AlO-Uncastsr Fanning, Saturday, September 16, 2000
OPINION
The Farmer’s Dilemma
Imagine getting a pay cut for doing a good job. But that’s what
farmers face this year as they produce near-record crops of com and
soybeans.
In many parts of the country, yields are expected to be just short
of record levels. This good job of production will likely flood the
market and bring the lowest prices since the 1986 level of $1.28 per
bushel.
Allan Lines, ag economist from Ohio State University, says this
all came about because we have had several good crop years begin
ning in 1996 and 1997. In 1998 we had near-record yields with an
other good crop in 1999. Now we add the better-than-excellent crop
in 2000 and an explosive situation appears inevitable. We have more
com produced than we can consume.
Of course, government programs will help farmers with income
because loan rates are above com and soybean prices. And low
prices encourage the use of crops for industrial purposes and give
livestock producers lower input costs.
But this situation again brings to the front the eternal dilemma of
agriculture. One farmer’s loss is another farmer’s gain. We need to
find a way to raise prices enough at every farm gate, so all farm
families can make a decent living at the occupation they love.
20(X)Maryland Wine Festival,
Farm Museum, Westminster,
Md., thru Sept. 17.
Pasture Walk, Don and Lugene
Chamberlain, Mainesburg, 10
a.m.-3 p.m.
Pasture Walk and Biosolids
Demonstration, Brent D’Atri
Farm, Oldtown, Md., 10 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.
Touch of Autumn Craft Show,
Hunterdon County Extension
Center, Remington, N.J., 10
a.m.-4 p.m.
Con v ‘ > ' : '
zik ,'ennAg onvention,
Princess Royale Oceanfront
Hotel and Conference Center,
Ocean City, Md., thru Sept.
19.
Gratz Fair, Gratz, thru Sept. 23.
Beaver Community Fair, thru
Sept. 23.
Adams County Ag and Natural
Resources Center Open
House, Gettysburg, 2 p.m.-4
p.m.
Ohio Farm Science Review,
Molly Caren Ag Center,
London, thru Sept. 21.
Harmony Grange Fair, thru
Sept. 23.
Lancaster County Honey Pro
ducers meeting, Lancaster
County Environmental
Terry Hoyt, New Albany.
Southern Lancaster County
Fair, thru Sent. 21.
Medical' 11
'a. /et ~»edicai .ssociation
and Vet. Technicians and As
sistants Association of Pa.
118th Annual Scientific Meet
ing, Lancaster Host Resort,
Lancaster, thru Sept. 24.
Chester-Delaware Fall Banquet,
West Fallowfield Christian
Day School, 6:45 p.m.
Natural Products Expo East
2000, Baltimore Convention
Center, thru Sept. 24.
Oley Valley Community Fair,
thru Sent. 23.
♦ Farm Calendar ♦
Lebanon County Composting
Workshop, Lebanon Valley
Ag Center, 10 a.m.-noon, also
Hershey Lodge and Conven
tion Center, Hershey, thru
Sept. 27.
All American Dairy Show, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
thru Sept. 28.
Lancaster Farmland Trust Old-
Fashioned Farm Picnic,
Roman and Lucy Stoltzfoos,
Kinzers, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Bloomsburg Fair, thru Sept. 30.
Ist Annual Fawn Grove Olde
Tyme Days Fall Gas Engine
and Garden Tractor Show,
Fawn Grove, thru Sept. 24.
Dairy Princess Pageant, Shera
ton Inn, Harrisburg, 5:30 p.m.
reception, 6:30 p.m. banquet,
8 p.m. coronation.
Romano 4-H Center Benefit
Auction, 4-H Center, Honey
Brook.
ganizations Meeting, Capitol
Building. Harrisburg, 11 a.m.
PaTlolstein Fall Championship
Show, Farm Show Complex,
Harrisburg, 9 a.m.
Pa. Feeder Calf Roundup Tele-
Auction Sale.
Ephrata Fair, Ephrata, thru
Sept. 30.
Morrison Cove Community
Fair, thru Sept. 29.
Lebanon Family Health Services
Women’s Workshop Series,
Lebanon, 7 p.m.-8 p.m., also
Farm Show Complex, Harris
burg, 7 p.m.
West Lampeter Community
EasteniiNatlona^fJolstem
our,
Show, Farm Show Complex,
Harrisburg. 8 a.m.
Community F^> :
ri-Valley
thru Oct. 1
To Beware Of
Silo Gas
Silo filling is in full swing and
with it conies the hidden danger
of silo gas, reports Leon Ressler,
Lancaster County extension agri
cultural agent.
Silo gas is formed by the natu
ral fermentation of chopped for
ages in the silo. Several gases are
formed and the type of silo the
forage is stored in determines the
amount of different gases.
In a conventional or open top
silo, nitrogen dioxide is the major
gas formed. A strong, bleach-like
odor and low-lying yellow, red,
or dark brown fumes character
ize this gas. It reaches a peak
about three days after filling and
quickly begins to decrease shortly
thereafter, especially if the silo is
ventilated. After two weeks, it is
unlikely that any gas will be
formed but some could be pres-
THE PERIL OF POWER
Background Scripture:
Judges 13 through 16.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 145:14-20.
Some Bible stories are only in
structive for us negatively. Like
many of the parables of Jesus,
they show us how not to, rather
than how to. Such a story is the
tragic tale of Samson, a man gift
ed by God, but unwilling to use
his gift for the God who gave it
to him. The story of Samson,
thus, is very relevant for us and
our time because it tells us how
not to use the gifts God still be
stows upon each of us.
The story begins well enough,
once you get past the fact that
“... the people of Israel again
did what was evil in the sight of
the Lord; and the Lord gave
them into the hand of the Philis
tines for forty years” (13:1). God
causes Manoah’s barren wife to
conceive a son, providing the
couple will raise their son as a
Nazirite, a child dedicated to the
Lord with special vows. The
story tells us that “the boy grew,
and the Lord blessed him”
(1-3:24) with the stirrings of
God’s Spirit. Samson soon
gained a reputation for legendary
physical strength.
Power Over Self
From this point, however,
Samson’s story takes on an in
creasingly negative tone. Despite
his great physical power, Samson
air,
ent if trapped and unable to es
cape the silo.
Nitrogen dioxide is dangerous
because it causes severe irritation
to the nose and throat and could
cause inflammation of the lungs.
It is especially dangerous because
low-level exposure is often ac
companied by only slight irrita
tion and pain. Although death
can occur immediately, a farmer
could breathe the gas without
any immediate serious symptoms
and then die in his sleep hours
later from fluid collecting in his
lungs. Many victims have re
lapses one to two weeks after the
initial exposure with symptoms
similar to pneumonia.
If you are exposed to the gas it
is critical that you seek medical
attention.
To Be Safe
Around Silos
Ideally everyone should avoid
the silo during the critical period
when gases are forming, reminds
Leon Ressler, Lancaster County
extension agricultural agent.
Since this is not always possi
ble, it is best to use a self-con
tained breathing apparatus when
entering during the danger peri
od. This is the only breathing de
vice that is certain to protect you
from silo gases.
Dust masks or even chemical
cartridge respirators do not pro
vide sufficient protection and are
not intended to be used where
gases are extremely toxic or
where the air has been replaced
by gases like carbon dioxide.
If you do not have access to a
self-contained breathing device,
it is possible to enter the silo safe
ly if the following precautions
are followed.
First, ventilate the silo and ad-
seems to have little power over
his own emotions. Seeing a
young Philistine woman, he re
turns home and tells his father
and mother: “ T saw one of the
daughters of the Philistines at
Timnah; now get her for me as
my wife.’ But his father and
mother said to him, ‘ls there not
a woman among the daughters
of your kinsmen, or among all
our people that you must take a
wife from the uncircumcised
Philistines?” (14:1-3).
It was not right for a man
dedicated to God that he should
take a pagan wife from among
Israel’s greatest enemies. But
Samson would have this Philis
tine woman whether or not his
parents agreed.
Sound familiar? Some people
have said that Samson’s trouble
was basically with women
three Philistine women, to be
precise. His Philistine wife of
Timnah betrayed Samson to her
people. As a result of her treach
ery, he killed 30 men at Ashke
lon and gave their possessions to
the Philistines to whom he lost
the bet on the riddle. Later,
Samson visited a prostitute at
Gaza and, when he was am
bushed by Philistines at the city
gates, he pulled them down to
intimidate his enemies. Finally,
he fell in love with Delilah, an
other Philistine woman, who re
peatedly betrayed him.
Capricious Power
It is hard to be sympathetic
with Samson over his three Phil
istine female nemeses for, like
his fellow Israelites, he seemed
incapable of learning from his
experiences. Like Israel, he
makes the same mistake over
and over again. Like Israel, he
betrays his special gifts from the
Lord and stubbornly insists on
jacent areas by running the blow
er 20 minutes before entering. All
doors should be opened down to
the level of the settled silage and
the windows to the feed room
should be opened. Leave the
blower running the entire time
you are inside.
Never enter the silo unless an
other adult is present who can go
for help if needed. This person
should maintain visual contact
with you. Although it will not
protect you from silo gases, wear
a dust mask or some other respi
rator to protect your lungs from
high concentrations of dust and
mold spores, which are found in
silos and can affect your lungs.
To Make High
Quality Silage
Silage making is hard and
dangerous work, reminds Robert
Anderson, Lancaster County ex
tension agronomy agent.
Compounding the problem is
often machinery breakdown,
which further delays the opera
tion. This stresses the need to
practice preventative mainte
nance. By replacing worn parts
before they break and following
maintenance schedules, you can
reduce loss time to breakdowns.
Remember, corn silage has its
best quality when harvested at
the optimum moisture level,
chopped fine enough to pack
well, and the storage facility is
filled fast to exclude oxygen. Any
delay in cutting silage and filling
the silo can lower the quality of
the feed and increase spoilage.
Feather Profs Footnote:
“Opportunity is missed by
most people because it is dress
ed in overalls and looks like
work. ”
Thomas Edison
having his own way. Like Israel,
he winds up doing what was evil
in God’s sight, using his God
given power, not for good, but
for his own selfish wants.
Like Israel. Like us?
In the Interpreter’s Bible, Vol.
2 (Abingdon-Cokesbury Press)
Phillips P. Elliot observes that
Samson “tore down more than
he put up. He is the incarnation
of the kind of power which is out
of control How strange that
both this ancient giant and the
great nations of today should
face the same temptations and
need the same restraint.”
Both as individuals and as
members of society we are faced
with that temptation to use
our God-given power capricious
ly, to forget that power is a
means, not an end.
Samson started out in life with
everything going for him: a child
born to barren parents and in
tended for a life of special service
to God. But he used this power
selfishly, capriciously, and arro
gantly and his end is predictable:
humiliated by his enemies, he
uses his returning power for re
venge against them, pulling
down the house on his enemies
and himself. It is a tragic end for
someone so gifted, just as it is
tragic when we use God’s gifts so
selfishly and irresponsibly.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
William J Burgess General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Editor
Copyright 2000 bv ancasler Farming