Aio-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 18, 1997 OPINION Swine Producers , IPs Pork Month The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) reminds us that one of the most important issues facing the swine industry is environmen tal quality maintenance. Through the NPPC, producers can sign up with the Environmental Quality Assurance Program to ensure that their farm is environmental ly safe, their practices environmentally friendly. All this is in an effort to stem a rising tide of producer litigation and antagonism by the general public against large commercial enterprises which means many of you. Producers can follow an example of one large-scale confinement operator, headquartered in Denver, who is able to turn a profit while protecting the environment. It can be done. It will cost, initially but the payoffs in terms of securing a liveli hood may, in the end, far outweigh the costs. In this issue, a producer, Jerry Hostetter of Hostetler Management Company in Denver, was profiled. On his operations, money was invested years ago to promote environmental quality assurance. Pro ducers can’t avoid the issue anymore. Many already have begun their own programs. But for many producers without $ 1 million facilities, little steps can be taken to protect the environment To find out what contact the Pen nsylvania Pork Producers Council representative, Dr. Ken Kephart Penn State swine specialist who helps administer the quality assur ance program. He can be reached at (814) 863-3671. For Hostetter, building the programs took time. Many came as a result of an incident years ago, well-known throughout the industry, in North Carolina, when a lagoon spilled thousands of gallons of slurry, contaminating creeks and groundwater. Since then, the industry has been on the alert to protect themselves from hurtful litigation. The North Carolina incident “made it out to be that we’re all bad people we’re just hoodlums that are just trying to make all the money we can and we don’t really care about what we leave behind,” said Hostetter. But in fact, he said, “we’re producing food, we’re trying to provide good jobs, good families, and have good people around us.” What belter time to promote environmental assurance than during October, national pork month? Saturday. October IX Mid-Atlantic Region Romney Sale, NYS Sheep and Wool Festival, Dutchess County Fair grounds. Rhinebeck, N.Y. Annual meeting, American Rom ney Breeders Association, Rolling Rock Restaurant, Rhinebeck, N.Y. Annual Meeting, American Rom ney Breeders’ Association, Rolling Rock Restaurantmat, Rhilbeck, NY. Maryland Chapter of the Walnut Council Fall Meeting, Western Maryland Research and Educa Regional Natural Colored Sheep Show, NYS Sheep and Wool Festival, Dutchess County Fair grounds, Rhinebeck, N.Y. Family Day on the Farm, Cherry Grove Tree Farm, Rising Sun, ADADC Dish 14 meeting, Tally- Ho Restaurant, Kanona, N.Y., 7:30 p.m. Improving Reproductive Efficien cy, Jere Gmbe Farm, Salunga, 7:30 p.m. Dairy Meeting, Allegheny, Steuben, Yates, Part of Ontario, NY, Tally Ho Restaurant, ADADC Dist. 9 meeting, Tally- Ho Restaurant, Richfield Springs, N.Y., 7:45 p.m. Lycoming County Cooperative Take , **> .* f ❖ Farm Calendars Extension dinner meeting, Eldred Township Fire Hall, Warrensville, 6:30 p.m. Chester County Holstein Club annual meeting, West Fallow field Christian School, Atglen, 7 p.m. Lancaster County Honey Produc ers meeting, Dutch Gold Hon ey, Rohrerstown, 6:30 p.m. “Homestead Exemption” Public Forum, Cooperative Extension Building, Towanda, 1 p.m. Dairy Meeting, Herkimer, Otsego, NY, Tally Ho Restaurant, Rich- ADADC Disc 3 meeting, Chateau gay American Legion, Cha teaugay, N.Y., 7:30 p.m. „. state area. More than 90 percent of „ wr; Pennsylvania’s forests are com- Pennsylvanut. literally Penn s which can be Woods, is blessed with almost 17 rndhon acns of forests OT a sustataable basis. That is 59 percent of the total Heed A number of things may happen that will affect your dry cow’s performance. They may put on too much flesh from consuming too much com sil age or grain. They may consume too much calcium from being fed too much alfalfa. Their vitamin and mineral levels may be depleted due to inadequate supplements or they have been forced to draw upon their body reserves due to being underfed. If these things are allowed to occur, these dry cows will probab ly get a sluggish start in their next lactation. Olenn Shirk, Lancaster County Extension dairy agent, reminds us ADADC DisL 13 meeting, Monis ville College, Mbrrisville, N.Y., 7:45 p.m. ADADC DisL 18 meeting. Far mer’s Wife Restaurant, Ono, 7:30 p.m. ADADC DisL 20 meeting, Di Pacific’s, Farmington, N.Y., 7:30 p.m. Tool and Machinery Trade Mark et, Paradise Sales Bam, Para dise, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., thru Ocl 24. v --.^arV Pa. Council of Cooperatives Annual Meeting, Penn State Conference Center Hotel, Uni versity Park. Dairy Meeting for Franklin, Clin ton, Essex, NY, Chateaugay American Legion, 7:45 p.m. Dairy Meeting for Madison, Onei da, NY, Monisville College, 7:45 p.m. Dairy Meeting for Schuylkill, Berks, Lehigh, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon,. Dauphin, Cumber land, Adams, Franldin. York, Pa., Farmer’s Wife Restaurant, Ono, 7:30 p.m. ♦ Farm Forum ❖ To Manage Dry Cows Your dry cow program is very important, according to Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County Exten sion dairy agent It sets the stage for the next lactation. To Prevent Dairy Production Problems (Turn to Pag* A 26) "«• y<* >•** * (Turn to Pag* A 45) thafimpropeiyms^^ will probably have problems in their next lactation. They will have more calving difficulties. Appetites will be slug* gish. They will lose flesh at a more rapid rate and may become ketotic. They might even get a twisted sto mach, especially if forage intakes are low. These cows will not peak well and sustain good levels of produc tion because they are in a negative energy balance. Conception rates will also be low. This increases the days open. As a result, the herd becomes stale, production drops and cows put on too much flesh. Thus, start ing the cycle to repeat itself. All of this points to the impor tance of a good dry cow program, proper ration balancing, and an effective vaccination program, even when times are tight. To Display SMV Signs It has been 34 years since the slow moving vehicle (SMV) sign for the back of farm equipment was introduced. Robert Anderson, Lancaster County Extension agro nomy agent, reminds us the sign improves safety because it reflects THE HANDWRITING ON YOUR WALL October 19, 1997 Background Scripture: Daniel 5 Devotional Reading: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 Is there anything so intimidat ing as the arrogance of power? Hitler receiving bouquets of flow ers from German children while his “final solution” murders mil lions of Jews and others. Stalin exalting the working man while condemning to death millions of Russian peasants. Saddam thumb ing his nose at the United Nations and professing his innocence to the people of Iraq. Yet, there is a handwriting on the wall for each of these men. Power is more intoxicating than alcohol. Tyrants rarely “sober up.” Drunks do enough damage in this world, but power-inebriated despots seem, as Shakespeare says, to “bestride the narrow world like a Collosus; and we pet ty men walk under his huge legs, and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves." I am glad that I have lived long enough to see despots fail and fall by the sheer weight of God’s judg ment Stalin, Hitler and so many others who, at one time, made the earth tremble with their power. Yet, who can deny that, when men such as these are in power, they seem all-powerful? Who among them ever see the handwriting on the wall until it is too l^tte. A SIP OF POWER However, people do not have to be all-powerful to be drunk with it. Even people like us can become arrogant with a little bit of power. Whenever we think we have something someone else needs and wants, we have power to deny or give it. And that power can lead us to be arrogant which comes the Latin arrogare, “to claim for one’s self” and eventuates in “overbearing" behavior. Are you ever overbearing? So “arrogance" suggests being carried away by our own percep- from the rear. Because of its shape, anyone approaching from behind sees the reflected light and knows the shape means it is on a slow-moving vehicle. Since its introduction, the SMV sign has helped avoid countless accidents. Later this year, improved SMV signs will be introduced. While the emblem shape will stay the same, the border will reflect light back at the source. This will make it much easier for approaching motorists to see. Accidents are avoidable. On roads with fast-moving traffic, making any slow-moving vehicle visible and identifiable is critical to others. Also, when traveling at night, make sure you have lights installed on equipment, buggies, bicycles, etc. A few dollars invested in lights and SMV signs will increase your safety. Remember, safety is profitable. Be seen on the road and not in the hospital. Feather Prof.’s Footnote: "Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be." tions of power. This was evident in the behavior of ‘King Belshez zar, who succeeded Nebuchadnez zar. At a great feast celebrating his power, Bclshezzar had brought out the sacred vessels Nebuchad nezzar had looted from the temple of Jerusalem and now, in an act of heady arrogance, had diem used as common table implements. But while “They drank wine, and praised-the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone,” something happened to shake this arrogant man to his foundations. “Immediately the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the King's palace....and the long saw the hand as it wrote” (5:4,5). I don’t know what the col or of arrogance is, but the writer tells us; “Then the King’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.” FOUND WANTING Although he saw the handwrit ing on the wall, he did not under stand the message and called in a panic for his advisors to find someone who could read the mes sage. That’s where Daniel comes in. He saw the handwriting on the wall as God’s message of judg ment that would dwarf the King’s arrogance: “MENE, God has numbered the days of your king dom and brought it to an end; TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found want ing; PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (5:26-28). The message varies from per son to person, but there is hand writing on the wall for each of us and we do not have to be Daniels to understand what God is saying to us. Our days are numbered too, and we will be judged and our possessions will be taken from us. So how reads the handwriting on your wall? 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 Edltoi Copyright 1997 by Lancaster Farming ,«r
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers