AlO-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 4, 2000
OPINION
FFA Students Are Good
When you have nearly 40,000 jacketed FFA students in one place,
that’s a lot of blue. Last week this happened at the National FFA
Convention in Louisville, Ky.
Membership in FFA across the nation is at it’s highest point since
1983. With 455,306 members in 7,226 chapters, the nation’s leading
agricultural youth organization is growing even stronger.
Almost everyone in the farm community knows that FFA makes
a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their po
tential for leadership, personal growth, and career success through
agricultural education.
Now a new study at Perdue University proves the point. This
study compared FFA members with the “typical high school stu
dent” as reported by a national survey of the Horatio Alger Associa
tion. And they determined that ag education students who are also
FFA members possess attitudes and exhibit behaviors that indicate
they benefit more from their high school experience than the general
student population.
And this was evident at the national convention. The FFA stu
dents we met were courteous, articulate, and acted much more ma
ture than their age would suggest. Their behavior was a credit to
themselves, their teachers, their parents, and the local schools and
chapters at home.
We often hear bad news about our youth. But the good news is
that FFA students at the national convention were good.
27HT^fnnualN^^
International Livestock Expo
(NAILE), Kentucky Fair and
Exposition Center, thru Nov.
17.
Berks County 4-H Annual Ban
quet, Kutztown Grange, 7
p.m.
Genealogy Fair, Masthof Press
and Bookstore, Morgantown,
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Chester County Farm-City
Tour. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ho- - SalM^^
>Fani _jret torse ie, Penn
sylvania Farm Show complex,
thru Nov. 10.
DaupnmCou^^
District, Nutrient Manage
ment Workshop, East Hano
ver Township Building,
Editor:
I was very disappointed to
learn recently about some of our
local schools signing contracts
with soda companies. 1, myself,
would question whether these
schools arc seriously looking out
for the welfare of their students.
Some people do not realize
how important it is to get the
proper amount of calcium in
their diet during their teen
years, when their body is grow
ing. Osteoporosis, a disease
where bones become weak and
brittle, begins during the teen
years.
One of the factors in causing
this disease is a lack of calcium.
Osteoporosis develops slowly
due to the loss of large amounts
of bone mass. It causes a great
deal of pain and suffering, as
well as permanent disabilities.
Osteoporosis affects more than
25 million Americans.
♦ Farm Calendar ♦
Shellsville, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.,
and Gratz Community
Center, Gratz, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Pasteurizer Operator’s Work
shop, Nittany Lion Inn, Uni
versity Park, thru
election Day.
Northeast Greenhouse Seminar,
Luzerne County Community
College Conference Center,
Nanticoke.
Dairy Meeting Series, Old Fill
ing Station, McAlisterville,
also Nov. 21 and Dec. 5, and
at the Arena, Bedford, Nov. 8,
22, and Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-2:30
shop, Mound Grove Golf
♦ Farm Forum ❖
Milk and other dairy products
are a delicious and easy way to
get your daily amount of calci
um of three to four servings.
These school’s reasoning on
offering this soda to students is
the fact that it’s available only
after school. Many of these stu
dents have athletic functions
after school. I don't believe of
fering a can of sugar-sweetened
soda which has no nutritional
value at all is a wise choice.
Milk, on the other hand, offers a
powerful package of nine essen
tial vitamins and nutrients. How
is a can of soda going to help
build strong bones and muscles
for these young athletes?
I certainly hope these young
athletes “Rethink Their Drink”
and grab one of the new Milk
Chugs, instead.
(Turn to Pago A 37)
Diana Bigelow
Blair County
Dairy Princess
To Look For Mold
On Com Ears
Now is the time farmers
should be thinking about the pos
sibilities of ear molds in com,
according to Robert Anderson,
Lancaster County extension
agronomy agent.
Detection of these molds be
fore harvest is an excellent way
to avoid feeding problems later.
Some fungi produce mycotoxins
that are harmful to livestock.
Dr. Gary Munkovold, exten
sion plant pathologist in lowa,
suggests when checking fields for
molds, the farmer should husk at
least 100 plants scattered
YOU ARE
THE MAN!
Background Scripture:
2 Samuel 11:1 through 12:25.
Devotional Reading:
Numbers 15:30,31.
The tragic story of David and
Bathsheba is never obsolete be*
cause it speaks, not only of some
thing that happened more than
two thousand years ago, but of
what happens today, too.
It is difficult to read it without
thinking about our nation’s re
cent agony over the personal
conduct of our some of our own
political leaders. The sordid epi
sode of King David is instructive
for us. The uncompromising
honesty with which it presents its
characters is one of the Bible’s
great strengths.
Ganse Little says, “No record
ed history, either sacred or secu
lar, is so blunt in its handling of
the weaknesses of its heroes.”
It is not just a story about
what David did, but about what
so many of us do. It also helps us
realize that David’s terrible sin
did not keep God from using
him. God is able to use sinners to
do what he wants accomplished.
Incredible as it may seem, al
though David committed adul
tery and murder, he was still the
Lord’s anointed.
His sin caused great tragedy,
not only to the people closely in
volved, but to the nation as well.
But God did not take away the
throne from him.
Why? Perhaps because it suit
ed God’s purposes to keep him
there.
Under Jewish law, David
should have lost his life. Accord
ing to our sensibilities today
David should have been re
throughout the field. It is impor
tant to check each field separate
ly based on hybrid, tillage and
rotation history, and planting
date because each of these fac
tors may affect the occurrence of
ear molds.
Identifying that a mold exists
is only the first step. The mold it
self should be identified because
their potential impact on animals
is different based on the mold
found.
To Identify
Molds On Corn
Gibberella ear rot is caused by
the fungus Gibberella zeae. It can
be identified most readily by the
red or pink color of the mold.
However, in some cases it can
appear white.
It usually begins at the tip of
the ear but can rot the entire ear.
Gibberalla occurs more common
ly when the weather is cool and
wet after silking. Gibberella can
produce vomitoxin and zearale
none.
Diplodia ear rot appears as a
white mold beginning at the base
of the ear. The mold and the ker
nels then turn a grayish brown
color and rot the entire ear. A
very distinguishing characteristic
of Diplodia is the appearance of
raised black bumps called pycni
dia on the moldy husk or kernels.
Aspergillus ear rot is generally
more of a problem for corn in
storage. It appears as gray-green
powdery mold. In the field it is
more common in hot, dry years.
It can grow at temperatures
above 90 degrees and with corn
moisture as low as 15 percent. It
placed, thrown out of office
there was no impeachment in
those days!.
Rationalizing Sin
of his subjects probably defend
ed him with the same kind of
logic that is so prevalent today:
his sin was the product of a
combination of circumstances.
If the Ammonites had not re
jected his treaty, there would
have been no war and Uriah
would have been home. So,
David would not have been
able to follow up on his tempta
tion and that would have ended
it.
When we are pinpointed with
our sin, it is remarkable how
easily we can spread it around,
like Adam telling God that it
was because Eve offered him
the forbidden fruit that he ate
of it. Somebody is always offer
ing us something to which we
need to say no!
It begins with the temptation
of the eye. David saw Bathsheba
bathing on a nearby rooftop.
That could have been the end of
it right there, but it wasn’t. Then
came the lustful thought. It
didn’t have to follow, but most
of us can understand how it did.
If it had stopped there, we could
say: no real harm done! But
there was a next step an inner
decision to do something about
the temptation of the eye and
the lustful thought. David
“saw,” David ‘inquired,” and
“David sent.” The thought be
came a deed.
We speak of David and Bath
sheba, as if she shared the King’s
guilt. But the Bible does not tell
us that she was a willing partici
pant. More likely, she was the
victim of David’s status and
power. Even today we castigate
people of power who use it to in
timidate others. David’s sin was
not only adultery, but the arro
gant misuse of power.
Complications! A lot of dam
age was done with the adultery,
but perhaps things could still
have been salvaged. But there
were some unanticipated com
plications as there usually are.
is easy to detect under a black
light because it produces com
pounds that are fluorescent.
However, a positive detection
does not directly result in the
presence of aflatoxins. If the
presence of toxins is suspected,
testing of the corn should be
done. Remember, com that is
moldy going into storage will not
store well.
To Control Rodents
In Corn Cribs
Mice and other rodents take a
heavy toll on corn stored as ear
com in wooden and metal corn
cribs, according to Robert Ander
son, Lancaster County extension
agronomy agent.
The corncrib provides an ideal
habitat for rodents. It provides
sheltered nesting areas out of the
cold winter weather along with
an endless supply of food.
The control of mice and rats
under these conditions is very
difficult. However, several things
can be done to help keep rodent
populations down.
First, traps may be used to
monitor the extent of the prob
lem. Trapping alone will not
eliminate the rodent population.
Second, screening wherever pos
sible to exclude rodents will also
help keep their numbers under
control. However, when a severe
problem exists, the commercial
use of tracking powder has been
the most effective means of erad
ication.
Feather Prof’s Footnote:
“Service does not come from a
manual. It comes from the
heart. ”
First, Bathsheba got pregnant
and her husband was away with
the army at the time. Sin is like
quicksand: the harder we strug
gle to get out, the deeper we sink.
Another unanticipated complica
tion: Uriah’s loyalty to the code
of honor that a soldier on active
duty will not have sexual rela
tions with his wife. When David
tried to persuade him and then
got him drunk, he found that
Uriah was more committed to his
vow then he was to personal
pleasure.
Then David takes the next and
biggest step down this tragic
road: he plots to have Uriah
killed “accidentally.” How far he
has come along this road from
the first step when he looked
upon Bathsheba and lusted after
her.
The confrontation between
David and the Nathan is the
high point of the story. David’s
response to the tale of injustice
was swift and forceful: “As the
Lord lives, the man who has
done this deserves to die..
(12:5). Isn’t it remarkable how
quickly we identify and condemn
sin when we think we are not
personally involved! Our sense of
justice and indignation are easily
ignited when someone else is
being judged. So David fell into
Nathan’s trap : ‘You are the
man!”
There are always two results of
sin; alienation from God and
practical consequences. Eventu
ally, when David repented, God
forgave him. But some of the
consequences of his sin would
live on with him as they do
with us.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stemman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Everett R Newswanger Editor
Copyright 2000 by Lancaster Farming