AIQ-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 10,2001 OPINION Old Is New Again For businesses in the late 1980 s, the popular buzzword at the time was “diversification.” Because of the economic uncertainty of the times, raging since the stock market crash of October 1987, businesses decided to adopt the policy of “not putting all their eggs in one bas ket.” In other words, not producing simply one product. The buzzword is back. What is old is new again. Early last week a couple of Lancaster Farming representatives toured the Land O’Lakes plant in Carlisle. Speakers included Gordon Hoover, Land O’Lakes corporate secretary; Bill Schreiber, vice presi dent, eastern operations; Chuck Cruickshank, director of procure ment, member relations, and transportation; and Steve Patience, plant manager. Land O’Lakes Mid Atlantic has 2,500 dairy-farmer members. Na tionally it processes 12 billion pounds of milk annually. The Carlisle plant produces milk powders, condensed milk products, and butter, with a process capacity of 6 million pounds of milk per day. The total national cooperative serves more than 7,500 producer-members and serves family farms in 39 states, with annual sales approaching $6 bil lion. The company isn’t just dairy. It markets dairy, beef, and swine feed, alfalfa seed, plant food and crop protection products. Land O’Lakes, surprisingly, is very diverse and like many companies, doesn’t want to stick to a single product. They recognize that, too, in tough economic times, strength remains in market diversity. So, too, must our farms. According to Vince Philips, government af fairs representative for the Independent Insurance Agents of Pennsyl vania, in a letter to U.S. Ag Secretary Ann Veneman, “Although Pennsylvania is a major producer of numerous crops, the dynamic of our farmer population is such that the farms are usually smaller and more diversified.” At a recent crop insurance seminar, Gene Gantz, president of Ag Risk Strategies Inc. president, noted that in Pennsylvania, 85 percent of the state’s farms have annual gross receipts of less than $lOO,OOO. Today’s producers, for the most part, depend on a variety of income sources, including off-farm. That diversity keeps them strong. The title of Land O’Lakes’ 2000 annual report is “Building On Our Best.” That “best” doesn’t come from one product, but, as many pro ducers know, from many. ❖ Farm Calendar❖ Nittany Lion Fall Classic Sale, Ag Arena, State College, 11 a.m. VeteransDav^__^_^___^^_ Poultry Management and Health Seminar, Kreider’s Restaurant, Manheim, noon. Nutrient Management Voucher Training, Maryland exten sion, Chestertown, Md., 7 a.m.-9 a.m., also Nov. 15, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. and Dec. 3. 4-H Achievement Night, Dau phin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Center, 6:30 p.m., (717) 921-0135. Pa. Farm Bureau Annual Meet ing, Hershey Lodge and Con vention Center, thru Nov. 14. Agri-Energy Conference, Penn Stater Hotel, State College, thruNovJ^(Bl4^B6s-4802. Lancaster Fanning’s Family Farm Transitional Seminar, Farm and Home Center, Lan caster, (preregistration re quired), 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., (717) 721-4416. Alfalfa Intensive Training Semi nar, Boise, Idaho, thru Nov. 15,(814) 863-1019. Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School, Princess Royale Hotel and Conference Center, Ocean City, Md., (410) 778- 1661. Rural Summit In the City, Hilton Towers, Harrisburg, thru Nov. 14. PennAg Industries Feed Indus tries Roundtable, Marriott Hotel, Harrisburg, 9:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., (717) 651-5920. Beef Quality Assurance Certifi cation Training, Days Inn, Meadville, 7 p.m., (717) 939- 7000. ADA District Meeting, Yoder’s Restaurant, New Holland, 7 p.m. Northeast Greenhouse Growers Seminar, Luzerne County Community College Confer ence Center, Nanticoke, 8:30 a.m.-3:50 p.m., (570) 825- 1701. Westmoreland County Farm- City Dinner, Mountain View Inn, Greensburg, 6:30 p.m., (724) 837-1402. Land O’Lakes Membership Meeting, Clarion (Embers) Hotel and Convention Center, Carlisle, dinner 6 p.m., (717) 243-1717. Business Sense Management Training For Dairy CFOs, Lancaster County extension, Farm and Home Center, Lan caster. 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. S<the?'-' P'- -'svlv ' - Re- loutheast .ennsyl vania gional Cattlemen’s Associa tion annual dinner meeting, Hoss’s Steak and Seafood House, Lionville, 6 p.m. Lebanon County DHIA annual meeting, Schaefferstown Fire Hall, 7 p.m., (717) 270-4391. (Turn to Page A 23) To Leant To Safely Field Dress Deer A wild game meat food safety workshop will be conducted at the Farm and Home Center in Lancaster Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. At this workshop you will learn techniques to properly field-dress your deer and other game. Proper handling of deer and other game in the field assures that the meat you bring home will be in prime, safe condition for the table. There is a $3 cost for the workshop, which covers five publications and a laminated Pocket Guide to Field Dressing Deer. Preregistration is requested and can be done by calling (717)-394-6851. Take advantage of this timely workshop before you head off to the woods. To Count Your Chickens In December the USDA will conduct its annual Chicken and ‘MORE’— NOT ‘LESS’ Background Scripture: Matthew 5:17-48. Devotional Reading: Amos 5:4-16. Recently, in the Zurich, Swit zerland airport, we were among the thousands of stranded air passengers during the Sept. 11 terrorist tragedy. Valere’s heart medicines would be exhausted the next day, but, going to the airport pharmacy, we were very pleasantly surprised to purchase these medicines for about one half their cost in the USA. Get ting them for less rather bright ened our day. Some look for bargains in Christian discipleship, wanting more benefits for less commit ment. Recently, someone told me that Jesus had “repealed the Ten Commandments! Because of Jesus we’re under grace,” he said, “not the law.” But Christ requires of us not “less,” but “more” than the commandments. “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the proph ets,” he taught. “I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill Lancaster Farming An Award-Winning Farm Newspaper • Keystone Awards 1993,1995 • PennAg Industries 1992 • PACD Media Award 19% • Berks Ag-Busmess Council 2000 • Recognized for photo excellence throughout the years by the Northeast Farm Communicators Egg Survey to officially measure the entire layer industry in every state. This survey is a part of a national study to establish official USDA statistics for egg produc tion and layer, pullet, and rooster inventories (excluding broilers) on Dec. 1, 2001. Hatcheries and some of the largest laying opera tions contribute data for monthly egg production surveys, but De cember is the chance to contact many more commercial opera tions. In late November approxi mately 101 Pennsylvania poultry operations will receive surveys and, in December, nonrespon dents will be contacted by phone to ask for their help. The results of the survey are used by farmers, grower associations, extension specialists, suppliers, lenders, and lawmakers when reviewing farm practices and policies. As with all surveys conducted by the Nation al Agricultural Statistics service, individual operation information is kept strictly confidential. The individual reports are only used with data from other operations to establish state and national statistics. The survey results will be re leased in the Chicken and Eggs Annual Summary report from Washington, D. C. in January 2002. All reports are available on the Internet at http:// www.usda.gov/nass/. Statistics for Pennsylvania will be reprint ed in the February issue of the Ag Digest. Pennsylvania ranked third na tionally for the number of eggs produced in 2000. Only Ohio and lowa ranked higher than Penn sylvania in egg production. Lay ing flocks in Pennsylvania pro duced 6.31 billion eggs from Dec. 1, 1999 through Nov. 30, 2000. The inventory of all chickens (ex cluding broilers) on Dec. 1, 2000 them” (5:17). “For I tell you, un less your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 20). This teaching runs through much of the Sermon on the Mount. “You have heard that it was said to men of old, ‘You shall not ki11... But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment’” (vs. 21,22). Jesus re quires more of us than the Ten Commandments. So it is with our sexual behavior; we must go be yond not committing adultery (vs. 27,28), as well as not “swear ing falsely” (v. 33). A Hard Teaching Most of all, however, Jesus re quires us to go beyond all previ ous standards in regard to our enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’... But I say to you... if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also’” (vs. 38,39). This is a hard teaching par ticularly since Sept. 11, 2001. There are people demanding that we seek vengeance for these terri ble atrocities. This is understand able, for it is quite human for us to react to violence with a desire to inflict violence in return, the standard, not only in the “eye for an eye” passage of Exodus 21:23,24, Leviticus 24:19,20, and Deuteronomy 19:21, but also in the Code of Hammurabi and the Roman law. Despite 2,000 years of Chris tianity, it is still the code by which most people live. But Jesus calls us to go beyond this code in reacting to one’s enemies; “You have heard that it was said, ‘You was 30.6 million birds. Of these birds, 79 percent were hens and pullets of laying age (20 weeks or older). To Plan For Spring Planting Of Tree Seedlings The Giatfelter Pulp Wood Company, Spring Grove, will share the cost of tree seedlings for spring planting for interested nonindustrial landowners. Since the beginning of the program in 1951, more than 19 million tree seedlings have been furnished to landowners in 16 southeastern Pennsylvania counties. Tree seedlings available under this year’s program include red pine, white pine, pitch pine, Nor way spruce, and Japanese larch. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Re sources supplies all the seedlings. Orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Landowners must comply with state regulations in regards to the planting of these trees. These reg ulations state that these trees may not be used for Christmas trees, decorative or ornamental uses, or for windbreaks. The min imum order is for 500 trees which will plant three-quarter acre. All trees become the property of the landowner who may harvest them at a future date for any wood product. For information about placing your order, contact your Bureau of Forestry District Office or the Giatfelter Pulp Wood Company at (717)-225-4711. Quote Of The Week: “The very short period of my life which / have passed uncon nected with public business suf fices to convince me it is the happiest of all situations, and that no society is so precious as that of one’s own family.” Thomas Jefferson shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (vs. 43,44). Human Nature It is difficult enough to apply that to the nasty neighbor, but seemingly impossible to even think of applying it to the terror ists who killed thousands. Jesus should have given us an escape clause like except when your enemy does something real ly evil. But there are no escape clauses in the gospel, no time outs for revenge. It is human na ture to feel the desire for revenge, but Jesus calls for us to move be yond what is human nature. Remember, loving your enemy does not mean feeling nicely about him. For most of us that would be impossible. But Christlike love is the resolve that, no matter how angry or vengeful we feel, we will do the loving thing anyway! And doing the “loving thing” doesn’t require that we should not bring enemies to justice, but that we will leave vengeance to God and not make others suffer because of our pas sion for revenge. If, in order to assuage our fury at those who have done this terri ble deed, we feel compelled to adopt their savage violence for ourselves, then we will have given up Jesus Christ and adopted the ways of our enemies. Let us not forget that Christ requires that we go beyond society’s norms, that we give more, not less. 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 Andy Andrews, Editor Copyright 2001 by Lancaster Farming
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