AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 14, 1998
OPINION
Not
Too Much To Expect
After mandatory support of the Beef Checkoff for the past 10
years, many beef producers are questioning whether the $1 bil
lion they have thrown at promotion and research have done them
any good. With the price of cattle at the farm gate this suspicion
does not seem out of place. Of course, to raise this subject imme
diately puts us in the middle of two groups of beef producers.
On one hand, beef producers on the National Cattlemen’s Beef
Research and Promotion Board and their supporters believe their
work has been needed and is needed in the future to keep the
industry from being in worse condition. But smaller producers
with less than 100 cows often feel the cost/price squeeze and
wonder if the money taken out at the farm level is worth the
expense.
We have heard a lot of name calling and finger pointing on this
issue which we refuse to do. We know in today’s economy, a lot
of money is spent to promote competing food products. We have
seen the “What’s For Dinner?,” and “Where’s the Beef?”
advertising.
Nevertheless, in our free enterprise system, the people who pay
the bills have a right to say if they are satisfied with the program.
In addition, no properly run program should be without reviews
and proper ownership checks to make sure the goal and reasons
for the program have been achieved.
Most producers favored the check-off when it was initiated 10
years ago. Most of them may still favor it and be willing to con
tinue to pay the $1 per head out of pocket when they market their
cattle. But we don’t know this until we have a mid-term referen
dum to give everyone the opportunity to vote on the checkoff.
We don’t think it’s too much to expect a producer who is pay
ing for the program to be allowed to say he likes it, does not like it.
The most obvious way suspicion could be raised against the man
agers of the program would be if political and beef industry pow
er brokers refuse to let it come to a vote.
Susquehanna County DHIA Ban
quet, Fairdale Grange, noon.
Lackawanna DHIA Banquet,
Pa. Farm Bureau State Annual
Meeting, Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center, Hershey,
Nov. 18.
North American International
Livestock Expo and 1999
National Angus Super Roll of
Victory Show, Louisville, Ky.,
Pa. Farm Bureau State Annual
Meeting, Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center, Hershey,
Nov. 18.
\nnual Meeting of the Pa. Assoca
lion of County Ag Agents, Tof
trees. State College, thru Nov.
17.
Potter County Basic Computer
Workshop, Potter County Edu
cation Council New Computer
Lab, Galeton, 9:30 a.ra.-2:30
p.m., also Nov. 23.
Md. and Va. Milk Producers meet
ing, Morrison Cove Memorial
Park, Martinsburg, noon.
Md. and Va. Milk Producers meet
ing, The Lighthouse Restaur
ant, Chambersburg, 7 p.m.
Somerset DHIA Banquet, Berlin
Dairy Feed Industry Seminar,
Holiday Inn, Indiana, 10a.m.-3
p.m.
* Farm Calendar❖
Solanco Young Farmers meeting.
Com Grain Management, Sol
anco High School, 7:30 p.m.
EAYF Adult CPR Training Class,
Ephrata Hospital, 6:30 p.m.-lO
p.m.
Md. and Va. Milk Producers Meet
ing, New Midway Fire Hall
Complex, 7 p.m.
Quality Forage Conference, Holi
day Inn an 4 TGIF, Williams
port, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Pa. Farm Bureau 48th Annual
Banquet, Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center, 7 p.m.
Organic Farmers Meeting, Farm
Show Complex, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Live Saltelile Broadcast Work
shop, Effective Wastewater
Management, various county
extension offices, 6:30-8:30
p.m.
Lancaster County Holstein Ban
quet, Farm and Home Center,
Lancaster, 7 p.m. •
Public Listening Session For
USDA/EPA Unified Joint
Strategy For Animal Feeding
try . -Jtiy
Lighthouse Restaurant, Cham
bersburg, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Westmoreland County Farm-City
Dinner, Mountain View Inn,
Greensburg, 7 p.m.
Farm Business in Transition, Stop
35, Mifflintown, 10 a.m.-2:30
p.m.
Pa. Tobacco Marketing Associa-
To Check Manure
Hauling
Although transporting manure
m a conventional manure spreader
is normally uneventful, it is not
without risk and problems, accord
ing to Chester Hughes, Lancaster
County Extension Livestock
Agent. Occasionally manure drips
oil equipment or tire onto the
highway.
This is a situation that should
never occur Other less likely in
cidents include; I traffic accidents
which could lead to a major ma
nure discharge; 2. accidental valve
opening; 3. valve lailure; and 4,
pipe failures.
Any of these problems re
quires quick corrective action by
the farmer to minimize environ
mental impact and negative public
action. You should have a plan,
including phone numbers of key
people, on how you will deal with
a manure spillage.
Once the manure storage is
emptied and manure hauling is
completed for an extended period
of time, clean the spreader. Clean
equipment conveys a professional
attitude and well run business.
Rinsing the inside, of equipment
can also extend its useful life.
The critical limits for manure
transportation, like those for stor
age,'provides little room for error.
Manure must be transported with
out leakage, discharge or spills.
To Check Manure Dis-
posal Systems
Manure may also be trans
ported in irrigation or recycle sys
tems by pumping the manure
through a hose or series of pipes,
according to Chester Hughes.
Lancaster County Extension Live
stock Agent.
Above ground irrigation pip
ing should be inspected before and
during each use for dents, gouges
and corrosion These defects can
cause sudden ruptures of the pipe-
lion meeting. Paradise Corn-
munity Park Building, Para-
Dairy Feed Industry Seminar,
la Family Restaurant, Lcola, 7
a.m.-noon.
Md. and Va. Milk Producers Meet
ing, Jarrcttsville Fire Hall, Jar
re tlsvillc, Md., 7 pjn.
Transitioning Your Business,
Penn State Fruit Lab, Biglcrvil
le, 9:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
Pa. DHIA Delegate Meeting, Are
na Restaurant, Bedford, 9:30
a.m.-3 p.m.
Southeast Regional Cattlemen's
Association Annual Dinner
Meeting, Hoss’s Steak House,
Lionville, 6:30 p.m.
York County DHIA Banquet, Tho
rn asville Fire Company, 7 p.m.
Lycoming County DHIA Banquet,
(Turn to Pag* A 39)
lines during use.
Underground piping systems
should have the risers and air re
lease valves inspected before and
during use. Air release valves are
especially prone to leakage.
Sometimes leakage is obvious.
Other times watching for stains
on vegetation or excessive growth
will provide evidence of previous
discharges or intermittent leakage.
Monitor spraying to avoid ex
cessive applications of manure and
run off.
To Control Rodents in
Corn Crib
Mice and other rodents take a
heavy toll on com stored as ear
com in wooden and metal com
cribs. According to Robert Ander
son, Lancaster County Extension
Agronomy Agent, the corn crib
provides an ideal habitat for ro
dents. It provides sheltered nesting
areas out of the cold winter
weather along with an endless
supply of food.
IF I WERE JEREMIAH
November 15, 1998
Background Scripture:
Jeremiah 19: 21:1-10
Devotional Reading:
Joshua 24:14-28
If I were Jeremiah, what
would I have done when he came
saying to me: “Go, buy a potter’s
earthen flask . . . and proclaim
there the words that I tell you”
(19:1,2)? I wonder.
Note that God did not tell
Jeremiah he wanted him to
preach a sermon. True, some
sermons can be prophetic, but
the sermons generally come
from pastors, not prophets—and
there is a real difference
between the two. A pastor is
regarded as the shepherd of his
flock, while the popular image of
the prophet is that of a danger to
the flock.
Today, as in the time of
Jeremiah, people fear prophecy
because they instinctively think
of it as bad news. Often in the
Old Testament it was bad news,
but that was only because the
life of the people of Israel was
also bad news.
So, if I were Jeremiah I would
assume that God wanted me for
an unpleasant task.
Unfortunately, when God wants
us, there is really no place to
hide.
Some people think that the
role of a prophet is enjoyable,
but not I. Perhaps it is tem
porarily satisfying to pronounce
judgement on others—maybe a
boost to one’s own ego—but most
of us do not like to alienate our
selves from people if we can help
it. No one listens to a true
prophet and then runs up to him
when he’s finished and asks him
for his autograph! Prophecy
wins about as many friends as
being a tax collector!
WORDS OF DOOM!
But God didn’t say, “If you’d
like to do me a favor . .” No,
God said “Go. . . !” and the mes
sage he had for Jeremiah was as
unpopular as it could be. Unlike
some prophesies, this was not a
call to change or else, but the
pronouncement of a doom that
seemed unalterable. Breaking
the flask in the sight of those lis-
The control of mice and rodents
under these conditions is very dif
ficult. However, several things
may be done to help keep rodent
populations down. First, traps
may be used monitor the extent of
the problem. Trapping will do lit
tle to eliminate the problem.
Second, screening wherever
possible to exclude rodents will
also help keep numbers in con
trol. However, when a severe
problem exists, the commercial
use of tracking powder has been
the most effective means of con
trol. Remember to always read and
follow the directions when using
any pesticide.
Remember, rodents are a major
carrier of salmonella and other
bacteria and disease organisms.
Thus, rodent control is a very im
portant first step in food safety.
Feather Prof.'s Footnote: "We
know what a person thinks not
when he tells us what he thinks,
but by his actions."
tening to him, Jeremiah was to
say: “Thus says the Lord of
Hosts: So will I break this people
and this city, as one breaks a
potters vessel, so that it can
never be mended” (19:11).
The message was terrible but
the situation that provoked the
message was more terrible still.
The people have been worship
ping Baal and offering their own
people as sacrifices. They proba
bly still professed to believe and
serve the God of their Hebrew
forefathers, but the real ques
tions were: from where were
they taking their values? To
whom were they turning for
help? Whom did they aim to
please?
Those same questions could
be asked of us. Despite our
protestations of loyalty to the
Lord, where do we get our val
ues? To whom or to what do we
turn for help? And whom do we
aim to please? Be assured, what
ever our vocation, if we ask
these questions today people
will get upset with us just as
they got upset with Jeremiah.
Pashhur, the high priest in the
temple, beat him and had him
put in the stocks at the upper
Benjamin Gate.
TIME TO QUIT?
Pashhur tried to intimidate
Jeremiah and initially it seemed
he succeeded for Jeremiah com
plained bitterly to God: “0 Lord,
thou has deceived me . . . thou
art stronger than I, and thou
hast prevailed. I have become a
laughingstock all the day; every
one mocks me” (20:7). If I were
Jeremiah I would want to quit
at that point.
But Jeremiah couldn’t quit:
“If I say, ‘I will not mention him,
or speak anymore in his name,’
there is in my heart as it were a
burning fire shut up in my
bones, and I am weary of hold
ing it in, and I cannot” (20:9). So,
the next time the Lord came
saying, to Jeremiah, “Go . . ~”
Jeremiah went and did what
God commanded.
The question is not really, “If
I were Jeremiah,” but if I am
me, what do I say when God
says “Go!”?
Lancaster Farming
Established 19SS
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
William J. Burges* General Manager
Everett R. Newswanger Managing editor
Copyright 1998 LancosUr Farming