AlO-Lanccster Farming, Saturday, December 12, 1998
OPINION
Identification For
Animals Only
The Livestock Conservation Institute has embarked cn a plan
to bring animal identification to the national front. At a sympo
sium last month in St Louis, officials worked in groups to plan
for the cattle, swine, sheep, equine, and llama industries to begin
work an national animal identification.
Richard Keene, president of the Holstein Association, USA,
said that in order to address the issues of export market, genetic
evaluation, health and food safety, value based marketing and
inbreeding in stud gaieties from a dairy standpoint, we need to
have a strong ID system in place.
In the beef industry the focus is on measuring cattle yield, ten
derness, grade, and performance in general.
Swine breeders want to focus on disease control, food chain
feedback, as well as the normal genetic evaluations in the
industry.
While other species may have additional reasons to keep close
recc - 'h on animal identification, all agree the need is present and
believe the methodology is already available to make it happen.
Many officials believe the system should follow the “Ameri
can !D“ numbering system established by the Council on Dairy
Cattle Breeding. There is also a need for a private entity to allo
cate numbers in blocks to maintain unique records across organi
zations. Numbers must be attached to the animal with official
identification tags or radio frequency identification transporders
may be used.
We believe the merits of a national animal identification prog
ram are undeniable. The technology is awesome but available.
We can only hope the program is not setting the stage for people
identification using the same technology. To implant identifica
tion chips under the skin to be read by an all-knowing computer in
the sky is acceptable for the reasons given by leaders of the ani
mal associations. But it is not acceptable should governments
want to control human movement.
Salurchn. IkiTinlnT 12
Sunday. IKiiiiilhi' 13
Muikl.o ■ Diiciiilht 14
Daity Options Pilot Program
Meeting, Warwick Township
Building, Lititz, 12:30 pjn.
Dairy Options Pilot Program
Meeting, Leacock Township
Building, Intercourse, 7:30
p.m. _____
Fphrata Area Young Fanners
Christmas Event, Ephrata
Middle School, 6:30 pjn.
Soianco Young Fanners meeting.
Computer Education; Navigat
ing Windows, Soianco High
School, 7:30 p.m.
Passing On The Farm Workshop,
Lighthouse Restaurant, Cham-
nology Show and Seminar,
Lancaster Host, Lancaster.
Pork Forum, Bird In Hand
Restaurant, Bird In Hand, 9:30
ajn.-2 p.m.
Crop Planning Workshop, Hugo’s
Restaurant, Brownsville, 9
Stater Conference Center, State
College, thru Dec. 18.
Dairy Options Pilot Program
Meeting, Fulton Grange Hall,
Holiday Inn, Grantville.
Top Gun Com Producer Confer
ence, Mercer County extension
Suikl'.in. IKiriiilni 2(1
Act 6 Nutrient Management Certi
fication and Plan Writing Semi
nar, Schuylkill County Ag Cen
ter. Pottsville. 9 a.m.-3:30 o.m.
I urs(l;i\, Dcii-mlur 22
Act 6 Nutrient Management Certi-
Gcation and Plan Writing Semi
nar, Gratz Community Center,
Ihnisda', Dci i’ihlh r 24
Sunday. IKcxiiilh' r 27
Monday, Dicfinhci- 2S
luoday. Dcoc-inlui' 29
\\ i (liu -'da,\. IhicinlH r 40
Him-da'. Diiiinlnr 41
To Attend ACE
Conference
The Ag Computing and Elec
tronics (ACE) Expo will be held
Wednesday, December 16 at the
Lancaster Host Resort located on
Route 30 east of Lancaster. Regis
trations will be taken at the door.
Registration and trade show be
gins at 8:30 A.M. The Expo fea
tures computers, hardware, soft
ware and electronics that relate to
agriculture.
The program is loaded with ex
pert speakers, farmer panelists,
seminars, hands on workshops and
trade show exhibits. Topics to be
discussed include farm finances,
labor, pesticide and nutrient man
agement records, using the in
ternet, developing a home page
and horticultural applications.
If a computer is on your
shopping list or you want to learn
more about use of computers in
your operation, then plan on at
tending the ACE Expo.
To Winterize Pesticide
Storage Areas
The proper storage of pesticides
during winter is often overlooked,
according to Robert Anderson,
Lancaster County Extension
Agronomy Agent. Winter storage
requires special considerations.
While almost all pesticides will
maintain their effectiveness for
more than one year, they need to
be properly stored.
Low temperatures, excessive
heat and damp conditions while in
storage may affect the quality of
the pesticide. Storage areas should
be a separate room, building or
shed devoted exclusively to the
storage of pesticides.
Solanco Young Fanner Pesticide
Recertification, Solanco High
School, 7:30 pm.
Eastern Pa. Turf Conference and
Trade Show, Valley Forge Con
vention Center, King of Prussi-
Family Heritage Restaurant,
Mercer County Extension,
11:30 am.
Schuylkill County DHIA Banquet,
Dairy Days.
Franklin County Dairy Day,
Kauffman Community Center,
9 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
The area should be heated, diy
and well ventilated. Direct sun
light should be excluded from the
area. In addition, storage areas
should exclude children with the
use of locks. Pesticides should be
kept in their original containers.
Complete labels should be at
tached to the product and available
at another location in case of an
emergency like a fire.
If large amounts of pesticides
are stored, an emergency manage
ment plan should be developed and
filed with local emergency units
like the fire company. Remember,
pesdcides need to be maintained,
secured and properly supervised
during the entire year.
To Select Charities
Carefully
As the end of the year ap
proaches, many households expe
rience an increase in the number
of requests they receive for contri
butions to charities, according to
Dr. Robert Thee, Lancaster
County Extension Financial Man-
BY IAWRCNCt W AIIHOUSE
f ®aS!L!l
WITNESSES
December 13,1998
Background Scripture
Luke 1:1-4;
I Corinthians 15:1-4;
I John 1:1-4
Devotional Reading:
Colossians 1:15-20
In the 25 years that he was
Bishop in Domckal, India, Bishop
Azariah’s diocese grew to almost
a quarter million outcast Chris
tians. In relating this to some visi
tors, he was akscd how illiterate
outcasts could possibly do Chris
tian preaching.
“I will tell you,” said Bishop
Azariah. “A caste villager asked
one of our outcasts, ‘Have you
seen God?’ He answered: ‘Sir,
you knew me two years ago. I was
a drunkard. You know me now. I
do not think I should have all this
change if I had not seen Jesus
Christ'.” Concluded the Bishop,
“Is there any better way of wit
nessing for God?"
I seriously question whether
anyone can be a follower of Jesus
Christ and not be a witness. What
is a witness? In English it began
with the word wit, which meant to
“see." In Old English witness ori
ginally meant ‘knowledge’ or
‘wisdom.' Derived from personal
ly seeing something. In Middle
English times it included a “per
son who gives testimony.”
WHAT’S HE DONE
FOR YOU?
Some of us who number our
selves among the followers of
Christ concentrate almost exclu
sively on the first part of the
meaning of witness. We identify
with Jesus Christ because of what
we have seen ourselves or want to
see. We want to witness his bless
ings and benefits to our lives.
When ill, we want to witness his'
healing. When troubled, we want
to witness his peace. When con
fused, we want to witness his
guidance. All of us have already
wi messed some blessing, some
help from Christ, haven’t we?
But it doesn’t stop with what we
witness: we must go on to witness
to that which we have witnessed.
The outcast of India not only ex
perienced Chirst’s healing of his
alcoholism, he was able to share
what he witnessed with someone
agement Agent.
Charitable contributions are
important, but not all charities are
created equal. When you receive a
request from an unfamiliar charity,
seek more information before giv
ing. Also, beware of sound like
names.
Resist pressure to give imme
diately. If they need your donation
this month, they will still wel
come it next month. If you decide
to contribute, write a check made
out to the charity, not to a com
pany or individual collecting the
donations.
Do not pay cash or provide
your credit card number in re
sponse to a request from a
stranger. If you have concerns
about a charitable request, contact
the Bureau of Charitable Organiza
tion, Pennsylvania Department of
State at 800-732-0999 or the Bet
ter Business Bureau.
Feather Prof, 's Footnote: "To
love and be loved is to feel the
sun from both sides."
else. It was simply a matter of tell
ing someone else what Jesus
Christ bad done for him.
This is what the New Testament
is founded upon witness, peo
ple sharing what Christ has done
for and with them. Luke tells
Theophilus and his readers of the
good news that has been passed on
to him by “eyewitnesses and min
insters of the word" (Luke 1:2). In
his first letter to the church at Cor
inth, Paul tells that he only shared
with them “what I also re
ceived. .." (I Corinthians 15:3).
And John, writing his first epistle,
testifies to “That which from the
beginning which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon and
touched with our hands, concern
ing the word of life ...” (I John
1:1*).
TRANSMITTERS, NOT
TERMINALS
None of these serves as a point
of termination for the good news
of Jesus Christ. Luke, Paul and
John all arc passing on to others
what they have received as wit
nesses. John says, “... that which
we have seen and heard we pro
claim also to you ...” (I John
1:3).
Nor arc any of us to think of
ourselves as terminals for the
good news. Our task is to relay to
others what we have experienced
and received.
Luke passes on what he has wit
nessed and received so “that you
may know the truth concerning
the things of which you have been
informed” (Luke 1:4). Paul shares
what he as witnessed so that his
readers may stand fast in their sal
vation. And John witnesses so
“that you may have fellowship
with us; and oar fellowship is with
the Father and with his Son Jesus
Christ"
William Borden was a deeply
dedicated young man who gave
his life to take the gospel to Egypt
Dr. Samuel M. Zwcmmcr sum
med up the missionary’s life:
“Borden kept the faith, but he did
not keep it to himself."
Nor should we.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by
-Lancaster Farming, Inc
A Stemman Enterprise
William J. Burges* General Manager
Everett H. Newtwanger Managing Editor
Copy right 1998 Lancaster Farming