A 1 (Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 11, 1999
OPINION
Good-By Dairy Fanners
The basic formula price of milk has reached the lowest
price since 1978 At $9 79 per hundredweight we say this is a
terribly sad day for dairy farmers. Not only is the shock of a
30 to 40 percent reduction in the dairymen's milk check from
one month to the next unbelievable, the increase in production
costs from the need to purchase hay because of the drought
this summer adds a double blow to the ability to make a
living, or even pay production costs.
A report released by the Pennsylvania Agriculture Statistics
Service estimates that the average cost of production during
the 12-month period ending September 1999 was $13.17 per
hundredweight. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau officials believe
dairy farmers' costs of production can only increase as a result
of the recent drought. At the current basic formula price level,
dairy farmers will be falling far short of their cost of
production.
We can only say that all the farmland preservation efforts
and the milk promotion jingles are not worth a fly on a bull's
tail if dairy farmers can't make a living milking cows. And a
lot of agri-business activity will go down the manure gutter
right along with the exit from the farm of intelligent people
who simply have had enough of the stupid manipulation of the
milk market in favor of those who control the food chain in
America. Good-by dairy farmers, we're sorry to see you go.
But we understand.
Saturday. Dcci-ihlht 11
Sunday. December 12
Schadler Retirement Banquet,
Lebanon Valley Expo Center,
Ixbanon. 2 p.m.-5 p-m.
Octorara Young Farmers Meeting,
Vo-Ag Dept, Octorara High
New England Vegetable and Berry
Conference and Trade Show,
Sturbridge Host Hotel, Slur
bridge, Mass., thru Dec. 16.
Ephrata Area Young Farmers
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
Safety Meeting, Solanco High
School, 7:30 p.m.
Agribusiness Economic Outlook
Conference, Cornell Universi-
Pa. Dairy Stakeholders Confer
ence. Holiday Inn, Grantville,
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
a.m.-3 p.m.
( "-v* > 'W* *• ** f*■
❖ Farm Calendars
Pa. Tobacco Marketing Associa
tion Auction at Orion Industrial
Park, New Holland, 9 am.
Lancaster County Safe Kids Coali
tion End-Of-Ycar Meeting and
Holiday Luncheon, Farm and
Home Center, Lancaster, 11:30
ferencc, Caroline County 4-H
Park, Denton, 9:30 a.m.-3 pm.
Passing On The Farm Workshop,
Mifflin County Extension
Office, Lcwistown, 9:30
Chemical Applicator’s School,
Holiday Inn, Grantvillc, 8:30
Sunday. December 19
Mondin. December 2(>
Capitol Region Crop Insect and
Disease Management School,
Landisville Research Center,
Landisville, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., thru
Dec. 21.
Octorara Young Fanner meeting,
Annual Dairy meeting with
Glenn Shirk, Vo-Ag Dept.,
Octorara High School, 7:30
o.tn.
Wednesday, December 22
Thursday. December 23
Sunday. December 26
To Check Alfalfa Fields for
Alfalfa growers should be
checking their fields for the
presence of weeds, reminds
Robert Anderson Lancaster
County Extension Agronomy
Agent Over the past several years
there has been an increase m the
number of alfalfa fields with a
heavy infestation of winter annual
weeds
This may be because the
product most often used to control
these weeds is no longer marketed
for use on alfalfa. However, there
are several good materials
available for use The Penn State
Agronomy Guide lists them and
the weed they control. Scout
alfalfa fields now to determine
what weed species and the
intensity of infestation that is
■St’--'
present
If a field has a weed problem
m the tall, that problem will
become severe m the spring
Winter annual weeds m alfalfa
will lower the feeding value, slow
the drying process and increase
the possibilities of not getting the
crop dry before a rainstorm.
Undei severe conditions,
winter annual weeds will reduce
the stand of alfalfa in the field
Remember, the smaller the weed
when the herbicide is applied, the
better the control The period
between Thanksgiving and
Christmas is an excellent time to
spray for winter annual weeds in
alfalfa fields Whenever using a
pesticide, always read and follow
all the directions on the label
To Store Grain To Preserve
Quality
Managing stored gram to
preserve quality is always
important and will pay a piemium
when the grain is used 01 sold,
according to Robert Anderson,
Lancaster County Extension
Agionomy Agent The amount of
time that corn and other grains ate
stoied without impacting the
quality of the gram decreases as
the gtam temperature and
moisture mcieases
Both the moisture content and
: temperatuie must be
controlled il quality gram is
desned Corn with low test weight
will ieduce the time that the gum
maybe stoied The major tactois
which may cause gram
deterioration while m stoiage aie
1 inadequate diymg before
going into storage.
2 improper cooling ot gram
alter diymg,
inadequate monitoring ot
giam m stoiage.
4 poor initial gram
quality and
*5 impioper insect conti ol
while giam is m stoiage
Giam must be checked often
toi signs ot moistuie migiation
Weeds
Look lot u listing, wet, slimy
main, ice or host accumulation or
healing
Finding trosl accumulation on
the undci side ol the bin mot on
cool mornings betoic the sun
warms the roof is a sign that
moistuie maybe a pioblem It
ciustmg 01 spoilage occurs, it
must be temoved befoie aeration
is staited
To Control Temperature of
Stored Grain
Most of the gram m stoiage
which goes out of condition is
caused by not controlling the
temperature than any other
reason, according to Robert
Anderson, Lancaster County
Extension Agronomy Agent
Temperature differences in the
gram bin will cause convection
currents to create a slow
movement of air through the bin.
Typically the cooler air in the bin
will settle to the bottom while the
warmer air rises picking up
moisture as it moves upward.
IT’S OK TO
COMPROMISE, IF ...
December 12, 1999
Background Scripture:
Matthew 4:2-17.
Devotional Reading:
Luke 4:14-21.
This is a practical era we live in.
We can rationalize almost any
kind of behavior. The soldiers
who participated in the Holocaust
were “oijly following orders.” The
business executive who author
ized dishonesty and deceit be
lieves he or she had “the best in
terests of the company” at heart.
People justify hurtful deeds saying
that “you have to go along to get
along.” I was amazed in the after
math of the Columbine High
School tragedy in Littleton, Colo
rado how people debated the an
swer of the young girl (and I’m
sorry I can’t recall her name) who
refused to deny that she believed
in God and was shot and killed as
a result.
I believe that compromise is
important in our society, particu
larly when we are talking of
means, but not when we speak of
goals. I have no problem with the
debate between how best to help
the poor and homeless. Some say
the welfare program is essential;
others believe that welfare makes
the problem worse. But, if we are
against helping the poor and
needy because we believe they
bring it upon themselves, then I
cannot compromise on that be
cause Jesus didn’t. So long as we
pursue moral goals, we may dis
agree on the means and compro
mise for the sake of the goal.
Live Dog vs., Dead Hero
I have forgotten which of the
British Archbishops advised a
comrade with (he admonition that
it is “better to be a live dog, than a
dead hero.” Do you believe that? I
heard someone say that the Ger
man Christian martyr Dietrich
Bonhoeffer was foolish to end up
on Nazi gallows in the closing
days of the war. “He should have
said he was wrong in his opposi
tion to Hitler and had seen the
light. He would have survived and
probably still be alive today.” Lots
of people would buy that. Would
you?
Jesus faced the same kind of di
lemma. He believed he was called
When the warm an teaches the
eoolct giam at the top of the bin,
it cools and some of the moistuie
it is canning is deposited on the
giam While this movement of an
and moistuie is very slow, ovei a
couise of two to three weeks, a
considerable amount of moisture
can collect at the top of the bin
This will cause mold giowth and
spoilage it not contiolled To
induce moistuie imgiation due to
temperatuies, cool grain to
between 35 and 40 degiees
Typically giam going into storage
is between 50 and 80 degrees
Aerate gram on days that the
outside daily temperature is 10 to
15 degrees cooler than the gram
temperature Check grain
thoroughly to see that the entire
bin has cooled before stopping
fans
Feather Pwf's Footnote. "In
the confiontation between the
stream and the rock, the stream
always wins. Not through strength
but through persistence "
of God for a messianic task. So, to
prepare for his mission, he went
out into the desert where he fasted
for 40 days and nights. Why did
he do that? One reason was that
the people of Israel had wandered
in the wilderness for 40 years be
fore they entered the Promised
Land. He felt a need to share in the
desert experience. Secondly, fast
ing in a deserted place was a time
honored means of purification and
renewal. Freed of things the spirit
can emerge into the conscious
ness.
Are You Sure?
Just as the people of Israel were
tested in the wilderness, so was Je
sus. The Israelites’ first test con
cerned hunger and God fed them
in the wilderness with manna. So,
the tempter comes to Jesus in the
wilderness and says, “If you are
the Son of God, command these
stones to become loaves of bread”
(4:3). Note how the tempter plays
on Jesus’ ego and certainty: “If
you are the Son of God ...” Je
sus’ response is an echo of Deut
eronomy 8:3, “Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of
God” (4:4).
The second test is also a taunt to
prove that he really is whom he
believes he is: taking him to the
high pinnacle of the temple, he
challenges him: “If you are the
Son of God, throw yourself
down.” If you really are the Mes
siah then God will surely save
your life. But Jesus replied with
another allusion to Deuteronomy,
this time 6:16: “You shall not
tempt the Lord your God” (4:7).
The third temptation is perhaps
the most insidious of all: taking
him to a high mountain and show
ing Jesus all the kingdoms of the
world, the tempter says, “All these
I will give you if you fall down
and worship me” (4:9). And Jesus
replies with another Deuteronomy
quotation; “You shall worship the
Lord your God and him only shall
you serve” (4:10).
It’s OK to compromise when
what you gain in the compromise
does not run contrary to your
loyalty to God and His kingdom.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Gphrata Review Building
1 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