m., Dec. 11 with a social hour, that includes “We want to help farmers deve lop relations with their neigh bors,” said Kelsey, who prepared the brochure with Dr. Charles Abdalla, associate professor of agricultural economics. “Farmers shouldn’t be wholly responsible for keeping peace in a community, but they can take some steps to help build har mony.” The publication, which covers nine rules of thumb farmers have suggested for good neighbor rela tions, was developed as part of an ongoing Penn State Cooperative Extension program to help farm ers, nonfarmers. and communities manage conflicts over agriculture, land issues or the environment. “Developing and improving your relationship with your neigh bors can be one of the most impor tant activities you do to help your farm survive in a changing envi ronment, especially if some of the neighbors are new to your com munity,” Kelsey said. Helping others understand the activities on your farm and foster ing goodwill can be beneficial to everyone. “Neighbors may become more understanding and more respectful of farming prac tices,” Kelsey said. “And farmers Mahoning Outdoor Furnaces Cut Your Heating Costs With Our Outdoor Furnace • Standard Model Burns Wood,