AlO-Lencasw Firming, Saturday, January 25, 1997 bansaK OPINION One of the best kept secrets seems to be that dairy fanners have not paid for the milk mustache ads we have been seeing on TV lately. In these effective ads various people of different ages are shown drinking milk and the final shot is a close-up photo of a big half-ring of milk on the upper lip of the model. In a recent survey, 85 percent of the dairy farmers thought check-off money from their milk check paid for this advertising. But for once, dairy farmers did not pay for this advertising. In December of 1993 milk processors approved a $.20 per hundred weight assessment on themselves (for those processors who process more than 500,000 pounds of milk per month). It was this processor check-off that paid for all those smiling milk mustaches. Daily fanner dollars pay for the award-winning “got milk?” ads on TV, radio and billboards. These ads depict humorous situ ations when people run out of milk in order to remind them to purchase milk. For the second year in a row, USA Today readers voted the “got milk?” campaign as one of the top five for the year. This all makes us feel very good that farmers’ money and pro cessors’ money is working together to create such a good image of dairy products. But then we are pulled up short in our thinking as we hear of dairy farmers going out of business right and left, many of them the bright young minds in the dairy industry, because they can’t make a living on the dairy farm anymore. We can’t help ask this: would dairy farmers be any worse off if we left the millions and millions of dollars of check-off money in the milk checks across the nation to be spent at the fanners’ dis cretion rather than put into the economy through well-paid adver tising and public relations directors? Everybody says we would be worse off. But bow much worse could it be when many of our beloved dairy farm friends are already gone from the farm? And many more don’t know what to do next. You tell us! EquxneLccture Scries, Centre Hall Lions Club, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Bradford County Holstein Associ ation annual meeting, Bonanza Northeastern Pa. Maple Syrup Producers’ Association annual meeting and dinner. Pleasant Valley Grange Hall, Hones dale, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Elk/Cameron Crops Dtty. Bava rian Hills Golf Course, St Doylestown, repeats Feb. 4,11, 18, 25 and March 4 and 11. FSA Borrowers Training, Farm Production Management Workshops, Berks Ag Center, also Jan. 30 and Feb. 4,6, 11. and 13. 1997 Pa. Vegetable Conference and Trade Show, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, thru Jan. 30. Chester County Crops Day, East Brandywine Fire Hall, Guthricsville. Graduate Cooperative Directors School, Penn State Scanticon, thru Jan. 30. Turf and Ornamental Day, Leba non Fairgrounds. 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Franklin County Com Clinic, Kauffman Community Center, 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Estate Hanning Workshop, Ruri tan Club, Davidsonville, Md., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. JP — * You Tell Us! Franconia, 9:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. 1997 Farm Business Financial Management School, Lancaster Chamber Southern Market Cento*. 9 a.m,-4 p,m. York County Com Clinic, 4-H Center, Bair Station, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dairy MAP Training, Lancaster Farm and Home Center, and Feb. 6. Warren Coiinty Cooperative Extension and Conservation District annual meeting. Holi day Inn, Warren, 11:30 a.m. Beef Management meetings, Wesley Grange. Barkeyville, 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Also Feb. S and 12. Agriculture Group of Lebanon Valley National Bank Lunc heon Seminar. Lebanon Valley (Turn to Pago All) Editor, If anyone thinks that the plight the farmer now faces means nothing to them, then they had bet ter look twice when they sit down to eat If the farmer doesn’t directly affect people by the business he or To Understand Cow Economics According to Glenn Shirk, extension dairy agent, before you can break even, you must first cov er your overhead costs and basic cow costs. Your overhead costs may be stated on a per-cow cost. This per cow cost is the farm rent or the tot al costs of Depreciation, Interest, Repairs, Taxes and Insurance (the DIRH five) divided by the number of cows. Once you place a cow in the herd, you acquire basic cow costs. These costs remain relatively con stant per cow regardless of produc tion. They include cow loans, labor, supplies, breeding, testing, vet, herd replacement and medi cine plus feed required for body maintenance, pregnancy, and growth. The total of these two costs gives your break even price. The amount of milk required to break even will vary from farm to farm and from year to year depending on how you control the DIRTI five costs and the basic cow costs. To Feed For Maximum Profits The hugest single cost of pro ducing milk is feed, according to Glenn Shirk, extension dairy agent It is generally a good practice to reduce feed costs when possible. However, there are times when cutting feed costs might cut your profits. First you need to determine your break-even level of milk pro duction. The next increment of production above this break-even level is the cheapest milk you will ever produce. About the only additional cost of producing this additional milk is the additional feed required. You need to manage this increased pro duction in a manner that will keep the cow healthy. Generally, one pound of addi tional dry matter intake should produce a an additional 2.S pounds of milk worth about $0.28 to $0.38. If you can achieve this she is in, then they surely have an affect on the foods that our bodies need and enjoy. If the government can and does regulate the amount of money that the dairymen are allowed to make on their product, then they should (Turn to Pago AST) response, that means you can still afford to encourage cows to con sume more feed, even if it is expensive. When milk prices drop and feed prices escalate, the temptation is to reduce feed intakes to reduce feed costs. This could be a costly mis take. This could cut off the most profitable levels of milk produc tion. The production you need most! Do not shortchange good cows and do not waste good feed on unprofitable cows. Observe pro duction responses, costs, and returns closely to determine what level of milk production is the most profitable for ybu. To Manage Red Clover In Pasture To improve the feeding value of pastures, many farmers have added red clover to their pastures. Robert Anderson, extension agronomy agent, reminds us keep ing clover in the pasture presents some management problems. BY LAWRENCE W ALTHOUSE sasiLH. JUDAS IN YOUR HEART OF HEARTS? * January 26.1997 JUDAS IN YOUR HEART OF HEARTS? January 26, 1997 Background Scripture: Matthew 26:14-16, 20-25, 47-50; 27:1-5 Devotional Reading: Matthew 27:1-10 There are at least eleven per sons in the Bible with the name Judas, but only one of them, Judas Iscariot, has managed to blacken the name for all eternity. Judas Maccabeus was one of the greatest of Jewish heroes. Although one Judas was an apos tle and the son or brother of James the Apostle, none today would name a son ‘Judas* and there are no churches bearing the name ‘St. Judas.* In fact, the name Judas, when applied to others in the early church for example, the writer of the Epistle of Jude—is usually rendered as Jude so that there can be no misidentification. Although the New Testament tells more about Judas than most of Jesus* other followers, he is still for us a mystery and an enigma. Some scholars believe the name ‘lscariot’ means “man of Ker ioth,” a town in southern Judea, making him the only Judean in a band of eleven Galileans. Still others believe that his name may mean “man from Sychar” (a Samaritan), “man of Issacher” (one of the tribes of Israel), “man from Jericho,” “carrier of the leather bag,” and “false one, liar, hypocrite.” Take your pick. A MOTIVE? Was this man destined to be the betrayer of Jesus of Nazareth? Was he helpless in fulfilling a role for which God had chosen him? I think not. True, his betrayal fulfilled scripture, but prophecy is predictive, not fate. I do not ' believe it was God’s will for Judas to betray the Master; I think he had a choice and he, not God, made it. But what was his motive. I believe Jesus saw favorable poten tial in him; after all, he had been made treasurer of the group. East ern church tradition indicates that his name was once third tv sixth in the list of apostles. Was he disap pointed because Jesus’ messianic ministry was not turning out as he The following management strategies may help keep clover in the pasture: Top dress with fertilizer each spring according to soil tcstrecom mendations. Keep the pH at 6.S or above by spreading lime. Avoid heavy nitrogen applications. Excess nitrogen will encourage grass growth which will out com pete the clover. Pastures with over SO percent clover will produce all the nitrogen they need without adding any additional nitrogen. Broadcast 3 to 4 pounds of clov er seed per acre each spring. Mow pastures from late May through early July to keep grasses from going into heads and producing seeds and to control woody vegetation. Do not overgraze. Leave 2 to 3 inches of stubble after each graz ing. Grazing pastures for a short period of time followed by several weeks of rest to allow for regrowth helps clover to survive. Feather Prof's Footnote: "Do more than read. Absorb." expected? Was he. as some have suggested, trying to force Jesus into a display of messianic power? Or was he testing Jesus to see whether he really was the Mes siah? I doubt that it was the thirty pieces of silver, which today would be equal to $2O, a trivial sum for a treachery so great Jff We will never know the answer to these questions, but it at least seems apparent that Judas could not accept the nature of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus did not turn out to be the one whom he expected the Messiah to be. Jesus’ knowledge of the kingdom of God was prob ably much at variance to Judas’. In other words, it may well be that the motive for Judas’ betrayal grew out of his disappointment with the way of Jesus. DISAPPOINTMENT WITH JESUS? Is that so hard for us to under stand? Who among us is totally comfortable with the way or ways of Jesus 100% of the dme? Who among us doesn’t think from time to time consciously or uncon sciously that we know better than Jesus? Who among us doesn’t dismiss some of Jesus’ injunctions to love, forgive and make peace because we don’t think they are practical or logical? Have you never been Judas in your heart of hearts? And, if thirty pieces of silver was too paltry a sum for Judas to betray his Lord, how much have we held out for? Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss; so how do we do it? Here, I’d like to say an unaccus tomed word for Judas: he lived to be sorry for his deed. Matthew tells us, “When Judas, his betray er. saw that he (Jesus) was con demned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying, T have sinned in betraying inno cent blood” (Mt. 27:3). Simon Peter denied Jesus, yet was forgi ven and became a pillar of the church. So, is Judas accused for all eternity? I pray not Lancaster Fanning Established 19SS Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 -by Lancaster Fanning, Inc. A Stelnman Enterprise Robert G. Campbell General Manager Everett R. Nawawangar Managing Editor Copyright 1996 by Lancaster Fanning
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers