AIQ-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 20, 1999 I3BBWP'. OPINION Sudden Sniffing Death More Serious Than You Think This plea applies to eveiyone And the agricultural community is not exempt We’re talking about the recently well publicized examples of inhalant abuse by young people ages 9 to 17 Products such as model airplane glue, nail polish remover, cleaning fluids, hair spray, gasoline, the propellant m aerosol whipped cream, spray paint, fabric protector, air freshener, air conditioner fluid (freon), cooking spray, and correction fluid are used. The potential tor farm youth to be caught up m this popular way to “get high,” is even mote evident than for city kids with inexpensive household products found in any mother’s kitchen cupboards. Farm kids have easy access to gasoline by removing the cap from pick-up-trucks or tractors In addition, milk-house and barn cleaning chemicals aie of industrial strength and thus more potent than even regular household products These products are sniffed, snorted, bagged fumes inhaled from a plastic bag or “hutted” (inhalant-soaked rag, sock or roll of toilet paper in the mouth) to achieve a high. Inhalants are also sniffed directly from the container. According to national surveys, inhaling dangerous products is becoming one of the most widespread “drug” problems in the country It is more popular than marijuana with young people For as little as $1 50 (lunch money) youth can buy a can of air freshener More than a million young people used inhalants to get high just last year. By the time a student reaches the 8'" grade, one in five will have used inhalants. All young people experiment, but inhalant abuse can cause serious injury or death with EVEN ONE USAGE Most parents are in the dark icgarding the popularity and dangers of inhalant use Even fewer know the deadly effects the poisons m these products have on the brain and body when inhaled or “huffed ” It’s like playing Russian Roulette The user can die the first, 10'", or 100" tune a product is misused as an inhalant. The wrong choice of aerosol can starve the body of oxygen, which can lead to unconsciousness and death, commonly refereed to as sudden sniffing death (SSD). Margaict, mother of Keith Wagner who died in a car accident because of inhalant abuse, wants all parents to be aware of this danger to our young people. We do too It you aie a parent, take a few minutes to investigate whether your children may be experimenting with dangerous (though perfectly legal) chemicals If you are someone with siblings or other young people that you care about, please talk to them It you are a farm or ruial young person who is experimenting with inhalants in the hay mow, corn crib, 01 out behind the barn, please don’t do it again Talk to an adult you trust, and make youiself accountable Have someone regularly ask you it you have faithfully abstained from huffing or inhaling chemicals This is more serious than you think Penn Stale Master Gardeners of Lancaster County Gardener Symposium, Hotel Brunswick, Lancaster, 8:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m. 1999 Christmas Tree Growers Meeting, Human Service Building, Chambcrsburg, 9:30 | ajn.-noon. Dairy lea Regional Tour Meeting, Howard Johnson Hotel, Nor- Dairy Farmers of America Annual Meeting, Wes tin Crown Cen ter, Kansas City, Mo., thru March 23. Introduction to Windows on Com- 1 M ❖ Farm Calendar * '4 * , I t puter, York Extension Office, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and March 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Using Milk Forward Contracts, Carroll County Md. Extension, Ice Cream Short Course, U. of Md., thru March 26. Act 6 Nutrient Management Certification/Plan Writing Seminar, Bradford/ Susquehanna/Wyoming, Lacy ville Fire Company, fert. 3/23, cert. 3/30, exam 4/6. Altoona Tree, Shrub, and Turf Conference, Hampton Inn, Altoona, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Internet Workshop for Dairy Pro ducers, Penn State York Cam pus Bookstore, Room 108, 10 To Develop A Business Plan According to Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County Extension Dairy Agent, as you develop a management plan and budget, use realistic and conservative figures Make sure your management plan cash flows, even m adverse time when purchased feed costs or interest rates go up or when commodity prices or crop yields drop If your plan docs not cash flow, do not fool yourself by simply changing the numbers to make them look good on paper You will need to search for more profitable alternatives When the numbers cash flow well enough to meet your needs, put the plan into action and make it work m real life If you used realistic numbers and have a good plan that cash flows on paper, if you keep your efforts focused and pursue your plan with determination, staying on course and meeting timetables and it you make the figures work as planned, you will succeed To Manage Cows As An Asset As you think about managing your herd, keep some of these basic thoughts in mind Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County Extension Dairy Agent, reminds us your dairy herd is a big investment Cows are living, working assets They aie youi primary source of income So protect your investment while protecting your income base Manage your cows so they may do the job you expect them and reward you with a decent profit Young stock are your cows of tomorrow Tomorrow's cows will never be any better than the young stock you raise or purchase a.m.-3 p.m. Horse Pasture Workshop, Colum bia County extension office, Bloomsburg, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Foot Health Meeting For Daily, Yoder's Restaurant, New Hol land, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Pa. DHIA Workshop With George Cudoc, Adams County exten sion, 10 a.m.-noon. Mercer County Sheep and Wool Growers Association meeting, Mercer extension office, Mer cer, 6:30 p.m. Advanced Beef Nutrition School, Arena Restaurant, Bedford, Westmoreland extension office, Greensburg. Hands-On Workshop of Computer Spreadsheets, York extension office, York, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., also March 25. (Turn to Page A 43) Manage your heifers and your cows to protect their lungs, intestinal linings, feet and legs and udders so you do not seriously or permanently impair then future performance and your profits To Produce Low Cost Milk Produce the maximum amount of the cheapest increment of milk possible, states Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County Extension Dairy Agent There are some overhead costs associated with dairying Every stall in your barn has a cost, whether filled or not We refer to these as the DIRTI 5 ( depreciation, interest, repairs, taxes and insurance) There also are some basic cow costs Once you place the cow in a stall, you incur another group of costs that are fixed no matter how much milk the cow produces Some of these costs arc labor, herd replacements, breeding, testing, veterinary, dairy supplies and feed for cow's maintenance and pregnancy A NEW BEGINNING March 21, 1999 Background Scripture; John 3:1-21 Devotional Reading: I Corinthians 15:7-22 In the 17th century, when Oliv er Cromwell and the Puritans vio lently wrestled Britain from Char les I, they tried Archbishop Laud for treason. Of all the major crimes of which he was accused, he was able to prove his inno cence. But the Puritans said he should be put to death anyway, be cause his many minor crimes put together equaled the major crime of treason. “This is the first time in my life,” said the outraged Laud, that I ever heard men declare that 200 black cats make one black horse.” From the pronouncements of some Christians, one might easily get the impression that the gospel is essentially about judgment and punishment. Like the Puritans of old, some Christians are more likely to be defined by what they condemn than what they embrace. To be sure, judgment is part of the gospel, but it is God's judgment of us, notour judgment of each other. The New Testament is un equivocally clear from Jesus’ warning to “Judge not, that you be not judged," (Ml 7:1) to Paul’s searing question: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother?” (Romans 14:10), to John’s state ment of the gospel in miniature: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that who ever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn. 3:17). HE CAME BY NIGHT John is demonstrating the su periority of the gospel over the re ligious legal ruler of the Jews. Nicodemus was a distinguished member of the old order come to meet and discuss with Jesus the pioneer of the new order. Though he came secretly by night, Nico demus appears to be both sincere and respectful. As he so often does in John’s gospel, Jesus responds to a ques- It will take a certain amount of milk to cover these basic cow costs The amount required will vary from farm to farm and Irom year to year, depending on mill, production costs and milk prices Then you have the cost of feeding the cow to produce the amount of milk to break even Once we pass the break even level we enter into the least cost, maximum profit /one The next 10, 20, 30 or more pounds ot milk is the cheapest milk you will ever produce About the only cost associated with this incremental increase is the extra teed to produce the extra milk One pound ot feed dry matter has the capability of producing about two to two and half pounds ot milk Many times you do not have to teed expensive feed to get this milk , just more ot what the cow is already receiving, assuming the ration is properly balanced Feather Prof, 's Footnote "Champions are made dreaming more than others think is practical " tion in an unexpected way, cutting to the heart of the matter. “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is bom anew, he cannot see the king dom of God” (3:3). It seems that Nicodemus did not understand that Jesus is speaking about spiri tual rebirth, not physical. So Jesus points to two levels of existence: the sphere of flesh and the other of the spirit. When he calls for us to be reborn he is speaking of spiritu al rebirth, a rebirth that only God can give us. TRANSFORMED WITHIN For Nicodemus this is so differ ent from Pharasaism, where a man earns salvation by his adherence to the law. But the gospel is de pendent, not upon works of the law but the grace of God. It re sults, not in the control of a per son’s outward acts, but a trans formation from within. As Joseph Alleine puts it, “Conversion is no repairing of the old building; but takes all down and erects a new structure.” The Pharasaic legal system sought to control behavior through rules. The gospel, on the other, was one of transformation. Jesus likened the Spirit through which transformation is effected to the wind. This was a play on words since in both Greek and Hebrew the term for “wind” and “spirit” were the same words. Rather than being subject to human will, the Spirit is spontaneous and unpre dictable. “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or wither it goes; so it is with everyone bom of the Spirit" (3:8). A new beginning is always possible. So, what happened to Nico demus? Did he become converted John doesn’t tell us and none of the other three Evangelists even mention him. But, later in John 7 he defends Jesus from unjust ac cusations and in 19:39 he joins with Joseph of Arimathea in pro viding Jesus with a decent bunal. Both of these actions required considerable courage. I believe he made a new beginning. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building I E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 -by Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Stemman Entetpnse William J. Burgess General Manager Everett R. Newswanger Managing Editor Copyright 1999 by Lancaster Farming
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