AlO-Uhcaater Fanning, Friday, January 9, IMS
OPINION
We’re Looking For You
The Super Bowl of Pennsylvania agriculture is scheduled to
start today in the Farm Show Complex at the comer of Cameron
and Maclay streets in Harrisburg. As usual, fanners go to the
show to meet friends, see how their neighbors’ entries placed in
the animal, plant, and youth shows, and investigate the newest in
agriculture products and services.
Actually, the Farm Show has become more than just a far
mers* show. Pennsylvania’s $44 billion ag industry now uses
this showcase to forage good relations between agriculture and
the urban areas of the state. In addition, the international guests
that have been invited give those companies interested in the
expoit market an opportunity to forage business relationships
with foreign officials.
The heart of the Farm Show is still the commercial exhibits,
the animals, the food, and the family living and agricultural
teaming centers. A record premium bank of $247,138 will pro
vide the incentive to bring the prize exhibits out in the uncertain
January weather.
While the entry numbers are down because no poultry will be
shown this year, still over 9,000 entries are registered in 30
departments. In addition, 325 commercial companies will show
their wares to the 250,000 people who may show up if the
weather is nice.
The show runs from today, Saturday, January 10 to Wednes
day, January 14, and is open to the public from 8 aan. to 9 p.m.
each day. except the last day when the show closes at 4 p.m.
If farming is in your blood, so is the annual trip to Harrisuburg
this time of year. Somehow part of your life is missing if you
don’t attend. So, round up your family and friends and head for
the show,. And while you’re there, stop by our booth, number
274 in the main exhibition hall, and say “Hi.” We look forward
to your visit.
Pa. State Farm Show, Farm Show
Complex, Harrisburg, thru Jan.
American Farm Bureau Federation
Convention, Charlotte Conven
tion, Charlotte, N.C., thru Jan.
Reducing Risk On The Farm
Seminar Series, Morrison's
Cove Memorial Park, also Jan.
20 and Feb. 10,10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Vegetable Update Meeting, Car
roll County Extension Office,
Westminster, Md., 9 a.m.-2
pjn.
Pa. Producers Research and Deve
lopment Commission Meeting,
Stephen Lantz Farm, Lebanon,
Workshops, York County
Extension, thru Jan. IS.
Fundamentals of Soil Science,
Neshaminy Manor Center,
Doylestown, 7:30 p.m.-9:30
p.m., also Jan. 21 and 28 and
Feb. 4.11.18,25 and March 4.
Pa. Producers Research and Deve
lopment Commission Meeting,
Reuben K. Fisher Farm, Alien-
ing Seminar. Adams County
Extension Office, 9 ajn.-3 pjn.
Weed Management School, Leba
non Valley Ag Center, 9:30
One form of expansion is to
increase production per cow, acre
or output per worker, according to
Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County
Extension Dairy Agent.
However, production may only
be pushed so far until you start
reddling a point of diminishing
returns. As you push for more
production, keep comparing in
cremental costs with incremental
Farm, New Holland, also Jan. gains.
❖ Farm Calendar*
a.m.-3 p.m.
Basics of Managing A Dairy Farm
Business, Stephen S. Stoltzfus
Franklin County Holstein Associ
ation annual meeting, Gibbles
Beef 2000 Seminar, Penn State,
thru Jan. 21.
New Holland Vegetable Day,
Summit Valley Elementary
School. New Holland, 9
ajn.-3:30 p.m.
Commodity Futures Basics, Leba
non Valley Ag Center, 1 p.m.-3
pjn., also Jan. 26 and Feb. 2and
Feb. 9.
Pa. Producers Research and Deve
lopment Commission Meeting,
Intercourse Fire Hall, Inter-
Atlantic City, Nj„ thru Jan. 22.
Nutrient Management for Veget
able Crops, University of Mary
land Plant Science Building,
College Park.
Pa. Lime, Fertilizer, and Pesticide
Conference, Nittany Lion Inn,
State College, thru Jan. 21
Forage School Level I. Lebanon
Valley Ag Center, 9 a.m.-3:30
pm.
To Develop Business
Side of Farm
Every business has two sides.
The technology side and the busi
ness side. To be successful today
you need to develop both sides.
The technology side produces the
products that we sell to generate
profits. Thus, we must be the best
at what we do.
However, the business side
must also be equally developed in
order to insure success. The busi
ness side involves organizational
structure, supervising employees,
developing and monitoring budg
ets, controlling costs, marketing
products, keeping records and pro
viding benefits to employees and
community.
As in any business you must
develop each side of the business
equally. As we start the new year
make sure you are developing
both sides of your businesses
equally. #
To Look At Incremental
Returns
Know your abilities and limi
tations plus your likes and dis
likes. Do you have the ability to
sustain high levels of production
without experiencing negative
Clarion County Extension/
Pa.DHIA meeting on MUN
testing. Clarion Clipper
Restaurant, Clarion, 10 a.m.-2
p.m.
Dairy-MAP, Focus On The Future,
Farm and Home Center. Lan
caster. also Jaa 27, 10 a.m.
PAPC Annual Meeting, Nittany
Union/Northumberland coun
ties, St John’s United Chinch
of Christ, Lewisburg.
Lameness In Cattle Seminar. Mil
ton All-American Restaurant,
Milton, 10 un.-3 p.m.
Upper Susquehanna Direct Farm
Marketing Seminar, Quality
Inn, South Williamsport, 9:45
County Fairs Convention, Her
shey Lodge and Convention
Center, Hershey, thru Jan. 24.
No-Till Conference, Wcstin Hotel,
Indianapolis. IncL. thru Jan. 24.
Lawrence County Fruit Growers
Dinner, New Wilmington
Orange Hall, dinner 6 p.m M
(Turn to Pap ASC)
setbacks at some future date? Gen
erally speaking, an economical
level of milk production appears
to be around 19,000 pounds of
milk shipped per cow per year.
Each 1,000 pounds of milk above
this 19,000 pound level will net
an about $5O additional profit per
cow per year. These figures will
vary from farm to farm.
To Make Smart
Decisions
Glenn Shirk, Lancaster
County Extension Dairy Agent,
reminds us as we attempt to cut
costs be careful not to cut profits
in the process. Some examples of
this are: Failure to maintain vac
cination programs. Diseases could
sneak in and hurt you latter.
Neglecting heifers and diy
cows. You will pay for it dearly
latter in the form of ketosis, low
milk production, poor conception
THE SOLITARY
CHRISTIAN
January 11, 1998
Background Scripture:
1 Peter 2:1-10
Devotional Reading:
2 Corinthians 1:3-14
As a pastor, I have frequently
been asked: "Is it possible to be a
Christian without being a part
of the Church?"
My usual answer is that in
God's world, I suppose, anything
is possible, but it would be
extremely unlikely. I have also
gone on to say that we may per
haps be Christians without join
ing a church, but not without
being part of the Church.
Unless you live on a desert
island, being a Christian alone
is a virtual contradiction in
terms. To be a Christian means
to follow Jesus Christ and,
although Jesus sometimes went
away to a quiet place to be alone
or with only his disciples, still he
spent most of his time with peo
ple—healing, preaching, and
teaching.
In 1 Peter 2 the writer
metaphorically likens Jesus to a
stone. First, a rejected stone:
"Come to him, to that living
stone rejected by men but in
God's sight chosen and pre
cious." This is an allusion to
Psalms 118:22: "The stone which
the builders rejected has become
the head of the corner." The
rejected stone, Peter says, has
turned out to be the most impor
tant stone of all, Jesus has been
rejected by many, but as resur
rected Lord he was proven the
cornerstone of God's kingdom.
A "LIVING STONE"?
But also, he is a "living
stone." This is really a mixed
metaphor, because "living" and
"stone" seem to be self-contra
dictory. Stones don't live and if
you're alive you are hardly a
stone. But Peter knowingly used
this mixed metaphor because he
wants to convey both the solidi
ty of Christ's place in the king
dom and the certainty that this
Christ-the-cornerstone is
vibrantly alive. (As I read this
passage again today I was fasci
nated to think that it is Simon,
whom Jesus called Peter—"the
Rock"—who makes this analogy
of Jesus as the "living stone.")
Finally, we come to Peter's
words which obliterate the con
cept of the solitary Christian:
rates and increased culling. Giving
cows less feed or using poor qual
ity feeds. This will trigger prob
lems discusses earlier. The most
profitable milk a cow gives - the
milk that pays the bills - is the
milk she produces above break
even level of about 50 to 60
pounds per day (this varies from
farm to farm).
When you under feed a cow,
the lost milk comes right off the
top. That is the most profitable
milk and this lost milk may be
her only profit. Using a herd bull
to save AI costs. If the bull is in
fertile or has bad genetics or if he
spreads infections from cow to
cow, you will pay latter. Not to
mention your safety.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote:
"Some succeed because they ae
destined to, but most succeed be
cause they are determined to."
"...and like living stones be your
selves built into a spiritual
house..." (2.5). The only physical
presence Jesus Christ has in the
world is the physical presence
on those of us who follow him. It
is we, the living stones of Christ,
who make up the Church in this
world. As Annie Johnson Flint
wrote:
Christ has no hands
but our hands
To do his work today;
He has no feet but our feet
To lead men in His way;
A SPIRITUAL HOUSE
And it must be abundantly
clear from these analogies that
the Body of Christ can exist only
when Christians are connected
to each other in some way. We
are called, no to be spiritual her
mits, but "living stones....built
into a spiritual house." The
"spiritual house" is the physical
representation of Christ in our
world. Paul likened Christians
to parts of Christ's Body—some
representing the head, others
the hands, and so on. But all
these parts of the Body of Christ
must be connected if the Body is
to do anything in the world.
Peter proceeds with another
mixed metaphor, the "living
stones" turning into a holy
priesthood to offer spiritual sac
rifices acceptable to God
through Christ" (2.5). In verse 9
he expands that corporate con
cept, saying; "But you are a cho
sen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, God's own people,
that you may declare the won
derful deeds of him who called
you out of the darkness into
marvelous light," No Christians
standing alone here.
There is not one word there to
encourage the concept of the
solitary Christian. We come
together and work together
because God has a great work
for us to take up for Him and it
is a work that requires us to
work together with other disci
ples.
There's an old Jewish saying:
"Ein Mensch ist kein Mensch"
"One man is no man." I think we
might apply that same concept
to Christian discipleship. A
Christian alone is no Christian.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by-
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stelnman Enterprise
Robert a CampMl Qamral Manager
Event R. Newwnmr Managinfl Editor
Cofjrtigkt im by Lmmmmt !*■*«