AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 4, 1999
Other Nonpoint Sources Of
Pollution
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission monitois and
submits an annual report on the water quality o( the 83
interstate streams in the basin that flow across the New York,
Pennsylvania, and Maryland State lines They assess
compliance with state watei quality standaids, identify
streams for lepoitmg to the United States Environmental
Protection Agency, and identify areas for restoration and
protection, among other things.
In the latest report, the commission admits that the water
quality in most interstate streams continues to meet designated
use classes and water quality standards Of the 2,329 total
observations, only 34 exceeded water quality standards. The
parameter that most frequently exceeded water quality
standards was total iron This is a metal most often associated
with industrial waste not agriculture Even in the
Pennsylvama-Maryland border streams where concentrated
agriculture abounds, three streams were not impaired at all,
six were only slightly impaired, and one was called
moderately impaned and none m the severely impaired
category
But the Commission still had to get in a disparaging remark
about agncultuie Elevated nutrient levels they said, m the
Pennsylvama-Maryland border streams "possibly due to
agricultural runoff” affected the water quality of streams in
this legion
We say. since the souice of the nutrients is not known, it is
"possibly due to the dischaiges tiom municipal sewage
plants "
Oveiall. we'ie pleased the stieams in the Susquehanna
River Basin aie nnpioving in quality We know many farmeis
and agubusiness enterprises work hard to msuie that
agncultuie does its pail to keep the streams clean We can
only hope the other nonpoint souices of pollution do the same
and are taken to task it they don't
Saturday, December 4
Maryland Farm Bureau Annual
Meeting and Convention,
Ramada Inn Convention Cen
Lehigh County Holstein Associa
ton Annual meeting. Bake
Oven Inn, Germansville, 7:30
p.m.
Chester County Holstein Club
Bam Meeting, John Hostetler
Farm. OxforcL 7:30 p.m. _
Ag Service School, Williamsport
Holiday Inn, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Regional Vegetable Conference,
Days Inn, Butler, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Berks County DHIA annual
Awards Presentation and Dairy
Records Workshop, Berks
County Ag Center, 10:45 a.m.
Lancaster DHIA annual meeting.
Good ’N Plenty Restaurant,
Smoketown, 11:30 a.m.
14th Regional Meeting on Practi
cal Biosecurity For Poultry,
University of Delaware, New
ark, Del.
N.Y. Farm Bureau Annual Meet
ing, Crowne Plaza Hotel (for
merly Omni Albany), Albany,
N.Y., thru Dec. 9.
Cost of Production and Budgeting
For Farms, Clarion County
Extension, Shippensville, 1:30
p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Lebanon Chamber of Commerce
Farm-City Banquet, Lebanon
OPINION
❖ Farm Calendars
Valley Expo Center, opens 6
National Young Farmers Associa
tion Educational Institute, Her
shey Convention Center, Her
shey, thm Dec. 11.
ACE Expo, Holiday Inn Baltimore
North, Timonium, Md., 8
ajn.-S p.m.
Ag Service School, Berks County
Agricultural Center, Lcesport.
Regional Agronomy Meeting,
Ohio State University, Lima,
ADADC Dist. 21 meeting. Timber
Wolf Restaurant, Darien Cen
ter, N.Y., noon.
Ag Service School, Lancaster
Farm and Home Center.
Greenhouse Design Short Course,
Cumberland County Extension
Office, Carlisle, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Crop Insurance Satellite Video
conference, Penn State Ag Sci
ence downlink to various sites,
7 p.m.
Lancaster County Holstein Asso
ciation Annual Meeting, Bird hr
Hand Restaurant, 7 p.m.
Regional Agronomy Meeting,
Butler County, Ohio, Exten-
Ag Service School, Embers Qual
ity hm, Carlisle.
Regional Agronomy Meeting,
Champaign County Communi
ty Center, Utbana, Ohio, 8:30
Robert Anderson, Lancaster
County Extension Agronomy
Agent, reports venison quality
depends on how it is handled The
deer hunter is the key person
responsible tor the quality ot his
venison Preserving the carcass
quality staits with the right tools
Schadier Retirement Banquet,
Lebanon Valley Expo Center,
Lebanon. 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
New England Vegetable and Deny
Conference and Trade Show,
Sturforidge Host Hotel, Stur
bridge. Mass., thru Dec. 16.
Ephrata Area Young Fanners
Christmas Event, Ephrata
Middle School, 7:30 p.m.
LanChester Pork Producers Semi
nar, Yoder’s Restaurant, New
Holland, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Solanco Young Farmers Farm
Safely Meeting, Solanco High
School, 7:30 p.m.
Agribusiness Economic Outlook
Conference, Cornell Universi-
■f-.
> i s
Pa. Daily Stakeholders Confer
ence, Holiday Inn, Grantvillc,
thru Dec. 16.
Crop Planning Workshop and Pes
ticide Update, Hugo’s Restaur
ant, Brownsville, 9:30
a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Pa. Seedsmen’s Association
Annual Meeting, Comfort Inn,
Centerville, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Farm Computer Records Work
shop, Walker Township Build
ing, Hublersburg, 10 a.m.-2
p.m., also Dec. 22.
Hay Marketing and Handling Con
ference, Carroll County Ag
Center, Westminster, Md., 9:30
ajn.-3 p.m.
Pa. Tobacco Marketing Associa
tion Auction at Orion Industrial
Hay Marketing and Handling Con
ference, Caroline County 4-H
Park, Denton, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Passing On The Farm Workshop,
Mifflin County Extension
Office, Lcwistown, 9:30
To Protect Venison Quality
m
and an undeistanding ot what to
do
The best venison quality is
obtained with propei field
dressing Excessive blood should
be removed along with the
digestive tract and other internal
organs while still in the field The
body cavity should be washed as
soon as possible with clean water.
Any organs to be kept should
also be washed thoroughly Cool
the carcass quickly and avoid
tiansportmg on the hood ot a
vehicle where it will waim up
During warm weather, keeping
the carcass cool is critical in
avoiding meat spoilage
To Avoid Antifreeze
Poisoning of Pets
Watch tor spills ot antifreeze
anytime you check your cai's
radiator this fall, warns Robert
Andeison, Lancaster County
Extension Agronomy Agent Do
IS ABRAHAM ENOUGH?
December 5,1999
Background Scripture:
Matthew 3
Devotional Reading:
Matthew 21:23-27
I have had more than one
friend tell me that the thing that
turns them off from Christianity
is the call to repentance. “It’s
demeaning” one told me. “I
would rather focus on God’s
image within me,” said another.
I can appreciate that their early
experience of Christianity were
weighted on the side of sin, guilt
and repentance. Teaching and
preaching that only emphasizes
human depravity, I believe, pre
sents a very one-sided gospel.
At the same time, to believe
that human nature is essential
ly good with just an occasional
mistake or failing is also woeful
ly one-sided as well. My semi
nary professor, Reinhold
Niebuhr said that “Few things
are worthless as those for which
people have not felt a need. This
is particularly true of mercy;
when we know we are in need of
it, nothing is more precious;
when we do not know we are in
need of it, the offer of it may
appear as the worst kind of
insult.” Many people do feel
insulted by the call to repent.
The very fact that they do not
know they need to repent is
proof of their need. It was
Neibuhr who said, “...not much
evil is done by evil men., most of
the evil is done by good people
who do not know that they are
not good.”
Everybody?
The story of Jesus begins
with John their Baptist’s clarion
call: “Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand” Does that
mean everybody? Yes, everybody.
Without acknowledgment of our
imperfection, our self-centered
ness, our failures, we cannot
enter the kingdom of heaven.
Only the redeemed can enter
and only those who repent can
be redeemed. No one enters the
kingdom because he or she qual
ifies; it is always a matter of
grace
This, however, does not mean
that we are to be obsessed with
our sins Christianity offers the
perfect way to be rid of sins - rec
ognize, confess and accept for
giveness Then get on with your
not leave spills without cleaning
them up Do not leave open
containers ot antifreeze sitting
around that pets could drink tiom
Many pets may find watei haid
to get in the winter months or
they may enjoy the sweet taste of
antifreeze Ethylene glycol, the
main ingredient m antifreeze, is
veiy toxic to humans and pets
when ingested Always clean up
spills ot antifreeze Antifreeze
will not evapoiate
Nevei leave old antifieeze
sitting aiound m buckets 01 othei
containers pets could dunk tiom
Always keep antifreeze in original
containers with the safety caps ir
place
Feather Prof 's Footnote "hi
mattets of style, swim with the
cm tents In matte/s of principle,
stand like a ioik " riiornas
Jefferson
life, leaving behind all the stains
and regrets that rob life of its
vitality. Unfortunately, some
would make a transaction out of
this process; I sin, I say I repent,
God forgives and I start over
again. But John says that the
repentance cannot be a ritual or
device—it must be real. John
warned the Pharisees and
Sadducees: “Bear fruit that
befits repentance” (3.8).
Repentance that doesn’t bear
fruit, that does not issue in a
better life is not repentance.
Going through the motions is
not enough.
Jesus would adopt this same
rule-of-thumb In Matthew 7.20
he says, “By their fruits you
shall know them.” In John 15:16,
he says to his disciples “I have
chosen you, and ordained you,
that you should go and bring
forth fruit.” And m John 15:8:
“By this my Father is glorified,
that you bear much fruit, and so
prove to be my disciples.”
Abraham’s Children
Some of those who heard
John’s call to repentance were
smug because they believed as
sons of Abraham they did not
need repentance. They belonged
to the ‘right’ church and there
fore they had nothing of which
to repent. But John, knowing
full well what they were think
ing, says: “...and do not presume
to say to yourselves, ‘We have
Abraham as our father’; for I tell
you, God is able from these
stones to raise up children to
Abraham. Even now the axe is
laid to the root of the trees;
every tree therefore that does
not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire” (3:9,
10).
The modern equivalent of
having “Abraham as our father”
is “But we are Methodists,” “We
are followers of Luther,” “disci
ples of John Calvin,” “Menno
Simon,” and you can fill in the
rest. Maybe it is not a matter of
our denomination, but our par
ticular theological bent liber
al, conservative, neo-orthodox,
biblical hteralists, charismatics
and so on. But both John and
Jesus made it clear that labels
counted for nothing. Only fruit.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Gphrata Review Building
I E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright 1999 by Lancaster Farming