AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 18, 1999
The Holiday Season - Count
Blessings ,
Make Changes!
The holiday season is a time to reflect on the past year’s
events - to celebrate our accomplishments, to realize
opportunities for improvement, and to count our blessings
Yes, that’s right, count our blessings. Many times we take
for granted in the daily rush to get things done how fortunate
we actually are. We are often reminded that farming is the
most dangerous occupation; however, seldom do we think of
this when we are rushing to get a field of hay in before it
rains, or hanging a milker on a fresh heifer for the first time
Taking risks and chances has become so much a part of our
daily lives that we assume that nothing will happen to us
Unfortunately, no one is immune to farm accidents. This
past summer, my grandfather, Russell K. Dietrich, was
tragically killed when the skid loader he was operating tipped
forward, ejecting him from the operator’s platform. Recently,
13 year old Nathan Peifer of Cochranville was a victim of a
power takeoff accident. A few years ago, I also was involved
in a PTO entanglement. When some silage fell down the
front of my shut from the wagon 1 was unloading, I hurriedly
untucked my shirt and flushed it through, never bothering to
tuck my shirt back in. A few loads later, when I reached over
the PTO shaft to shut the beaters off on the self-unloading
wagon, my shirt tail became entangled in the shaft. The only
thing 1 knew to do at that point was to hold on with all my
strength to keep myself from going around. It kept winding
my shirt and ripping it off my body, until it got to the collar.
Then it started to pull me down towards the shaft. I came so
close to becoming entangled that my chin had cuts on it
where it was hitting the shaft At the last final second, my
collar tore and I was tree. It was a complete miracle' Halt of
my shirt was going around the shaft, and half of it was still on
my body.
I was very fortunate to be given a second chance.
However, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel the
effects of that accident. Many people are not that fortunate.
Please, take time this holiday season to talk with your kids,
youi parents, your hired help - anyone who helps out on your
farm, and remind them of the dangers present m their daily
routine. Many of them will think it’s silly and unnecessary
Do it anyway
The winter months are also a good time to do some needed
tepair on your equipment. Remember those shields you took
off and threw next to the barn because they were “in the
way” 9 Well, it’s time to dig them out of the weeds, bang
them straight with a hammer, and re-install them If they’re
beyond repair, buy new ones. It’s a good time to fix
hydraulic leaks, too, which can be severe tire hazards, and
maybe even fix that gate which has been tied with baler twine
since early summer. The list can go on forever.
Farming will always be a dangerous occupation This will
never change However, with a positive attitude and a
conscious effort, we can reduce the risk, and continue to farm
into the next millennium -Steve Dietrich, Chester Co
extension agent.
Editor:
It saddens me deeply to read
your OPINION in last week’s
edition.
In fact I know your are speak
ing from your heart, or you
would not have said it
The heart of the dairy indus
try is also broken. It’s my opin
ion, that three quarters of them
don’t know why they are sad.
They are supposed to be liv
ing the good life. With the best
technology, the newest pricing
structure and large co-ops help
ing them make a living
They are sad however
OPINION
❖ Farm Forum ❖
Confused and weak from being
helplessly dependent on “their
leaders.”
Again I could go on for a long
time here, describing to you,
feelings of grief. However, I want
to compliment you, editor, for
making your opinion short and
plain and deliberate Making
many very good points, with
common sense slang.
I have followed your paper for
years and have heard many
wonderful things about the vari
ety of articles and advertise
ments from many farmers all
(Turn to Pag* A3l)
To Understand Highway
Safety
Farming is dangerous in the
field However, the danger often
increases when you leave the field
and enter the highway Despite
the increased use of the Slow
moving Vehicle (SMV) emblems,'
there are still too many deaths and
injuries to farm equipment
operators on the highway
According to the National
Safety Council, over 40,000
unintentional fatal injuries are
caused by motor vehicles Motor
vehicle collisions with farm
vehicles and horse diawn vehicles
contribute to that staggering
number It is estimated that there
are more than 20,000 highway
accidents involving farm
equipment resulting in 125 deaths
annually The number of farm
accidents can be reduced with
advance planning and the use of
safety equipment Most farm
machinery accidents happen
during daylight hours on dry
highways that are open and level
The three most common types
of collisions involves the
following: left turn collisions that
happen as motor vehicles attempt
to pass, rear end collisions that
happen when motorist fails to
slow down for the slow moving
farm equipment; and collisions as
motorists try to pass extra wide or
extra long farm vehicles
To Improve Highway Safety
Methods
Research at lowa State has
concluded that one device is not
adequate to warn motorists of a
slow moving vehicle (SMV)
SMV emblems, highly visible
flags and rotating lights were all
effective warning devices for
motorists. In a separate test,
motorists were asked by highway
patrolmen what they had seen in
the past mile. Thirty percent did
not remember passing a tractor
with a SMV emblem This
emphasizes the need tor defensive
driving and the use of all po,sible
and practical warning devices
available to warn motorists of the
slow moving equipment on the
load Farmeis need to make
equipment more visible.
♦ Farm Calendar ♦
Saturday. PcicmhiT 18
'>uikl:i_\, Di-ci-iiilht IV
Monday. Dctciiilht 20
Capitol Region Crop Insect and
Disease Management School,
Landisville Research Center,
Landisvillc, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., thru
Dec. 21.
Octorara Young Fanner meeting.
() then bespoke Joseph—
-7 ha i e done Maty wtony,
(Turn to Pag* A3l) Hut now i heer up, my dearest
To Practice Highway Safety
The following are some safety
tips to reduce highway accidents
Consider using battery
poweied inteimittent lights New
tiactoia that are equipped with
running, turning and stopping
lights should have these lights
extended to include all pulled
equipment Use routes that are
less tiaveled and have good road
conditions even if it takes longer
to go that way Avoid traveling at
dawn, dusk or anytime visibility
is poor. Use proper signals for
turning and stopping Only
licensed experienced drivers
ARE YOU SURE YOU
KNOW THE STORY?
December 19, 1999
background Scripture:
Matthew 1
Background Scripture:
John 1:1-14
Matthew tells us that
Joseph, the caipenler of
Nazareth, when he learned that
Mary, his beliothcd, was
pregnant, “being a just man
and unwilling to put her to
shame, resolved to divorce her
quietly.” (The divorce would
have been from betrothal,’ not
‘marriage’). But in a dream,
Joseph was warned by an
angel: “.. do not fear to take
Mary your wife, for that which
is conceived in her is of the
Holy Spirit, she will bear a
son, and you shall call his
name Jesus, for he will save
his people from their sins.” So,
when Joseph awoke from his
dream “he did as the angel of
the Lord commanded him.”
1 think not enough is made
over Joseph in doing this. He
truly was magnanimous and
obedient to the Lord. Some old
legends have inferred that
Joseph didn’t accept this turn
of events quite as passively as
Matthew would have us
believe. The “C'heny Tice
Carol,” which piobably dates
back to Medieval times, tells
a story that is both humorous
and poignant. The carol says
that Joseph was an old man
when he wedded Mary. One
day, Joseph and the pregnant
Mary were walking through a
garden and Mary spotted a
cherry tree. Instantly craving
the cherries, Mary asked
Joseph to get her some and this
ensues:
O then bespoke Joseph,
With answer most unkind,
‘Let him pluck thee a cherry
That brought thee now with
child. ’
O then bespoke the baby
Within his mother’s womb—
‘Dow down then the tallest
For my mother to have
some.
I lie chcny tree bends down to
give Ms fruits to M:iry
tree
should operate slow moving
vehicles on the road
Make sure you lock brakes
together when traveling on the
road Keep equipment on the
traveled portion of the load
When traffic builds up, make a
sate pullover and allow the
vehicles to pass Use a safety
hitch pm and salety chains Use
an extendible rear view mirroi
Never allow passengers on the
equipment
Feather Prof, 's Footnote "We
must adjust to an ever changing
toad while holding onto out
unchanging principles."
And do not be cast down. ’
There is, of course,
nothing of (his story in the
New Testament. It was simply
an attempt by Medieval
Christians to put the Holy
Family in a somewhat more
human, understandable light.
Many of our traditional carols
attempt to humanize the
Nativity of Christ. This makes
Joseph’s forbearance even
more impressive, for he was
not an actor Irom central
casting, but a teal live man
with human emotions anil
limitations. Uiiloiliinalely, we
arc so accustomed to the
ethereal images of Mary,
Joseph and the llaby Jesus,
that we forget the veiy hu
man side of the story. Joseph,
despite the angelic dream,
undoubtedly experienced
some local contempt and
humiliation in Nazareth. Mary
suffered the pain of childbirth.
Jesus experienced what all in
fants experience— including
wet diapers.
The siable/cavc was not a '
Christmas card setting, but ,
probably smelled bad as ’
stables smell. It was not
romantic, the colors were
probably not pastels, and the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir had
not yet held its first rehearsal.
In other words, this was not
just the Inst ever Christmas
pageant; this was real life with
real people m a world that was
all 100-ieal. I’oday as in
Medieval limes, Joseph
would be ridiculed, Mary
disqualilicd and her child
would be the object of deri
sion. The miracle of the
Nativity story is that in this
all-too-human milieu, God
caused a child to be born to
“save his people from their
sins.” In this most improbable
setting, God fulfilled what
the piophets had looked for'
“Behold, a virgin shall
conceive and bear a son, and
his name shall be called
limmanuel” (1 :23j.
Whenever we get to
thinking we really know this
story too well, we need to take
another look and see what new
message God might be
imparting to us in it.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Sleinman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Everett R. Newswanger Managing Editor
Copyright 1999 by Lancaster Farming