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AIQ-UncMtw Farming, Friday, Jammy 10, 1907
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OPINION
International Day:
Is It Serving The Purpose?
The annual tieck to the Harrisburg Farm Show is about to
begin for fanners across Pennsylvania. Of course, many visitors
from neighboring states come as well.
The show that provides the focal point of the state’s $43.7 bil
lion industry is scheduled for January 11 to 16 in the Farm Show
Building on Cameron Street. This year again a great deal of atten
tion will be focused on foreign visitors who may become buyers
of exported products from our local farmers.
At last count there were over 100 of these representatives com
ing from 23 countries. What makes this an improvement over last
year is the fact that many of this years’ foreign visitors represent
companies and organizations that are in the exporting business. It
is good public relations to invite the heads of state like they did
last year, but now it is time to get down to business.
The main event of the International Day will be held in Her
shey at the convention center with 90 exhibitors providing sam
ples of their products to the foreign visitors. Then these guests
will be feted at the annual Farm Show dinner in the evening. On
Saturday the foreign visitors will be free to roam the Farm Show
complex to pick and choose the things they want to see. They
should get a great education.
This effort to use the Farm Show as an international showcase
for Pennsylvania agriculture is a great effort by many people.
However, officials report they will take a look at the effectiveness
of the event later this year to see if it has been productive. We
think this shows good management on the part of the persons
involved. To continue a program that does not bring results
would be counterproductive. We believe the bottom line for con
tinuing International Day at the Farm Show should revolve
around bottom line issues. Did the companies who participated
make any export sales as a result of this effort.?
To us, it makes a lot of sense to have an International Day at the
Farm Show, especially when it is put in the framework of accoun
tability to show if the event is serving the purpose for which it was
inaugurated.
Editor:
I felt a response to the “Dairy
Farmers Want Immediate An
swers” PRO AG article of
Saturday, December 28,1996 was
necessary.
As I read the article, the picture
left in my head was of the stereo
typical welfare recipient. What
business does the government
have supporting dairy farmers?
We all know the history of milk
price supports. My point is, this is
now.
I believe the major outlet for
north Pennsylvania milk is the
manufacture of cheese. Cheese is
not extremely perishable, there
fore these producers are compet
ing on the world market When
some countries can produce milk
at'/] the cost of U.S. dairies, we
ought to be grateful transportation
costs are high.
The problem is not inaction by
some government. We can all re
call two different plans in the near
past to reduce cow numbers. The
problem is too much milk!! A
milk shortage is what this country
needs to get its priorities straight
We live under a capitalist eco
nomic system. When the price of
steel went to historical lows, did
dairy fanners unite saying they
would gladly pay higher machin
ery costs so American firms
would stay at previous- levels?
How many dairypersons own for-
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* Farm Forum ❖
eign manufactured automobiles,
appliances or are stock holders in
foreign ventures? The only differ
ence between these businesses and
dairying is the perishability of the
product If you do not produce for
a fluid market which has a defin
ite volume limit you are at the
mercy of the world economy.
I offer a solution. If each dairy
person would slaughter 'A of their
cows, the price of milk would go
above $30.00 immediately. As
Pa. State Farm Show, Farm Show
Complex, Harrisburg, thru Jan.
16.
Md. Organic Food and Farming
Association annual meeting,
ings. Hotel Roanoke and Con-
Fanning operations in the Sus
quehanna River Basin that use
more than 10,000 gallons of water
per day over a 30-day period need
to register that use with the Sus
quehanna River Basin Commis
sion (SRBC) by March 31, 1997.
There are no registration fees.
Registering can strengthen your
legal position in future water dis
putes, factor in your water needs
during drought, and assist the
SRBC in making sound manage
ment decisions regarding water
use.
Farms using less than 10,000
gallons per day but would like to
have the advantages of registration
may do so voluntarily. Farms with
200 cows, 2,000 feeder pigs, 900
sows, 125,000 laying hens.
250.000 broilers or pullets, or
100.000 turkeys without any other
animals or crops, will probably
need to register.
Commercial irrigation of crop-,
land "is probably over the
threshold. If you did not receive
forms in the mail, you may call
John Graham, SRBC, Harrisburg
at (717) 238-0425.'
/
To Prepare
For Government
Inspections
• t -
The past two weeks I have read
articles where large agriculture
firms have paid big environmental
fines.
The rules are changing as we
increase the productivity on our
farms. Society is beginning to take
another look at agriculture and far
mers and placing the same envir
onmental and safety standards as
long as dairypersons are unwilling
to take action to solve their own
problems how can they expect
non-farmers to care what happens
to them?
ference Center, Roanoke, thru
Jan. IS.
National Limousin Show and Sale,
of New Jersey 1997 Trade
Show, Taj Mahal Hotel Casino,
Atlantic City, NJ.
Frederick County Milkers’
School, Mountain Gate
Restaurant. Thurmont, 10
a.m.-2:30 p.m.
(Turn to Pago A3O)
To Register
Water Use
John Berry
they place on other industries.
Fanners should take warning
from these reeent lines and do an
environmental and safety inspec
tion on their farms and start cor
recting deficiencies. Areas to look
at include manure storages, man
ure spreading practices, barnyard
runoff, and waste disposal
methods including plastic, pesti
cide containers, syringes, and oil.
Also, look for unsafe conditions
and practices. Worker safety
including family labor must take a
high business priority on the farm.
Accidents will trigger government
inspections and possible fines.
Prevention of problems is not a
very glorious and thankful job, but
top managers prevent problems.
By preventing problems you create
a pleasant work environment, pro
duce a quality product, operate an
ethical business, and reduce the
possibility of government
interference.
To Know
Minimum Wage
Requirements
Pennsylvania exempts agricul-
F f
v S
BY LAWRENCE W. ALTHOUSE
HF
IBaOB&II
“PUTTING ON THE DOG! ”
January 12, 1997
Background Scripture:
Luke 10:38-42; John 12:1-8
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 27:1-6
Just a few weeks ago I stood at
the place in Bethany where tradi
tion tells us 'was the hpusp hi
which Mary, Martha and Lazarus
entertained Jesus and where Jesus
raised Lazarus from the dead. To
day, the village hears the Arabic
name el-Azariyah, preserving the
ancient Greek Lazarion, “The
place of Lazarus,” by which it was
known as early as the 3rd century
A.D. The name Bethany means
“the house of poverty” and, in
fact, the village today is one of
poverty-stricken Palestinians.
The church that stands there to
day is reputedly on the site of La
zarus’ tomb and one can still see
traces of the original 4th century
church built there, as well as of the
subsequent Byzantine and Cru
sader structures. On the exterior
wall of the modem church are ap
pealing mosaics depicting Mary,
Martha and Lazarus.
Although the emphasis in Beth
any is upon the dramatic raising of
Lazarus, I could not help but recall
the other gospel remembrances of
Martha and Mary and what they
teach us about following Christ.
SIDING WITH MARTHA
1 particularly recall the story of
Maiiha and Mary in Luke 10 be
cause my initial reaction in read
ing this story was one of siding
with Martha. I could very well
identify with her, complaint,
“Lord, do you not care that my sis
ter has left me to serve alone. Tell
her then to help me.” (Lk. 10:40).
Is there anything half so aggravat
ing as trying to entertain an im
portant personage and having to
do all the work myself while
others who could help are goofing
off! After all, Martha, Mary and
Lazarus are entertaining the Mes
siah. Is it not an act of devotion to
him to be about the details of
cooking, serving and hosting him?
One of the things I like about
Martha is that she doesn’t mince
words. She doesn’t whine about
tore from the minimum wage
($4.75 per hour currently and
$5.15 ptr hMtr«n Sept. irHK>7)
and from overtime pay require
ments (one and one half times the
regular rate of pay when an
employee exceeds 40 hours work
in a single week).
However, federal agricultural
exemptions for minimum wage are
restricted to employers who do not
exceed 500 man days of labor in a
three-month period. In addition,
the federal agriculture exemption
for overtime is restricted to normal
farming activities and work inci
dental to those activities pa
formed only for the farmer/
employer.
If, for example, the employee
packs any eggs not produced by
the employer, the agricultural
exemption does not apply. In
another example, a farm employee
was not considered an agricultural
exempt employee any week in
which the employee filled the soda
machine.
Feather Prof.'s Footnote: "Do
more than touch. Feel."
sister Mary; she shoots straight
from the apron: “Lord, do you not
care. ..?” He may be the Messiah
but she is not loathe to tell him
what to do: ‘Tell her then to help
me!” In John 11, when Jesus com
es to Bethany to console Martha
and Mary about Lazarus, we are
told, “When Martha heard that Je
sus was coming, she went and met
him, while Mary sat in the house.
Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you
had been here my brother would
not have died’” (Jn. 11:21). Suely
Jesus must have appreciateailcr
gut-level honesty and John tefll
us: “Now Jesus loved
her sister and Lazarus” (11:5).' '
Jesus’ response to this blunt
woman is patient and loffißl
“Martha, Martha, you are ampfp
and troubled about many things;
one thing is needful. Mary has
chosen the good portion,
shall not be taken away from Her.”
(Lk. 10:41). Gently, he tries to
teach her that, although he under
stands her concerns, she needs to
profit by her sister's example in
choosing to listen to Jesus rather
than try to impress him.
sn
THE BETTER PART
Ouch! That gentle rebuke
wounds me as much as it does
Martha, I, too, get lost in a maze of
efforts and desires, losing sight of
“the better part,” that which
should claim my highest loyalty
and commitment. There were too
many times in my work as a pastor
that I was “distracted with much
serving.” And for the same reason
as Martha because I wanted to
impress someone with my hospi
tality or my serving. All of us need
to be good hosts for the sake of
our guests, but, if we plan to enter
tain too lavishly, it may be for our
selves, not our guests, that we are
working. Relationships are more
important than things and our rela
tionship with Jesus most of all.
Sometimes even our busyness
for Christ may get in the way of
our choosing “the better part.” In
stead of taking up our cross, we
may simply be putting on the dog!
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata. PA 17522
-by-
Lancaater Farming. Inc.
A Stelnman Enterprise
Robert G. Campbell General Meneger
Event! R. Newewenger Meneging Editor
Copyright 1996 by Lancaster Farming