AlO-Uncwter Farming, S«turd>y, July 12, 1997
OPINION
Milk Is Mostly Fat Free
Last month the story got national coverage. Norman
Mayo, 61, believes he might have avoided his health prob
lems if he had been warned on milk cartons about fat and
cholesterol. “I drank milk like some people drink bear or
water,” Mayo said. “I’ve always loved a nice cold glass of
milk, and I’ve drunk a lot of it.”
In a federal lawsuit, this self-described “milk-a-holic”
named Safeway and the dairy farmers of Washington as
defendants claiming that a lifetime of drinking whole milk
contributed to his clogged arteries and minor stroke. He
wants reimbursement of his medical expenses and unspeci
fied compensation for personal injury. In addition, Mayo
wants warning labels on all dairy products and advertising.
“It’s my opinion that the dairy industry is to blame,”
Mayo said. “They push their dairy products without warn
ing you of the hazards.”
But no one must have told this man that even whole milk
is between 96 and 97 percent fat free. So it must have been
something else that caused his medical problems. Fortunat
ly, the media treated this as it should have been treated —
without merit. And in the end, it gave dairy farmers the
opportunity to extol the virtues of milk at least on local TV,
radio, and newsprint
And milk is not addictive. But those of us who have had
the opportunity to down a cold glass of milk right out of the
bulk tank might admit milk can be good enough to be
addictive.
Festival, Alexander Schaeffer
Farm Museum, 10 a.m.-S p.m.,
thru July 13.
Charolais Educational Seminar
and Field Day, Center Research
and Education Center, Univer
sity of Maryland, Clarksville,
Md.
Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Engine
Association Show, Show-
grounds, Easton, thru July 13.
Gratz Area Antique Machinery
Association Annual Show, thru
Agricultural Agents annual
meeting, Burlington, Vt.. thru
July 17.
Jefferson County Fair, Brookville,
thru July 19.
Holstein Club Picnic, Bradford
Farm, New Holland, 7 p.m.
Md. Central Dsitrict, Howard
C Fr' nd, W'
Fanners Tour and Picnic. Penn
Township Fire Hall, Huntsdale,
thru July 16.
District FFA Dairy Show, Leba
non County Fairgrounds, 8:30
a.m.
Southeast Region 4-H Leadership
Conference, Millersville Uni
versity, Millersville, thru July
18.
Jacktown Fair, Wind Ridge, thru
July 19.
Cambria County district horse
Fairgrounds, Brookville, 9 a.m.
York County Holstein Show. York
Fairgrounds, York, 10 a.m.
Somerset County Holstein Show,
Fairgrounds, Meyersdale, 6:30
p.m.
Pa. Seedsmen’s Association Sum
mer Meeting, Ernst Conserva
tion Seeds Farm, Meadville,
Frederick/Monlgomery Holstein
Show, Frederick Fairgrounds,
Jm^UghtfSotNato
down Sale. Big E Fairgrounds,
Mallory Agricultural Complex,
West Springfield, Mass., thru
July 19.
Wooster Garden Festival, Secrest
Arboretum, OARDC, Wooster,
thru July 19.
Antique Gas Engine and Tractor
Show, Jacktown Community
tion State Show, Hookstown
Fairgrounds.
“New Generation” No-Till Field
Day, Steve Groff Farm, Holt-
wood, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Cattlemen Summer Field Day,
York County 4-H Center, 9 a.m.
Shippensburg Community Fair,
Shippensburg, thru July 26.
Washington County Maryland
District Holstein Show,
Washington County Ag Educa
tion Center, Sharpsburg, 10
a.m.
To Protect Dry Cows
From Heat Stress
Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County
extension dairy agent, reminds us
that the hot, humid days of
summer can cause severe stress to
cows, especially high producing
cows and cows making the
transition from late pregnancy to
early lactation.
Too often we limit our focus
to reducing the stress to the
lactating herd. Perhaps more
important is the need to protect
dry cows from heat stress. What
happens to cows in the diy period
has a very significant impact on
how well they do in their next
lactation.
One of the major goals in the
weeks preceding and following
calving is to encourage vigorous
appetites. Cows that go off feed
around calving time start
mobilizing a lot of body fat,
' which may lead to fatty livers.
That may trigger a lot of
• metabolic problems, including
further depression of appetites,
displaced abomasums, and ketosis.
Fatty livers also suppress the
cow's immune system. This
4-H Roundup, Troy Fairgrounds.
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
ADGA National Dairy Goat
Show, Farm Show Complex,
Show, Denver Showgrounds.
Cambria County Ice Cream Social.
Wilderness Hollow 4-H Prop-
Jefferson Township Fair, Mercer,
thru July 26.
Kimberton Community Fair, Kim
berton, thru July 26.
Shippensburg Community Fair,
Shippensburg, thru July 26.
Troy Fair, Troy, thru July 27.
Lehigh Valley Horse Council
Meeting and Lecture, New Tri
poli. 7:30 p.m.
Cambria County Hone Leader
Meeting, extension office, 7
p.m.
Toronto. Ontario, Canada, thru
July 25.
Penn State Agronomic Field Diag
nostic Clinic. Rockspring
Research Farm, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.,
also July 24.
Plainfield Farmen Fair, Nazareth,
thru July 26.
York/Lancaster Vegetable Twil
ight Meeting, Sunnyside Farm,
York, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p,m.
Pennsylvania State Grange Pre-
Legislative Conference. Super
8 Motel, Harrisburg, 10 a.m.-4
(Turn to Pago ASI)
means she may become more
susceptible to diseases and other
infections. She also may respond
poorly to treatment and recovery
from these problems is delayed.
To Maintain High Dry
Matter Intake
According to Glenn Shirk,
Lancaster County extension dairy
agent, if high dry matter intakes
are maintained before and after
calving, cows lose less flesh, have
fewer health problems, milk better
and breed back sooner.
One way to encourage higher
dry matter intakes is to protect dry
cows from stress. Ways to do this
includes good ventilation, shade
without mud, easy access to fresh,
clean water and clean waterers,
clean, dry and comfortable rest
areas, welb-balanced dry cow
ration, fresh feed and clean
mangers apd a good preventive
herd health program.
To Be Aware of Dry Soil
Potassium Deficiency
The past several weeks many
people have reported seeing com
and other plants with bottom
leaves which are yellowing along
the margins and in some cases
this has turned brown.
r^r
BY IAWRfNCf W All HOUSE
'ill.
SP£
ARE YOU A DOCETIST?
July 13. 1997
Background Scripture:
Hebrews 2
Devotional Reading:
Hebrews 10:1-10
' In early Christianity Docctism j,
was condemned as a heresy. But
that certainly did not put a stop to
it, for docctism is consciously or
unwittingly embraced by many
Christians today who think of
themselves as being quite
orthodox.
Docetism came into Christiani
ty primarily through the agnostics,
a group who were influential in
Christian thought, particularly
from the second to the fourth cen
tury A.D. Docetism comes from
the Greek wend dokein which is
translated as “to appear” or “to
seem.” The agnostics believed
that Jesus had no material essence,
but just “appeared" or “seemed”
in human form. The agnostics
believed that physical form was
evil. Thus, agnostics believed that
Jesus was divine but not truly
human.
In 326 A.D., repudiating docet
ism and other heretical interpreta
tions, the Council of Nicea fash
ioned a creed which proclaimed:
“We believe in one Lord, Jesus
Christ, the only Son of God, eter
nally begotten of the Father, God
from God... of one being with the
Father ... and became truly
human...” The belief of the early
church was thus balanced between
the convictions that Jesus Christ
was fullly divine and fully human.
He did not just “appear” to be
human.
100% Of Both
This does not mean that Christ
was SO percent human and SO per
cent divine, but 100 percent of
both. How can that be? It is a para
dox: two seemingly contradictory
realities held together in one per
son. Neither a mathematical equa
tion nor a scientific formula, it is a
human attempt to express a divine
experience.
I have encountered many peo
ple who. although they have not
called themselves ‘docetists*
Yellowing begins at the leaf
tip on lower leaves and extends
back toward the stalk. Bottom
leaves usually show the most
severe symptoms and as you
move up the plant, each leaf
shows less.
According to Robert Anderson,
Lancaster County extension
agronomy agent, these symptoms
are typical of potassium
deficiency. These symptoms may
occur even when soil levels of
potassium are in the adequate or
high levels on a soil test.
Potassium deficiency symp
toms develop because plants
cannot extract potassium from the
dry soil. Adding additional
potassium is not likely to change
the situation. Taking a soil test
will be helpful in determining if
the soil is deficient or if the
deficiency is due to weather. If the
deficiency is due to dry soil
conditions, the plant will usually
recover as soon as a normal
rainfall pattern returns. Plants will
experience little or no loss in
yields.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote:
"Enthusiasm on fire is better than
knowledge on ice."
and wouldn't know the name if
they heard it understand Jesus
Christ from a docetist perspective.
They think of him as basically
‘divine,’ not really human. As
they elevate his divinity, they
denigrate our humanity. They put
a chasm between Jesus and
ourselves that makes him irrelev
ant and us hopeless.
The writer of Hebrews does not
leave any room for a docetistv
Christ' “Therefore he had to be,
made like his brethren in every 1
respect so that he might become
'merciful andfaithftl higbpftekt ini!
the service of God, to make expia
tion for the sins Of the people”**'
(2:17).
Flesh & Blood
Actually, a Christ who is not
fully human as .well as divine
is of little value to us. If he
doesn’t know what it is to be a
human being, to have the same
limitations, and suffer the same
temptations, we can easily dismiss
him: ‘Oh well, he’s Jesus and
we’re us,* as if that lets us off the
hook. But what Jesus was and
taught is not beyond human exper
ience. In a sense, Jesus came to be
like us to that eventually we might
be like him.
It also means that, quite con
trary to the agnostic teachings, the
physical form of humanity is not
degrading. Jesus was not debased
because he had a real physical
body. “Since therefore die child
ren share in flesh and blood, he
likewise partook of the same
nature...” (2:14).
What makes Jesus our Lord and
Master is the fact that he knew
what it meant to be human. “For
because he himself has suffered
and been tempted, he is able to
help those who are tempted”
(2:18). He is not saying that Jesus
‘appeared’ to be tempted, but that
he actually was tempted.
Just as we are.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Ssturday
Ephrata Review Building
IE. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by-
Lancaster Fanning, Inc.
A Stelnman Enterprise
Robert Q. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Rewewenger Managing Edltoi
CopyHykt 1997 by UutouUr Forming
. 1*“