tf AA'ftPf M wlfirtwH .vatmrfaS .Rflimio 3 '.sifsonaJ AKHLahcaster Farming, Saturday, December 13, 1997 OPINION Farmers Need A Raise The price of dairy products—from the fluid milk you have on your morning cereal to the yogurt and cheese your kids enjoy— could be going up soon. Lest you assume that Bossy's owners must be livin' high on the hog, allow me to set the record straight. American dairy farmers haven't had a raise in nearly 20 years. In September of 1997, dairy farmers received a base price of 52 cents for a half gallon of milk, roughly the same as there were paid for their milk in 1979. Meanwhile, equipment costs, veterinary expenses, property taxes, real estate values and everything else they must purchase to run their dairies has gone up at a rate of 3- 5 percent per year. In addition, in recent years, dairy farmers have had to make considerable capital investments in order to comply with state and federal environmental regulations. As a result, many independent dairy farmers are having to call it quits. Four to five dairy farms in America's dairy land — Wisconsin—go out of business every day. This trend is being repli cated on a national level, with 10 percent of the nation's dairy farmers going out of business in 1996. A large number of family owned and operated dairies have for decades provided American consumers with a steady, reasonably priced supply of wholesome dairy products. When they are gone, the same guys that sell you the milk will own the cows. These new "dairy farmers" won't care if the cows live in Mexico or New Zealand, or if they must make powder and reconstitute it before it hits your grocer's shelf. While the price paid farmers for their milk is virtually the same as it was in 1979, retail milk prices have more than doubled over the same period. Retail prices always go up when farm prices go up, yet rarely, if ever, go down when farm prices drop. For exam ple, in September of 1996, dairy farmers suffered a 30 percent drop in prices, yet retail prices remained unchanged. Like dairy farmers, consumers are at the mercy of the price set ters, yet the worst is yet to come if today's low prices persist and independent dairy farmers are driven out of business. Corporate owners will not be satisfied with the profit margins—and certain ly not the losses —endured by family dairy farmers over the last two decades. Once corporations dominate milk production consumers can expect steep price increases. Bossy's owners need a raise and they need it now! Holiday Crafts Workshop, Fair Hill Nature Center, Cecil Coun- December 16 Ephrata Area Young Farmers Christmas Event, Ephrata Middle School, 7:30 p.m. New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Conference and Trade Show, Stutbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center, Stur bridge. Mass., thru Dec. 18. Pork Production Forum, Country Table Restaurant, Mount Joy, Expo, Holiday Inn Lancaster Soybean Management Workshop, Meadville, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Passing On The Farm Workshop, Berks County Ag Center, Lccsport. Pa. Seedsmen’s Association I Mi ComF ' Inn. County Ag Center, Leesport, Leland Swenson, President National Fanners Union ❖ Farm Calendar ❖ also Jan. 9 and 16. Risk Management/Commodity Marketing Workshop, Antrim House Restaurant, Grecncastle, 10 a.m.-2 n.m. Farm Business Transfer and Struc- ture meeting, Fogelsville Holi- Rctircmcnt Reception for William A. Reagan, Franklin County Senior Extension Agent, St. John's United Church of Christ, To Maintain Biosecurity It has been one month since the state has lifted the quarantine for avian influenza. It has been over five months since we have had an outbreak of avian influenza in a commercial flock of poultry. Biosecurity implemented by pro ducers and allied industry played a major factor in controlling this last outbreak of avian influenza. However, avian influenza has not gone away. In recent testing of New York Live Bird Markets, seven markets have tested positive for avian influenza. In addition, avian influenza has been isolated from sick birds being delivered to the live markets. This year's out break was a result of a break down in biosecurity between the com mercial industry and the New York Live Bird Markets. Right now it is impossible to eradicate avian influenza from the live mar kets. Thus, we must maintain our biosecurity programs at all times. Do not let your operation be the source of the next avian influenza out break! Remember, biosecurity is your responsibilty. To Select Christmas Tree Many people are now placing Christmas trees in their homes. Dr. Timothy Elkner, Lancaster County Extension Horticultural Agent, offers the following point ers in selecting a tree. The best needle retention is with members of the pine family. Scotch and red pines hold their needles longer than white pines. Blue and Nor way spruce trees quickly drop their needles in a home setting. Firs Pesticide Update Meeting For Ephrata Area Young Farmers, Family Time Restaurant, 6:45 p.m. Franklin County Dairy Day, Kauffman's Community Center. Bucks/Montgomciy County Dairy Day, Family Heritage Restaur- Restaurant, Brownsville, 9:30 ajn.-3:30 pjn. Oxford Fire Hall, Oxford. NYS Ag Society Annual Meeting, Four Points Sheraton/ITT, S;t 1 11 irl:i\, January 10 Pa. State Farm Show, Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, thru Jan. 15. will lose their needles a little slower than the spruces. If your tree was already cut, tap the butt of the tree on the ground and check hpw many dry needles fall out. Many lost needles mean the tree is not fresh. The cut end of a recently cut tree should be sticky with sap. Before placing the tree in a stand, make a fresh cut across the bottom of the trunk to aid in water uptake. Keep the cut end under water at all times since a tree will use a lot of water in the warmth of your home. Avoid placing the tree near hot or cold drafts which will promote needle drop. Remember, trees do not remain fresh much longer than three weeks. To Beware of Manure Gas Manure pits are a confined space hazard that can often claim w» : BHHIHI»-/: BY LAWRENCE W AUHOUSE mniwuK Sff WHO ARE YOU HURTING December 14, 1997 WHO ARE YOU HURTING? December 14, 1997 Background Scripture: I John 3 Devotional Reading: Micah 4:1-7; 5:2-4 The First Epistle of John reads more like a musical score than a letter, treatsie or sermon. As in a piece of serious music, I John has a number of themes that recur throughout, like musical ideas woven into the fabric of the com position. Each time he brings back a theme, he modifies it or devel ops it fiirther. In I John 2:9 the writer warned us: “He who says he is in the light and hates his biogher is in the darkness still.” Now, in I John 3 he comes back to this theme, say ing: “Any one who hates his bro ther is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (3:15). This is strong language! Is the writer overstating the case? Can’t we hate our brother without mur dering him? Of course, there ate lots of peo ple who hate without committing acts of murder. Legally, yes, the pronouncement in I John 3:15 is an overstatement But morally and legality and morality are not necessarily the same die writer of this episde is on firmer ground. He sees love and hate on the spir itual, rather than legal level. Love gives life; “We Imow we have passed out of death into life, be cause we love the brethren” (3:14a). And Jesus demonstrated this supremely: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (3:16). SPIRITUAL DEATH Conversely, hate or in its less virulent form, lack of love takes life. “He who does not love remains in death” (3:14b). We may not actually murder someone, but bate always makes us an ac complice. Hatted creates a climate within which murder eventually occurs. Our hateful thoughts and words foster hatred which saps life and causes death, not only of the body, but also of the spirit Hatred of black people on the part of many of us in the United multiple lives before someone re alizes there is a danger with ma nure gas. Never enter a manure pit. Manure pits can be oxygen deficient, toxic and explosive. La bel manure pits and manure stor age areas to warn of hazardous gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide and methane. If entrance is necessary, ob tain and use monitoring equip ment to determine the level of gases present. If entrance is neces sary, a self contained breathing apparatus must be worn by some one trained in its use. A safety harness should be worn and moni toring should continue while someone is in the manure storage area. Feather Prof.'s Footnote: "A warm smile is the universal lan guage of kindness." States, enabled and encouraged others to actually commit racial murders. Hatred of the Jews by millions in Nazi Germany made possible the extermination camps that murdered millions of Jews. Hatred of Roman Catholics by Protestants and of Protestants by Roman Catholics has made possi ble the murder of both in Northern Ireland. The reason is that hatred is not just an emotion that we ex perience withing ourselves, but a force for evil that snowballs out side ourselves. Pm sure that you are consoling yourself with the assurance that, you really don’t hate anyone. So the writer of John carries us a step further where that realization is not so comforting. “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us no love in word or speech but in deed and in truth” (3:17,18). CLOSING YOUR HEART OK, you don’t have to actually hate someone: closing your heart against another has the same ef fect If you see someone in need whom you can help and you don’t do it, you qualify for the judg ment. Not to open your heart to someone in need is a sin, too a very serious one. And here he catches us all, doesn’t he? One of the most disturbing things I see in our society today is the mushrooming disdain which we the “haves” feel and display to the “have nots.” I don’t hear peo ple verbalizing naked hatred for the poor and needy, but what I do hear and see fits neatly into die category of irrational hostility. We blame the poor for their poverty, the needy for their needs, the help less for their helplessness. When we “sec a brother in need,” the re sponse I John calls for is one of compassionate, giving love, not hostility and disdain. Unfortunately, much as it hurts those on whose needs we turn our backs, we are the ones who are hurt die most by our failure to love. It is easy to “love in word or speech,” but we are called to love, not with words, but “in deed and in truth.” Who are you hurting the most? Three guesses. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday EphratS Review Building IE. Main St Ephrata, PA 17522 -by- Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Stelnman Enterprise Robert 0. Campbell Genera) Manager Everett B. Newewenger Managing Edltoi Copyright UmcoUt Farming
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