AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 30, 1998
OPINION
Agriculture To Benefit
From Dirt Road Program
Pennsylvania’s more than 27,000 miles of dirt and gravel roads
go hand-in-hand with agriculture and forestry.
For years in Pennsylvania, it was the case, and it still is in some
areas, that a local farmer with equipment-handling abilities, inter
est and time, would be hired to serve as “roadmaster.”
While the job title is more or less obsolete, the job is not.
Now, under transportation legislation passed last year as Act 3,
the job has been given a new look, new respect and state attention.
The legislation provides $5 million every year in a dedicated line
item to be used for dirt and gravel road maintenance.
For rural Pennsylvania, the program is welcome, timely, and, it
seems, in greater demand than what can be accommodated in the
first several years.
There are two catches. There is a priorty listing, according to
listings of watershed quality (the better the quality the higher the
priority), for municipalities seeking grants through the program.
Also, the local road manager, or roadmaster, must attend educa
tional classes (currently targeted for priority municipalities) being
provided around the state through a cooperative effort of state
agencies and Penn State Extension.
The educational materials are to provide roadmasters with tech
nologies and a background education that will better enable them
to make better decisions when rebuilding and maintaining the dirt
and gravel roads under their charge.
For rural municipal governments, the funds should be a wel
come relief from having to allow dirt roads to further deteriorate
because the limited funding is directed toward local high-traffic
hardtop roads.
For agriculture, it may seem to mean nothing, but if it reduces
stuck tires, vehicle damage, lost time from accidents or unecessari
ly washed out or iced-over roads, it can mean more money for
agriculture.
Otherwise, good roads just make living that much more
enjoyable.
Further, the program acknowledges that, although a common
scapegoat, agriculture isn't the worst culprit in accelerating soil
erosion and stream sedimentation and in threatening drinking
water quality in the state.
Tremendous miles of highways coursing along and over streams
throughout the state flush storm water directly into streams with
loads of human waste and garbage, motor fuels, oils and solvents,
and soils from many non-agricultural activities.
It gets worse in urban areas and especially in cities, and especial
ly older cities.
But most of the state’s watersheds are coursed by dirt and gravel
roads, and improperly constructed or maintained dirt and gravel
roads can be much more serious threats to a stream and water qual
ity for a community.
This program promises to be effective and worthwhile.
Cecil County Breeders Fair, Cecil
County Fairgrounds.
Boring Fire Company Gas Engine
Show, Boring, Md., thru May
31.
Lebanon County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Lebanon County
Career and Technology Center,
7:30 p.m.
Blair County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Logan Valley Mall,
Altoona, 7 p.m.
Com Refiners Association Inc.
and National Com Growers
Association Com Utilization
and Technology Conference,
Hyatt at Union Station, St.
Louis, thru June 3.
Food Safety and Sanitation Train
ing, Hazleton General Hospital,
Hazleton, 9 a.m.-noon, also
❖ Farm Calendars
Southeast Pa. Fruit Growers Twil
ight Meeting, Stouch's Orchard,
Shartlesville, 6:30 p.m.
Ag Marketing Update, Howard
Johnson’s, Millington, 6:30
Huntingdon County Dairy Prin
cess Pageant, Huntingdon Area
Middle School, Huntingdon.
Chester County Dairy Princess
Pageant, at Cochranville Straw
berry Festival.
Antique JD Tractor Show and
To Develop Nutrient
Management Plans
The Pennsylvania Nutrient
Management Law requires all con
centrated animal operations (those
with two or more animal units per
acre) which were in existence
when the law became effective on
October 1, 1997 to develop and
submit a nutrient management
plan for their operations by Sep
tember 30, 1998.
The plan must contain infor
mation on number of animals in
the operation, nutrients produced,
crop nutrient needs and best man
agement practices. The plan needs
to include maps of the farm to
show field boundaries. Fields need
to be identified with acreage and
soil types. Crops produced and re
alistic expected yields need to be
established.
The law also states when ma
nure may applied and set backs
that must be observed when ap
plying manure near wells, sink
holes, streams, lakes, ponds, etc.
For more details on the Nutrient
Management Law contact your lo
cal conservation district or Penn
State Cooperative Extension of
fice.
To Apply For Cost Share
Funds
To assist in developing nutri
ent management plans, the state
has developed a cost sharing pro
gram. The cost share must be ap
proved prior to the beginning of
the planning process. If you are
interested in cost share funds, con
tact your local conservation dis
trict office to obtain approval.
For commercially developed
plans, the cost share for a farm of
0 to 50 acres is 75 per cent of ac
tual costs not to exceed $250. For
50 or more acres the cost share is
75 per cent of costs not to exceed
$4 per acre or $BOO per operation.
Cost share funds are available for
farmer developed plans.
For a plan developed by an in
dividual for his own operation the
cost share is $2OO for an operation
Pageant, Porter Township.
Lamar, 2 p.m.
Md Junior Polled Hereford Pr.
' Coi Fr
meeting. Therapeutic Riding
Program, Greystonc Manor, 7
Centre County Wool Pool, Grange
Fairgrounds, Centre Hall, 7
a.m.-ll:30 a.m., and 1 p.m.-2
pjn.
MDIA mcctin;
Cove Mountain
(Turn to Pago A 32)
up to SO acres. For an operation
over SO acres, the cost share is $3
per acre not to exceed $BOO per
operation. Only concentrated ani
mal operations will be eligible for
cost share funds in the first year of
the program. After October 1,
1998, voluntary nutrient man
agement plans will be able to re
ceive cost share as well.
To Look at Estate
Planning
When was the last time you
took a look at your estate plan? If
it has been over S years you may
want to review it. Also, now
would be a good time to look at
your business succession plan.
What plans do you have to pass
your farm to the next generation?
How are you preparing the next
generation to assume management
and ownership of the farm?
Estate planning and business
WATCH!
May 31,1998
Background Scripture:
Mark 13
Devotional Reading:
Joel 2:28-32
As we approach the millenni
um of 2,000 AD, we are hearing
and reading dire predictions of
the apocalyptic events forecast
in the Book of Revelation. Some
Christians sincerely believe that
“the end times” forecast in the
last book of the Bible, as well as
Mark 13, are precisely those
that will accompany the turn of
the century.
Here in Dallas a few week
ends ago, a cult group waited
expectantly for the return of
Christ in a flying saucer. When
the day arrived and he did not
return, the group reassessed
their calculations.
Christians have long divided
over the question of Christ’s
return—when? how? and why?
Both Jesus and Paul seem to
have expected the coming of the
Kingdom of God. But in the
Bible Jesus’ remarks on his
return and the coming of the
“end times” are anything but
clear. Paul, on the other hand,
seems to have expected it as
immanent in his earliest letters,
but by his later letters, was no
longer certain when the last
days would occur.
APOCALYPTIC
Part of the problem is the
very nature of apocalyptic writ
ing, a style common in Judaism
at the beginning of the Christian
era. Highly symbolic and
abounding in vivid and often
inconsistent imagery, it is virtu
ally impossible to interpret liter
ally. It is found in some of the
writings of the Old Testament
prophets and in the Book of
Daniel. The principal example
,in the New Testament is
Revelation, but Mark 13 is also
apocalyptic writing.
I wish I could tell you that
there is a clear, unified message
in Mark 13 and I can explain it
to you, but I cannot. I believe, as
some scholars do, that Mark 13
is a collection of apocalyptic say
ings that were not originally
part of one text, explaining why
they cannot be easily put togeth
er in a consistent message.
There is a lot here that is very
confusing. At the same time,
there is something here for all of
us, despite what we may or niay
not believe about the immanent
succession planning work hand in
hand. By developing a plan and
then implementing the plan will
help to insure the future of your
farm. It is important to start early
with your children to cultivate
their interest in the farm. Treat
them fairly and provide them with
good wages and working condi
tions.
Allow them to build assets so
they will be in a position to buy
into the farm business. Look at
estate planning as a method to
help implement your plans for the
farm. Now is a good time to dis
cuss your future goals for the farm
and meet with your advisors to
develop your estate and business
succession plan.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote: "The
key to happiness is having
dreams. The key to success is
making dreams come true."
return of Christ with his king
dom.
Mark 13 begins with one of
Jesus’ disciples pointing to the
Jerusalem temple and saying,
“Look Teacher, what wonderful
stones and what wonderful
buildings!” We can appreciate
his reaction for these buildings
were very impressive, particu
larly if we may assume that the
person was from the countryside
rather than Jerusalem. But
Jesus tells this follower that
“There will not be left one stone
upon another, that will not be
thrown down” (13:1, 2). Yes
these things are impressive—as
many of our churches are
today—but they are not endur
ing. Only one thing endures for
ever, the will of God.
FALSE MESSIAHS
Secondly, Jesus warns them
that “Many will come in my
name, saying T am he!’ and they
will lead many astray” (13:6).
That is a prophecy that has been
fulfilled again and again since
the earliest days of the church.
Unfortunately, there are always
those who will follow these false
messiahs.
Third, while Christians wait
for Christ’s return they are like
ly to suffer for his sake. “You will
stand before governors and
kings for my sake, to bear testi
mony before them” (13:9). When
this happens, we are not to
think something has gone wrong
with God’s plan. Actually, these
things are evidence that the
plan is intact and will be ful
filled.
Fourth, “But of that day or
that hour no one knows” (13:32).
If someone comes—as they
always do —saying when that
day will be, don’t be taken in by
them —as someone always is.
One more time NOBODY
KNOWS THE DAY OR THE
HOUR, “but only the Father.”
Finally, the bottom line:
“Take heed, watch... Watch
therefore...”
“And what I say to you I say
to all: Watch” (13:33, 35, 37).
When Christ, like the master of
the house in the parable,
returns, let him find us doing
and being what he has called us
to do and be.
Lancaster Farming
Established 19SS
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by-
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Slelnman Enterprise
Robert a Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newatranger Managing Editor
Copyright 19M by LancuMr Funinf
t . .