Al(Hinc«*tr faming, Saturday,' April 24, 1999
OPINION
Earth Day, Give Credit
Where Credit Is Due
All across America this week, the people are celebrating Earth
Day with will climax in a national event on April 22-23 on the
National Mall in Washington, D.C. This year, more than 50 partner
organizations and agencies will participate. The celebration
highlights innovative environmental practices and a public
rededication to conserve and protect the approximately one billion
acres of land used in the United States to produce food, natural
fiber, and many other products.
The agricultural community has made great strides in the
cleanup and protection of our streams, for example. As reported
last week, EPA's own statistics show that 96 percent of the nation's
rivers and streams are not impaired by agriculture
From a recent national survey, it was reported that 99 percent of
producers and ranchers are really concerned about the
environment. As we approach this 1999 Ag-Earth Celebration, the
agriculture community is rededicated to the growing partnerships
between agriculture and the environment We want to build on the
environmental successes and innovative practices that that have
worked to conserve our natural resources and provide the world
with an abundant, reliable and affordable supply of food, natural
fiber, and other agriculture products
We think agriculture should get more credit for successful
efforts to save the environment To often, agriculture is blamed for
problems that really start m the city. Non-point pollution has
become the buzzwords to blame agriculture This finger-pointing
comes in spile of the fact that half of the modem sewage treatment
plants still flush halt ot the nitrogen and phosphate from human
wastes into our streams Earth Day is a good time to pay tribute to
agriculture’s environmental success story. It's a good time to give
credit where credit is due
Saturday. April 24
Pond Management For Irrigation,
Livestock, and Recreational
Uses, HolUdaysburg Church of
the Brethren, HolUdaysburg, 9
ajn.-2 p.m.
University of Delaware 25th Ag
Day Celebration, Newark, Del.,
10 am.-3 p.m.
Eastern Llama and Alpaca Festi
val, Lebanon Expo Center,
Lebanon, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., also
April 25.
20th Annual Blue Halter Calf Sale,
Bedford County Fairgrounds, 1
pm.
Working Sheepdog Trial, Spring
ton Manor Farm, Glenmoore,
thru April 25.
W O
liifv(la\. April 27
Shearing School, Hidden Meadow
Farm, Souderton, thru April 28.
Pond Management Satellite Clin
ic, downlinked across the state,
7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Sheep Shearing School, Dave
Whiting Farm, Pulaski, thru
April 28.
Water Testing, Tulpehocken High
School, 7:30 p.m.
Northwest Pa. Woodland,Associa
tion meeting, Spartansburg
Elementary School, Spartans-
Beef Producers Spring Meeting,
Herr Angus Farm, Nottingham,
7 o.m.
❖ Farm Calendar ❖
Lancaster County Graziers First
Pasture Walk of 1999, Jeff B.
Sloltzfus Farm, Kirkwood, 10
am.
Water Testing, Conrad Weiscr
High School, 7:30 p.m.
Tulpehocken Ag Department 3rd
Grade Elementary Science
Adventure, Mor-Dale Farms,
dients Workshop, Penn Stater
Conference Carter, University
Park.
North Central Beef Production
Training Workshop, Walker
Township Building, Day 1, 7
pm.-9 pm., and Day 2, May 1,
9 am.-12 pm.
Penn State Poultry Science Club
9th Annual Poultry Science
Club Awards Banquet, Ramada
Inn, State College, dinner 7:30
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festi
val, Howard County Fair
grounds, West Friendship, Md.,
thru May 2.
State 4-H Forestry Day, Rockspr
ing, 10 ajn.-2 p.m.
Creating Habitat Using Native
Plants, Penn State Berks Cam-
19th Annual FARMER Banquet,
Hotel Hershey, Hershc
Lehigh County Ag Center, 9
a.m.-4 p.m.
To Look At Alternatives
According to Glenn Shirk,
Lancaster County Extension
Dairy Agent, there are many
different ways to farm How
much capital you will need and
what you will need it for will be
determined m part by the style of
farming you choose
The dairy industry is
changing These changes ma>
dictate a need for farmers to re
examine the way they do
business The traditional methods
of the past may not be appropriate
tor the present or for the future
So, explore the options, push the
pencil, consider the pros and cons
of the various options and choose
a style that fit you
This is called business
planning The farms that will
survive in the future will be the
ones that have donne adequate
business planning If you do not
know how to develop a business
plan, go to your local book store a
buy a basic book on business
planning and attend meetings on
the subject The business plan is
your road map for the future
To Do A Business Plan
A business plan helps you to
determine your future It is a
systematic analysis of your
business Your business plan
helps you to focus on the things
you need to do in order to stay in
business
A good business plan looks at
your industry, markets,
competitors, the things you do
best, financial information,
preparing for change and thinking
strategically
To help Pennsylvania dairy
farmers develop business plans,
the Pennsylvania Dairy
Stakeholders have developed a
Business Planning Assistance
Program (BPAP) BPAP grants
up to $1,500 will be made
available to eligible producers
Participants must be existing or
start up dairy farms in
Pennsylvania and accepted into
the program
Grant moneys may be used
only to cover the costs of having
an independent third party
provide the professional services
Pasture Walk, Lowden Farm, Coal
Tliursdux, Max 6
Sheep Shearing School, Pat and
N.Y. Hereford Breeders spring
sale, cooperative extension,
Morrisville, N.Y., 12:30 p.m.
25th Annual Western Pa. Sheep
and Club Lamb Sale, Mercer
County 4-H Park, Mercer, 6:30
p.m.
necessary to assist the farmer
evaluating the dairy farm
business. Applicants are required
to contribute at least 25 per cent
of the total project costs
Farmers interested in the
BPAP should contact Alan Bair at
111 West Harrisburg Pike,
Middletown PA 17057 or calling
717-948-6328
Avoid Soil To Compaction
According to Dr Doug Beegle.
Penn State Extension Soil
Scientist, when a soil is
compacted by a heavy load, such
as a manure spreader, the
structure of the soil is destroyed
The compaction decreases the
amount of pore space in the soil
Adequate pore space is important
for air, water and nutrient
movement in the soil It is also
important for root growth A 10
per cent reduction in pore space
can result in a 4 times increase in
root resistance
BY LAWRENCE W AITHQUSE
'sasadE
sn
FREE INDEED!
April 25, 1999
Background Scripture:
John 8:12-59
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 51:1-9
A little boy who passed his
neighbor on the sidewalk. “I’m
running away from home!” a little
boy told his neighbor as he sped
off down the block. Minutes later
the neighbor saw him coming up
from the opposite direction. As Ire
passed the neighbor, he said again,
“I’m running away from home!”
Soon the boy was seen to be ap
proaching again and this time the
neighbor stopped him, “If you’re
running away from home, why do
you continue to run around the
block.” Looking at the neighbor in
disbelief, the boy explained,
“Cause I’m not allowed to cross
the street!”
I’ve learned over the years: no
freedom is absolute and when we
have reached what we think is
freedom, we may have simply at
tained a state of bondage on a less
obvious level. We are a lot like
that little boy, forever running
away from home, but getting no
where because we aren’t allowed
to cross the street.
In John 8 we find the critics of
Jesus confidently discussing
“truth” and “freedom” without
really knowing what it is like to
personally know either of them.
Like the old farmer once explain
ed, “You can’t describe a place
you ain’t never been to.” So often,
that is what is happening when we
talk confidently about “truth” and
“freedom.”
WALKING IN DARKNESS
It all begins when Jesus pro
claims, “I am the light of the
world; he who follows me will not
walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life” (8:12). Immediately
the Pharisees pounce on him,
“You are bearing witness to your
self; your testimony is not true.”
They contest what Jesus is saying
because they reject him, but Jesus
tells them that what he says is true
because it comes, not from him,
but God. Surely, if they knew
God, they would recognize what
Jesus is saying as true.
Of course, that’s the hard part,
isn’t it? How can we be sure we
know God: “If you knew me,”
says Jesus, “you would know my
Father also” (8:19). This is what
Jesus meant when he said the he is
the light of the world. He illumin-
This means the plant roots will
not be able to penetrate the soil to
receive water and nutrients
needed for optimum growth The
major contributors to soil
compaction are heavy loads, hk e
manure spreaders, on wet soils
As manure storages become more
popular, the period of time used
to spread manure becomes shorter
and equipment gets bigger
The two most popular times of
year to spread manure is fall and
early spring These are also times
when the soils are most often wet
Compaction may be minimized m
several ways Avoid driving
heavy loads on wet soils Spread
out the weight as much as
possible with multiple axles and
tires. Use radial tires. Do not
overload when soils are wet
Feather Prof, 's Footnote. "The
harder you work , the harder it i S
to surrender " Vince Lombardi
ates the darkness that surrounds
the nature of God. When we know
what Jesus is about, we also know
what God is like. All that I think
that I know about God is what I
have seen in the life and words of
Jesus, enough for me to live hope
fully and faithfully.
This light gives me the only
possible capacity for true free
dom. As Jesus tells his followers:
“If you continue in my word, you
are truly my disciples, and you
will know the truth, and the truth
will make you free” (8:21,22),
Their reply is indignant “We are
descendants of Abraham, and
have never been in bondage to
anyone. How is it that you say,
‘You will be made free?”’ (8:33),
WHO ME, IN BONDAGE?
I can hear us saying: “I’m a des
cendant of John Wesley, how can
you say I’m in bondage?” “I’m a
disciple of John Calvin, what do
i you m|an I’m not free?” “I’m a
Roman Catholic, how can you
make me more free?” Actually,
“truth” and “freedom” are not so
much in what we say we believe,
but in what we do about it “If you
were Abraham’s children, you
would do what Abraham did, but
now you seek to kill me, a man
who has told you the truth. .
(8:39,40). If the life doesn’t match
the words, the words are a lie.
As I write these words the
whole world waits to see whether
we will once again go to war with
Saddam Hussein. The other day
my wife, Valere, told an audience
that, as Christians, we ought to
pray for Saddam and the people
were shocked. Pray for such a man
as he? But isn’t that what Christ
has taught us to do with our ene
mies? If we are true disciples of
Jesus, how can we curse those
who are our enemies? Is it because
we believe that God is incapable
of changing the heart of this tyr
ant?
“So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed” Only in
Christ can we know real freedom
from hate and prejudice, from
judging when we ought to be
blessing, from despair when God
offers us hope. Only when Christ
has freed us from that kind of
bondage can we be free indeed!
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.>
Ephrata, PA 17522
-by
Lancaster Farming, Inc
A Stemman Enteipnse
William J Burqess General Manager
Everett R. Newswanger Editor
Copyright 1999 by Lancaster Farming