OPINION
Nuisance Lawsuits
Addressed
The Pennsylvania House and Senate arc worlcing toward
agreement on legislation to provide farmers with new protections
against nuisance lawsuits. The Senate bill that would amend the
state’s right to farm law was sponsored by Sen. Noah Wenger (R-
Lancaster).
The right to farm law ensures that a homeowner living near a
farm cannot sue the farmer for causing noise’ related to thetarm
ing operation. Wenger’s bill would extend similar protections to
fanners who alter their farming practices to comply with the
state’s nutrient management law. This new statute requires far
mers with livestock-intensive operations to establish plans for the
use and disposal of nutrient-rich substances, such as soil inputs
and animal waste.
All of us in agriculture know that a right to farm law is needed
because many non-farmers move from urban or suburban areas to
the country and are unprepared for the impact a nearby farming
operation can have on their own property. As a result, they may
file lawsuits that can interfere with the farming operation.
We believe the best way to limit nuisance lawsuits in this situa
tion is for farmers to go out of their way to communicate with
their urban neighbors about the needs of the farming operation
and try to conduct the farming operation within a good-neighbor
frame of reference. However, this does not always settle neighbor
problems.
Therefore, we need the right to farm law to protect farmers
while they go about their daily business of earning a living. And
in this case, the new legislation also serves as an incentive for far
mers to use good management practices by giving protection
from nuisance suits to farms that update their operations.
Saturday Ma\ V
Capitol Area Beekeepers Associa
tion Short Course, Dauphin
County Agricultural and Natur
al Resources Center, Dauphin,
& a.m.-4;30 p.m. and May 16,
Milton Hershey School Farm
Conference Center and Apiary,
Hershey, 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
24th Annual Western Pa. Sheep
and Club Lamb Sale, Mercer
County 4-H Park, Mercer, 6
p.m.
Eastern Shore Spring 4-HyFFA
Show, Centreville, Md.
Managing Your Small Pond
Workshop, Dave and Elaine
Brown’s Farm, Lemon, 9
a.m.-noon.
Colonial Charolais World Class
Sale, Leroy Myers Farm, Clear
Spring, Md., futurity show 10
a.m„ sale 1 p.m.
Berks County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Berks County Ag
| Moii(lii>. May II
Pa. Rural Health Conference, Nit
tany Lion Inn, State College,
thru May 13.
Lehigh Valley Horse Council
meeting, Bit-By-bit Farm,
AVinj^ag^SOjyjnL^^^^
Southeast Pa. Twilight Fruit
Growers Meeting. Hausman’s
Woodland Management Work
shop, York Extension Office, 7
p.m.-9 p.m.
Twin Valley FFA Banquet, Sunny
Crest Smorgasbord. 6:30 p.m.
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❖ Farm Calendar*:*
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Saluicl;i>. Ma> 16
Bedford County Dairy Princess
Der Rc 't.
Horse Show, Columbia Riding
Club. Columbia.
Editor:
“Ladies and gentlemen, your
1997-98 Berks County Dairy Prin
cess, Erica Davis!” Ever since I
was in first grade I have dreamed
of being a dairy princess and
wearing a crown on my head.
This past year has been a once
in a lifetime, dream come true.
When I was crowned last May, I
promised myself I would try to
make as many appearances as I
could, for I had only one year to
represent the industry I love. I also
knew that I would have to sur
render my personal schedule for
those various opportunities that
awaited me.
I would not give this past year
up for the world. I had to learn
time management to attend a pro
motion and still get my college
homework finished. I think of all
the memories I made, friendships I
gained, and the poise and public
speaker skills I acquired.
Hay crop forage (hay, haylage,
pasture, etc.) is a major compo
nent of the dairy ration, according
to Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County
Extension Dairy Agent. With the
first cutting of the season rapidly
approaching, now is the time to
think about hay quality and sea
sonal yield.
Consider the total ration for
the dairy herd and the quality of
hay needed for balancing the ra
tion. Also, consider the quality of
hay likely to be harvested the re
mainder of the season. These fac
tors help to determine the opti
mum time to harvest the first cut
ting of hay.
To Plan First Cutting of
Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County
Extension Dairy Agent, reminds
us if you need longer length, high
quality fiber, you may want to let
the first cutting of alfalfa reach
early bloom maturity before cut
ting. As the first cutting advances
in maturity, protein levels and en
ergy values will start declining,
but the quality of the fiber will
remain high and fiber yield will
also increase.
, i
iJ *
■**l? ' 'V
Later cuttings may be cut at a
younger stage of maturity for im
proved quality. The fiber from the
first cutting is generally less lig
nified and more digestible than
that produced during the hotter
seasons of the year
If you need high quality (low
fiber, higher protein, higher en
ergy) hay or haylage. the first cut-
❖ Farm Forum ♦
I remember going to a farm
women group and playing a game
with my uncle who only came be
cause my aunt made him (we had
fun). I recall the look of awe as a
small child would point to my
crown and ask, “Are those real
diamonds?”
I will always be thankful for the
support I received this past year
from my family and friends. I
knew I could go to them for ad
vice.
This past year has been memor
able and as I present the title of
Berks County Dairy Princess to
another deserving young lady on
Saturday I will remind myself that
this is not the end but only the be
ginning. I had my year to bask in
the thrill of meeting dignitaries,
having my picture in the paper,
and receiving the starry-eyed
stares from children. On Saturday
these opportunities will be for
(Turn to Pago A 23)
Now Is
the Time
By John Schwartz
Lancaster County
Agricultural Agent
To Think Hay Quality
Alfalfa
ting may be harvested in the bud
stage. This may mean halting
com planting temporarily. The
early harvest may enable you to
get an extra cutting per year.
While the second cutting is grow
ing, you may finish com plant
ing.
To Report New Hires
As of January 1, 1998, all
Pennsylvania employers, includ
ing farmers and agricultural em
ployers, are required to comply
with the state's New Hire Report
ing Program.
In order to comply with the
program, employers must report
to the Commonwealth certain in
formation regarding every newly
hired or rehired employee. The in
formation will be used to main
tain a registry of all employed
persons within Pennsylvania to
facilitate child support enforce
ment.
TRADITION!!!
May 10, 1998
Background Scripture:
Mark 7:1-23
Devotional Reading:
Ephesians 6:10-20
Do you remember that moment
in The Fiddler on the Roof where
Tevye sings his poignant song la
menting the gradual dissolution of
his people’s traditions. Thrusting
his arm upward, he proudly pro
claims “Tradition!!!" But as the
story progresses, he watches as
one tradition after another is
superseded by the march of time.
Christian* today are often in the
same place. We struggle, often
vainly, to maintain traditions. One
of the big debates in Christianity
at this time is whether the tradi
tional services of worship will sur
vive the electronic age.
If we as Christians are chal
lenged and troubled by the threats
to our traditions, we can perhaps
understand how the Jews of Jesus’
day reacted to him. In the four
gospels Jesus often appears as the
destroyer of tradition. “And the
Pharisees and the scribes asked
him. ’Why do your disciples not
live according to the tradition of
the elders, but eat with hands de
filed?’” (Mark 7:5).
Actually, they were wrong
about Jesus. He was not against
tradition as such and, in fact, he
kept most of the traditions in
which he had been raised. Jesus
recognized the value of traditions
that linked them with their heri
tage and gave them a sense of
identification as the people of
God. In his teachings he often up
held those traditions: performing a
healing he tells the healee to “go
and show yourself to the priest,
and make an offering for your
cleansing, as Moses commanded,
for a proof to the people” (Luke
5:14).
LIPS, NOT HEARTS
When Jesus is challenged by
the Pharisees and scribes on
breaking the traditions, he indi
cates that the real problem is with
them: “Well did Isaiah prophesy
of you hypocrites, as it is written,
‘This people honors me with their
lips, but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me, teach
ing as doctrines the precepts of
men.’ You leave the command
ment of God and hold fast the tra
dition of men” (7:6-8).
Tradition can be harmful when
Information regarding the pro
gram was sent by the Common
wealth to over 250,000 employers
prior to the Act taking effect
However, because farmers are ex
empt from many taxes and re
ports, most agricultural employers
probably did not receive this in
formation.
Any agricultural employer or
farmer who did not receive an in
formation packet, should request
one by contacting the New Hire
Program at 1-888-724-4737. The
packet will provide a detailed ex
planation of what an employer
must do in order to comply with
the program. Penalties for viola
tion of the program requirements
range from a written warring to
$5OO.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote:
"Cooperation is the fuel that al
lows common people to attain
uncommon results."
it is misused for hypocritical pur
poses. They can be used as a
means of honoring God with our
lips, but not our hearts. The beauty
of tradition is that it gives us a sys
tem, a framework within which to
practice our religion. The tragedy
of tradidon is also that same sys
tem and framework when we for
get that traditions are usually the
creations of human minds. Even
though those minds may be di
vinely inspired, we must not mis
take that their shape is something
we give to them. As Paul put it,
“We have this treasure in earthen
vessels” (n Co. 4:7). To mistake
the earthen vessels for the treasure
has been one of our most prevalent
tragedies.
JUDGING OTHERS
The Pharisees and scribes at
tack Jesus, asking, “Why do your
disciples not live according to the
tradition ... but eat with hands
defiled?” (7:6). Therq was nothing
wrong with the tradition of cere
monial handwashing before a
meal. They did not know it at the
time, but we know that it has con
siderable hygienic value. The
problem was not in the handwash
ing, but in the use of it to judge
other people. That is not an an
cient concern, for we do verv
much the same thing today, reject
ing other Christians because they
do not keep the same conditions
that we do.
Another objection of Jesus to
traditions as practiced by the
Pharisees and scribes: their man
made traditions often became a
substitute for the commandment
of God: “You leave the command
ment of God and hold fast the tra
dition of men** (7:8). It is com
paratively easier to live by a
hundred religious traditions
good or bad than adhere to the
simple commandment of Jesus to
“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all
your souC and with all your mind
... (and) your neighbor as your
self* (Matthew 22:37-39).
Jesus said to the Pharisees and
scribes words that I think he
speaks to us today: “You have a
fine way of rejecting the com
mandment of God, in order to
keep your tradition! ” (7:9). Does
the shoe fit?
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 Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newewanger Managing Edltw
Copyright 199 C by Lucuur Ftnnin*