AlfrUftflfettf punning, Sa&tfrfiy, Jahuiry 24, iftft \ OPINION Children’s Impressions Of Farming While the children of our society are more highly educated at a younger age, TV programs and recently copywiited books aimed at this purpose seem to be intentionally misleading our youth about agriculture. Recently, while watching Saturday morning “kidsj” programs with the grandchildren, we saw the farmer prot rayed as a stupid fellow with an even more stupid son whose only aim in life was to take the prizes at the Hicktown County Fair. Of course, the futuristic genetic engineer (a creepy looking fellow) arrived to grow huge vegetables and com that die stupid farmers stole and took to the fair for their own dishonest glory. As the prizes were being awarded, the genetically engineered plants started growing and became so huge they came alive and ate up everybody and everything at the county fair. On the same weekend, we browsed the “lads’” books in a children’s store. One looked like a good commentary on agricul ture. It was the story of apoor piglet bora in a “factory farm” and thrown into the waste can because he was the runt of the litter. The “humane” hero rescued and revived the piglet and took him to a much more satisfactory bam of maybe 80 years ago where he, along with a special mate, were able to live out their lives in happiness. We believe the farmer’s story is so filled with good things that there should be books and programs that tell this story in a favor able light. If you know of such books or programs, let us know so we can help spread the word. The impressions of children last a lifetime. It’s time to start making good impressions on children about the wonderful contributions agriculture is making to our society. And with all the subtle anti-agriculture impressions already on the shelf, it’s time to make these favorable farm impressions now. Huntingdon County Holstein Association annual meeting, Maiklesburg Fire Hall, Mark lesburg, 7 p.m. Cornell Maple Production School Downlink Video Conference, Bradford County Extension National Mastitis Council, American Society of Ag Engi neers, International Dairy Housing Conference, Adams Conference, York Springs Fire Hall. 9:30 a.m. N.E. Pa. Maple Syrup Producers’ Association Annual Meeting, Pleasant Valley Grange Hall, Honesdale. Tiuschn, .lanuan 27 Cooperative Director Institute XIV, Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, Penn State, thru Jan. 29. Passing On The Farm Workshop, UGI Building, Bethlehem. Pa. Vegetable Conference and Trade Show, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Her shey, thru Jan. 29. Southwest Livestock and Forage Management Workshop Series, Cedar Brook Country Club, Belle Vernon, 7 p.m.-9:30p.m., also Feb. 3, 10, and 17. Chester County Crops Day, Guthriesville Fire Hall, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Poultry Nutrient Management pmii ' <>% *Farm Calendar* Meeting. Grantvillc Holiday Inn, 9 a.m.-noon. Com Clinic, Kauffman Communi ty Center, 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Workship On Nontraditional Dairy Feeds, U. of Md. Cooperative Extension, Freder ick, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Better Kid Care, Chester Exten sion, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Perry County Extension meeting. Highland Presbyterian Church, Louis, Mo., thru Jan. 30. Lehigh/Northampton County Crops Day, UGI Auditorium, Bethlehem, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. York County Com Clinic, 4-H Cento', Bair Station, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. North American Bramble Growers Association meeting, Hershey Convention Center, thru Jan. 29. Winter Conference, Otterbein United Methodist Church Hall, Sunbury, 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Delmarva Ag Safety and Health Conference, Capitol Grange Hall, Dover, Del., 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Delmarva Dairy Day, Hardy Fire Hall, Hardy, Del., 9 a.m. Sheep Nutrition and Management Seminar, Cooperative Exten sion Office, Leonardtown, Md., 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Beef, Forage, and Sheep Produc tion, Wesley Grange, also Feb. 4. Feb. 11. and Feb. 18. Mount Joy Co-Op Annual Meet ing, Country Table Restaurant, Mount Joy, 11:30 a.m. To Control Winter Weeds in Alfalfa Robert Anderson, Lancaster County Extension Agronomy Agent, reports this has been an ideal winter for winter annual weeds. Winter annual weeds, es pecially chickweed, can adversely affect alfalfa yields in several ways. First, the competition it pro duces will shorten the stand life of alfalfa. Second, the quality of first cut ting will be reduced. Third, the drying time of first cutting is increased. Chickweed and other winter annuals weeds will soon experi ence a period of rapid growth in cluding blooming and seed produc tion. There are few good products available to alfalfa growers to con trol chickweed and other winter annual weeds. Each product has its own set of advantages and disad vantages. By reading and studying the label, you should be able to find a herbicide to meet your needs. To Select Herbicide for Alfalfa Weed Control Robert Anderson, Lancaster County Extension Agronomy Agent, states are there several good herbicides labeled for chick weed and other winter annual weeds in alfalfa. Gratnoxone Su per, Velpar, Lexone, Sencore, Sinbar, or Kerb are all labeled for use on established stands of al falfa. The Gramoxone treatment will probably be the most eco nomical. However, since it is a contact herbicide, it may not do a good job if complete spray coverage of the chickweed is not obtained. It also controls fewer species of weeds than some of the other products. Best activity with this treat ment is when the weeds are small, temperatures are above freezing and the days are bright and sunny. Velpar, Lexone or Sencore will also provide excellent control. However, the cost of these ma terials is higher. These materials Monroe/Carbon County Field Crops Meeting, Polk Township Fire Hall. Kresgeville, 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Lebanon Valley Bank Ag Lunc heon Seminar, Lebanon Valley Expo Center, Lebanon Fairgrounds. Pesticide Credit update, extension office, Ebensburg, 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Northumberland Conservation District/Penn State Extension Conference, Otterbein United Methodist Church, Sunbury, 10 a.m. Warren County Conservation Dis trict meeting. Holiday Inn, (Turn to Pag* A 43) do work better if the chickweed is large and complete coverage is a problem since they do have soil activity for plant up take. They also have a broader spectrum of weeds they will control. Sinbar will also control a wider spectrum of weeds. However, there is a two year replanting restriction on the label. Kerb is only labeled for fall applications. To Attend Grazing Conference The 1998 Pennsylvania Graz ing Conference will be held March 4 and 5 at the Holiday Inn, Grantville PA. Topics to be cov ered include parasite build up in pastures, poisonous weeds, pas- Br LAWRENCE W ALEHOUSE sassiLß SPf/ WHAT KIND OF CROWN? January 25, 1998 Background Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-11 Devotional Reading: Romans 12:9-21 Several years ago, as part of the promotion of a book I was asked to review, I was sent a cap by the publisher. On it in bold letters was the caption; "I AM THE C.E.O. IN THIS HOUSE." I have never worn it. It occurred to me that people have long used crowns or hats to denote their authority and voca tion. There is the tall white chefs hat that tells us who is the boss in the kitchen. There is the policeman's visored cap, more a symbol of authority than a prac tical head covering. The sailor's round cap clearly distinguishes him from any soldier. Even if we don't wear a distinctive head covering we still may use it as an analogy and remark that a particular person "wears several hats,” meaning that person fills several different roles. Whenever we are in a posi tion of power—at home, at work, in the community—even if we do not actually wear a distinctive hat, we will likely unconsciously choose a figurative "crown" that defines how we conceive of our role. Some people bear their position of responsibility and power with a crown of self importance. Whenever I stand in line at a customs check-point in an airport, I try to pick out the customs agent who appears least likely to have to demon strate that he or she has the authority to be picky and petty. TRAINED TO BE RUDE Others wear the crowns of officiousness, arbitrariness, arrogance and hostility. For me, the worst of these were the bor ders guards that controlled access through the former Iron Curtain. These people, it seemed, were trained to be obnoxious. But you don't have to go that far to find that kind of people—you can experience them at the local tax office, the corner store, a downtown park ing lot or even in your church. Sometimes we clergy choose the wrong hats to wear as pastors or ecclesiastical officials. The writer of 1 Peter is very much aware of this problem. He advises pastors of the early church to "Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by con straint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly,not as ture production during the summer slump, manure to pastures, ap plying no-till renovation of pas tures and selection of pasture plant species. Dr. Sinclair Mayne, Northern Ireland Research Institute, will discus his re search on grazing management to increase intake and pasture utiliza tion and evaluation of optimum genetic merit of various cow breeds for grazing management systems. For more information on the conference, contact the Graz ing Research and Education Center at 814-863-2543. Feather Prof, 's Footnote: "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock" (5:2-3 — italics mine ) He goes on to say, "Clothe your selves, all of you (he is no longer speaking to just the clergy), with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble'" (5:5) Humility does not seem to be very valued in our society today, nor, it seems to me, in the church either. Perhaps that is because we have the wrong idea of what Christian humility means. There are eight different meanings to the word "humble" in my Random House Dictionary of the English Language. The first of these is the one most often used in the Bible; "not proud or arrogant; modest." My Bible dictionary says the most frequent use of the word hum ble' in the Bible is to denote the "opposite to pride, arrogance and violence." THE YAWNING GAP Now I cite that because I have a suspicion that many Christians ttynk of liumble' at "having a feeling of insignifi cance, inferiority, subservience." A humble Christian is not one who thinks of himself or herself as "worthless." Humility con sists of recognizing the yawning gap between where we are and where God has created us to be. So, when Peter says, "Clothe yourselves..with humility toward one another," he is not saying that we are to clothe our selves with feelings of inferiori ty. Nor, when he quotes Proverbs 3:34, he is not saying that God gives grace to the worthless. God gives grace, not to the domineer ing, the arrogant, the officious, the practitioners of petty power and privilege, but to those who realize that in the presence of God they cannot be arrogant or self-serving. The One who made them worthy calls for them to be worthier still. All of us want and need a cer tain amount of praise and pride. We need to remember, however, that it is only the approval of God that means anything in the long run. "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you." Humble now; the crown of glory later. Lancaster Farming Established 19SS Published Every Saturday Ephrats Review Building IE. Main St Ephrata, PA 17522 -by- Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Stelnman Enterprise Robert GLCampball General Manager ivereW R. Newewenger Managing Edltw Copyri(hc 199 C by Laneular Funinf
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