AlO-Ltncatter Famtlng, Saturday, Octobar 31,1998
Immd
opimon
Feed The World
Save Environment Too
While the world’s population grew by more than 100 million in
1995 to S.7S billion, which was the largest increase recorded in a
single year, the percent of increase at I.SS was the smallest per
centage increase in at least two generations. Back in 1970, by
contrast, world population was growing by 2.1 percent annually.
Global population growth is framed by this irony: while favor
able trends toward slower growth and stabilization exist today, as
compared with 30 years ago, the population continues to expand
at a rapid pace. In the developing world, growth patterns remain
highest and threaten to increase further over the next SO years. In
the developed world, population growth has stabilized and is not
expected to expand appreciably in the long-term.
While the pressure of population expansion on global food
needs are real, many oflhe worst predictions of impending disas
ter may be overstated, largely because world agricultural produc
tivity has risen sharply, and real food prices have fallen by more
than SO percent. Such progress has resulted in some remarkable
achievements. Today, according to a briefing paper entitled “The
Challenges of Feeding the World,” published by Monsanto, more
than 80 percent of the population of the developing world have
access to adequate diets, compared with only 64 percent in the
1970’5. The number of undernourished has also fallen.
This success is in large part due to the achievement of the glob
al agricultural sector and the resulting relatively low prices for
many essential foods and staples. However, this progress has
come at a cost to the environment and has rendered inadequate
the practices of the “green revolution.” Thus, agriculture will
need to be even more innovative to maintain and expand food
production in light of global population and environmental reali
ties. In the future we must disturb less land for production of food
and fiber. We have only begun to sec the technology that will
allow us to do this. The most exciting innovations in plant pro
duction and animal husbandry are yet to come. Future farmers
will not only feed the world, they will save the environment too.
Saturday October 31
Halloween
Delmarva Driving Club Inc., Fall
Harvest at Pepperbox, near
Laurel, Del., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
N.Y. Beef Producers Tele-
Auction, Empire Livestock,
Bath, 1 p.m.
Dynamic Duo Spotlight Sale, Fre
derick Fairgrounds, Frederick,
Md., 7 pjn.
Lancaster County 4-H Therapeutic
Riding Program, Friendly
Horseman’s Club, Denver, 9
a m.-4 p.m.
International Mushroom Compost
Workshop, Ramada Inn,
er’s Restaurant, New Holland,
7:30 p.m.
Md. and Va. Milk Producers Meet
ing, Grecncastle Special Events
Center, Greencastle, 7 p.m.
Northampton County Cooperative
Extension meeting. Star
November 4 |
Northeast Heifer Contract Raising
Symposium, Binghamton
Regency Hotel, Binghamton,
N.Y., thru Nov. 5.
Md. and Va. Milk Producers Meet
ing, Fulton Grange Hall, Wake
field, noon.
* Farm Calendar ❖
Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable
Industiy Show, Plover, Wis.,
thru Nov. 5.
Berks County 15th Annual Fann-
City Banquet, Sheraton Berk
shire, Wyomissing, 7 p.m.
Md. and Va. Milk Producers Meet
ing, New Midway Fire Hall,
New Midway, 7 p.m.
Bradford County Extension annu
al meeting, Warren Township
Community Building, 7:30
p.m.
Lehigh County Cooperative
Extension annual meeting,
Lehigh County Vo-Tech
School, Schnecksville, 7
pjn.-9:30 p.m.
Mercer County Annual Extension
meeting, 7 p.m.
Penn State Coop Extension Asso
ciation of Huntingdon Annual
Meeting, Bethel Church,
Petersburg, 6:15 p.m.
85th Bradford County Extension
Assocation Annual Meeting,
Warren Township Community
County Ag Center,
Gaithersburg.
Farm Steel Recycling Field Day,
Lorctto, Cambria County Daily
Farm, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
American Woodworker Show,
Fort Washington Expo Center,
thru Nov. 8.
To Understand Dairy
Options
How would you like the oppor
tunity to establish a floor BFP
(Basic Formula Price) under the
milk you sell? BIT options al
lows you the security of setting a
floor price for your production
while still being able to capitalize
on any upward price movement in
the cash market. This differs from
forward contracts and futures.
If the market moves up after
you lock in your price, you miss
that extra income opportunity.
With options, you still receive the
same minimum price protection
offered by a forward or futures
contract. If the BFP price unex
pectedly moves upward, you arc
able to capture that additional in
come. Many people consider op
tions price insurance. You pay a
premium for a certain amount of
coverage or price protection. The
better the coverage, the higher the
premium. With options there is
no risk of margin calls.
To Look For USDA
Mailing on Options
The Dairy Options Pilot Pro
gram (DOPP) is being tested in
several states and in six counties
in Pennsylvania (Berks, Bradford,
Chester, Crawford, Franklin and
Lancaster). Dairy producers in
these counties should be receiving
a letter in November from USDA
announcing this program. Included
m the mailing will be an applica
tion form to be return if the
farmer is interested in participat
ing in the pilot program and four
hour educational session in Janu
ary.
tv.
A maximum of 100 farmers
per county will be selected to par
ticipate in the program. The
DOPP is designed to help farmers
learn more about BFP options and
how to use them as tools for pro
tecting milk prices.
They will learn by actually
trading BFP options at a very
minimal cost. If you are interested
in participating in DOPP, do not
discard the USDA letter and appli
cation form. Be sure to return the
application form on time so
USDA knows you are interested
in learning about options. The
application is not binding. It is
only an expression of your inter
est.
With a good harvest, good
milk prices and low grain prices,
MSBA 59th Annual Honey Show,
MDA Headquarters,
Annapolis.
Nittany Lion Fall Classic Sale, Ag
Arena, State College, 11 a.m.
25 th Annual North American
International Livestock Expo,
Kentucky Fair and Expo Cen
trum to Pag* ASS)
To Go Easy On The
Grain
the stage is set for increased milk
production, according to Glenn
Shirk, Lancaster County Exten
sion Dairy Agent. However, in
the interest of producing more
milk, do not forget that cows are
ruminants and they need a lot of
forage and effective fiber in their
ration.
Right now, with high fat
prices, forages and fiber may help
boost fat tests and milk prices.
You may want to feed for herd av
erage fat tests of 3.5 per cent or
greater for Holsteins. Tests below
3.2 per cent may indicate acidosis
problems. These may lead to such
costly problems as ketosis, de
pressed appetites, twisted stom
achs, sore feet, poor body condi
tion, reduced conception rates,
lower milk production and in
creased culling rates.
To help prevent these prob
lems, consider these guidelines:
1. Grain dry matter intakes
should be kept below 60 per cent
of total dry matter intake.
ONE WAY TO BE #1!
November 1,1998
Background Scripture:
Amos 6 through 7
Devotional Reading:
Acts 4:13-22
Recently, watching the
Stanley Cup play-offs in the
National Hockey League, I was
appalled at the assumption that
gratuitous violence was simply
part of being a champion team,
no matter who toas hurt and
maimed. Being number one has
become an obsession in our
country today in virtually every
department of life.
I have no problem with peo
ple striving for excellence. But I
do with the belief that being
“king of the hill” is the only
thing important and, that to
achieve it and keep it, anything
goes...
Well, for those of use who
cannot live without being num
ber one in at least something,
Amos has found a way that is
guaranteed to put your name at
the very top of the pile:
“Therefore they shall now be
first of those who go into exile...”
(6:7). This is a guarantee made,
not by Amos himself, but by the
God of Israel.
AT EASE IN ZION
So, to be first on the calamity
list, all you have to do is follow
Amos’ prescription. And to
whom will this top listing
come?— “...those who are at ease
in Zion... who feel secure on the
mountain of Samaria... who lie
upon beds of ivory, and stretch
themselves upon their couches,
and eat lambs from the f10ck...,
who sing idle songs to the sound
of the harp, and like David
invent for themselves instru-
ments of music; who drink wine
in bowls, and anoint themselves
with the finest oils, but are not
grieved over the ruin of Joseph”
(6:1-7).
He is not saying they will be
first in line because of any of
these activities in themselves.
Lying on bed of ivory per se is
not evil, nor is eating lambs
from the flock. Rather, in these
verses Amos has painted a pic
ture of luxurious self-indul
gence, an arrogance of the spirit
that persuades people to feel
2. Acid detergent fiber (ADF)
content should generally be 18 per
cent of total ration dry matter or
greater
3. Forage neutral detergent fi
ber (FNDF) content generally
should not drop below 21 per cent
of total ration dry matter.
4. Total neutral detergent fiber
(NDF) content generally should
not drop below 28 per cent of to
tal ration dry matter. Lower pro
ducing cows, consuming less than
50 pounds of dry matter, will need
higher levels in their ration, and
5. Non structural carbohy
drates (NSC) should be 30 to 40
per cent of total ration dry matter
If a lot of starch (corn, hominy) is
being fed, the levels should be
closer to 30 per cent. If the con
centrate consists of a lot of by
products ( soyhulls, cottonseed)
the levels should be closer to 40
per cent.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote: "Peak
performance carries its own re
ward."
secure, not in the Lord, but in
the multitude of their comforts,
privileges and powers.
They are “at ease in Zion” but
they ought to be uneasy. They
“feel secure on the mountain of
Samaria” (the focus of worship
for the Northern Kingdom, as
opposed to Jerusalem in the
South) but they really have no
security because they have
turned their backs to the Lord.
When he says that they are “not
grieved over the min of Joseph,”
he is saying that they have
turned a blind eye to the moral
and spiritual decay of their king
dom. The result: terrible death
and desolation and God will not
intervene to prevent it this tim&,
THE WEIGHT OF WORDS -
If someone should arise in
your church on Sunday morning
and make such a prophecy, I’mj
sure he or she would- quickly be"'
ostracized. It is hard to hear
something so accusative when
we are quite certain that we<
have every reason to be “at ease
in Zion.” So it is understandable
that Amos’ message did not earn
him admiration and popularity.
Amaziah, the priest of the sanc
tuary in Bethel, was convinced
that “that land is not able to
bear all his word.”
Later, King Amaziah told him
in no uncertain terms to get out
of the country. Go to Judah and
ply your prophetic profession
there! “...but never again proph
esy at Bethel, for it is the King’s
sanctuary, and it is a temple of
the kingdom” (7:10-12). The
implication is that people of
power shall control just how
much or how little truth will be
told to the people. Everyone
loves prophets—somewhere
else!
Amos replies that he is not a
prophet by profession. God gave
this herdsman and dresser of
sycamore trees a message and
he is simply carrying that mes
sage as God commanded; if you
want to be number one on the
list of those who will pay the
price for their arrogance, just
keep on doing what you are
doing!
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by
Lancaster Farming, Inc
A Sleinman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Everett R. Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright 1998 Lancaster Farming