AID-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 27, 1997 OPINION Farmers Are “Esteemed And Admired” The results of a new comprehensive opinion survey show that farmers are “esteemed and admired” by the general American public. This may be suprising to many people in agriculture because the negative aspects of farming seem to get the head lines. But according to the survey, designed and conducted by Doane Marketing Research for DuPont Agricultural Products, farming probably enjoys greater credibility and support than many leading corporations and industries, both here and abroad. Specifically, the public values and acknowledges farmers in three compelling dimensions. First, for making strong contribu tions to society; second, for taking a leadership role as stewards of the land they live on and manage; and third, for delivering a safe, abundant supply of quality products to the marketplace at a fair price. A sample of 773 adults was drawn to represent the general public. The survey of the general public finds high levels of admi ration for the nation’s farmers and strong recognition of the con tributions they make to U.S. society. The public views farmers as honest and friendly people who work hard to serve the needs of society without demanding large profits in return. Farmers are cited among the top three groups, making impor tant contributions to society. From the list of eight professions, the public ranks farmers above scientists and other professionals, and slightly behind teachers and firefighters. These results are gratifying. It shows us that all the intentional negative press farmers receive has not warped the thinking of consumers as much as we have been led to believe. Yes, farmers are “esteemed and admired.” The response in the public survey is clear. Problem Or Unbroke Horse Clinic at Second Annual Equine Expo, Wilson College, Chambers burg, 10 a.m.-4 pjn. Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival, Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown, N.J., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., thru Sept. 28. “Profit from Grass" Road Show, Kimberton, Camp Hill Village, Pughtown Road, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Bradford County Extension Youth Farm Safety Day Camp, SPE Inc., North Towanda, 9 a.m.-3 Horseway’s Paperchase, High lands, Shcaff Lane, Fort Washington, 9 a.m. Solanco Young Fanners’ Family 1997 Keystone International Livestock Expo, Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, thru Oct. New Holland Farmers’ Fair, New Holland, thru Oct 4. Bradford Co. Extension Master Gardeners Directions Commit tee, Extension Office, Towan- Restaurant, Bedford, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Keystone International Livestock Expo, Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, thru Oct 6. Bradford County Extension 4-H Leader Training, Extension Office, Towanda, 7:15-9:30 ❖ Farm Calendar ❖ ffl \ i< >♦ p.m. Bradford County Extension Parenting The School-Age Child, Northeast Bradford Elementary School, Large Group Instruction Room, 6:30-8 p.m. Bradford County Extension Parenting The Teenager, Northeast Bradford Elemcntaiy School, Large Group Instruc tional Room, 8-9:30 p.m. New Holland Sheep Show and Sale, Show Tent on Fulton St., 3 Bradford County Extenstion Parent Support Group, living Room, Behavioral Science Center, RPH, Sayre, 7-8:30 sth Annual Ickcsburg Fire Com pany Perry County Old Iron Club Antique Days, Ickcsburg Fire Company Carnival Grounds, thru Oct. 5. Farm Medic Training, Brownsvil- Pasture Management Meeting, Pa. Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting, Mt. Laurel Resort, White Haven, thru Oct 8. Berks Shire Hunt Show, Walnut Hill Farm, Oley, 9 am. Pa. Make It Yourself With Wool, Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg. East Central Pa. Two-Cylinder Club Inc. 3d Annual Antique Tractor and Implement Collec- Changing fall temperatures makes ventilation of bams chal lenging Tie stall dairy barns can be ventilated automatically with a bank of thermostatic controlled exhaust fans. Glenn Shirk, Lan caster County Extension Dairy Agent, recommends these tans be installed in one of the side walls near the middle of the barn Long barns, housing 60 to 80 cows or more, should have two banks of exhaust fans Equally important are adjustable air inlets located throughout the barn to regulate air How One of these fans should run continuously and should move 50 cubic feet per minute (ctm) of air per 1,000 pounds of body weight. This helps to keep the air fresh at all times The remaining fans should move an additional 150 dm ol air per 1,000 pounds of body weight Thermostats should be adjusted so these tans will start when barn temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit -rH~ - ». - J&v.' Accoidmg to Robert Anderson, Lancaster County Extension Agronomy Agent, Oregon State University and the Environmental Protection Agency have set up the National Pesticide Telecommuni cations Network (NPTN) They provide objective, science based mlormalion about a wide variety of pesticide iclated topics includ ing pesticide products, pesticide poisonings, toxicology and envi ronmental chemistry. NPTN is open to questions Irom the public and piolessionals It is staffed by highly qualified and trained pesti cide specialists This is a toll free information service available Monday through Friday from 9.30 am to 730 pm Eastern Time The telephone number is 800-858-7378 and E-mail is npnt@ace orst edu Their world wide web address is http //ace orst edu/mfo/nptn/ Dr Timothy Elkner, Lancaster County Extension Horticultural Agent, reminds us this summer's drought was hard on many lawns. You may be noticing thinned or even dead areas in your yard. If you do not get grass to fill these Hollidaysburg, thru Oct. 9. Manhcim Farm Show, Manheim, thru Oct 10. Berks County Farm Bureau Annu al Meeting, Ag Center, Lees port, 7 p.m. 4-H Achievement Night, Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural To Adjust Ventilation Fans To Locate Pesticide In formation To Re-seed Lawns (Turn to Pag* A 33) areas before next summer the weeds will. Fall is the best time of year to do any work on your yard. This is because the weather is cooler and generally a little wet ter and there is less weed pressure. There are a few basic steps you should follow in order to success fully establish new turf grass in your yard. First, loosen the soil in the area you plan to re-seed. If you are going to seed in an area where there is grass already growing, firmly rake the area to remove any dead grass and expose the soil below. Then seed the area with the ap propriate type of turf grass mix ture. You should always plant a turf grass mixture rather than a THE DAY OP SMALL THINGS September 28, 1997 THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS September 28, 1997 Background Scripture Zechariah 4 Devotional Reading: Zechariah 7:1-10 Edmund Burke spoke of the in toxication of power and Sir JJE.E. Dalbcrg in one of his letters pen ned those words that are quoted whenever the subject of power is seriously considered* “Power cor rupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Those of us who do not con sider ourselves to be among the powerful know how corrupting power is to those who are power ful. Ask any of us and we will testify to “corruption in high places.” But. power corrupts not only the powerful, but also those of us who consider ourselves to be the powerless. There is a natural and persistent human preoccupa tion with things big and powerful the biggest, grandest and most powerful. Conversely, we are generally unresponsive to that which is small. With a few exceptions we assume that if something is small it is deficient in power. Big is powerful; small is not And that is why we are so contemptuous of things small they appear to be lacking in power and power is what impresses us. DAUNTING OBSTACLES In the day of Zechariah which was roughly the same time as that of Haggai there were lots of people who were con temptuous of the small efforts that had been put forth to rebuild the temple. Zerubbabel, the governor of the returned exiles, had laid the foundations to the temple, but the efforts seemed puny and insignifi cant in light of what would have to be accomplished. Considering the obstacles that confronted Zerub babel and Joshua, the high priest, these beginnings looked totally in adequate. In a sense, we may say that this was the difference between Zerub babel and his critics. He kept his eyes focused on the goal, while they saw only the obstacles. Someone has said that obstacles arc those terrible shadows you see when you take your eyes off the goal. Zerubbabel kept his eyes on the goal and so he was undaunted by these small, modest begin nings. single type of grass. After you seed the area, rake the seed in or lightly roll the area, water and then apply a starter fertilizer at the recommended rate. Maintenance of the newly seeded area in the fall consists of maintaining proper moisture and keeping any fallen leaves re moved. Do not mow the new turf grass until it reaches three inches high. Next spring be sure to fertil ize your lawn using a standard turf grass fertilizer. You may apply weed control products in the spring as well. Feather Prof, 's Footnote: "Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future " Eventually, said the prophet Ze chariah, these scoffers would see what Zerubbabel already was see ing. “For whoever has despised the day of small things shall re joice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of the Zerubbabel” (4:10). The plummet was a plumb line and the prophet is speaking metaphorically as using it to mea sure integrity.) Some things never change, do they! We still are cyni cal about “the day of small things.” NOT BY MIGHT It is in the midst of all this cyn icism about Zerubbabel’s modest efforts to rebuild the temple that God sends Zechariah a prophetic lucid dream. In a semi-awakened state, an angel said to the prophet: “What do you see?” “I see,” an swered Zechariah, “and behold a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it... And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left” Then Zechariah said to the angel, “What are these, my Lord?” And the angel said to him, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabd . . . Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Modest human efforts sustained by the power of God can accomp lish whatever goal God sets before us. Without the power of God, yes, the efforts of Zerubbabel were laughingly inadequate. The power of God is just as manifest in little things as it is big ones. That is what the world finds so hard to understand about the Spirit of God, just as my generation had a hard time understanding how enough explosive power to des troy a whole city could be locked up into the interior of something so tiny and seemingly insignifi cant as the atom. Atomic scientist Albert Ein stein once observed that “Gandhi had demonstrated that a powerful human following can be assemb led not only through the cunning game of the usual political man euvers and trickeries but through the cogent example of a morally superior conduct of life. In our time of utter moral decadence he was the only statesman to stand for a higher human relationship in the political sphere.” The power of Gandhi, like the power of Jesus Christ, was a pow er bom not of secular things, but of the Spirit of God. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St Ephrata, PA 17522 - by- Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Steinman Enterprise Robert G. Campbell General Manager Everett R. Newawanger Managing Editor Copyright 1997 by Loncosttr Fanning
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