AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 29,2001
OPINION
Be Careful With Leasing
Several readers have apprised us of a situation where new farmers
have signed documents to lease cows.
While leasing has its benefits to new and beginning farmers, please
be aware of the “fine print.” In many cases, some unfortunate dairy
producers sign their way into some hidden clauses, many of which can
include the equivalent of “loan sharking.” Some of the lease agree
ments demand 36 percent return on the leased animals!
In one case, three young boys in their 30s and 40s signed dairy ani
mal leasing agreements and those rates can be quite costly. They
didn’t read the lease. Some hidden charges were present in the agree
ments.
When in doubt about a lease agreement, don’t sign up! Instead,
take it to an extension agent who understands leasing. Some of these
agreements shouldn’t have been signed unless looked over by an attor
ney.
With any leasing agreement, don’t forget to read the fine print.
Start the fiscal year right and read every line of the agreement. And
remember you’re not indebted to sign anything you don’t complete
ly agree with.
Happy New Year!
Two-Day Basic Dairy Farm
Management Workshop, Lan
caster Farm and Home
Center, also Jan. 10.
Maryland Grain Marketing
Meeting, Howard Johnson,
Millington, Md.
Study Circle on Forcing Peren
nials, Kutztown Produce Auc
tion, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., (610) 378-
1327.
Grain Marketing, Howard
Johnson, Millington, Md.,
7:30 a.m.
Editor,
I like Lancaster Fanning, but
I never read anything about the
evils of NAFTA and free trade.
This is what is helping to ruin
the farming business for many.
How can our farmers compete
with the foreign imports? And
what about the many manufac
turers who went out of business
or moved their business produc
tion and assembly to a foreign
country where labor is $.50 to
$1.50 per hour and there is no
OSHA?
This is what we would need
Congress to address and repeal.
Spend some time on educating
the people of the U.S. on this
and urge them to ask Congress
to repeal NAFTA and free trade.
Dave Haideman
Douglassville
❖ Farm Calendar ♦
tion Sale Meeting, Ramada
Inn, New Stanton, 11 a.m.
Virginia North Carolina Shep
herd’s Symposium, Virginia
Tech, Blacksburg, Va., (540)
231-9159.
Franklin County Dairy Day,
Kauffman’s Community
Center, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., (717)
PennsyivamaTarm Show, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
thru Jan. 10.
Virginia Bred Commercial Ewe
Lamb Sale, Virginia Tech,
Dept, of Animal and Poultry
Science, Blacksburg, Va.,
(540)231^15^^^^^^
AmencanTarmßureau Federa
tion Meeting, Reno, Nev.,
thru Jan. 9.
(Turn to Page A 34)
❖ Farm Forum ♦
Editor.
As the Senate Farm Bill hangs
in limbo, Pennsylvania Dairy
Policy Development Committee
of Family Farm Defenders
(PDPDC of FFD) would like to
thank Congressman Don Sher
wood and Senator Arlen Specter
for their continued support of
price stabilizing legislation for
dairy farmers. Sen. sick San
torum, however, has come down
squarely against any price sta
bility for dairy farmers. His
comments aired on Radio Penn
sylvania Network on Dec. 4
clearly expressed his opposition
to the original Senate Farm Bill
dairy language.
The proposed legislation au
thored by Senator Patrick Leahy
(D-VT) is sometimes referred to
as The National Dairy Trust
Fund. This legislation would set
the class I mover at $14.25 per
(Turn to Page A 34)
To Celebrate New Year
With Your Family
The beginning of a New Year is a
great time to stop and reflect on the
blessings we have enjoyed in the past
year. Some of us have had more
trials than others in 2001 but we all
have things for which to be thankful.
Some have enjoyed health and well
being while others have experienced
health problems. Some of us have ex
perienced business success and some
ventures have failed. However we
live in a land where we have the op
portunity to start over if we have ex
perienced setbacks.
While you are reflecting on your
past year’s activities, evaluate with
your family whether your business
activities supported your family goals
or made it hard to reach them. If the
consensus is that changes are needed,
begin to explore what alternatives are
available that could better meet both
your financial needs and your per
sonal goals. If you have some ideas
on new ventures you want to explore,
seek some help in developing your
plans.
The “Tilling the Soil of Opportuni-
WHO IS THE
SERVANT?
Background Scripture:
Isaiah 43:1-79.
Devotional Reading:
Isaiah 42:1-9.
The words “servant” and “ser
vants” occur 877 times in the RSV
Bible, indicating “one who is at the
disposal or service of another,” either
in bondage, employment, or even vol
untarily. Some times, however, sig
nificant persons are referred to as
“the servant of the Lord” and God
speaks of “my servant Israel.” When
we come to Isaiah, there are 24 refer
ences to “servant” and often it is not
crystal clear to whom the prophet is
referring.
Early on it appears that the ser
vant is the nation of Israel. But, in
time, Isaiah seems to speak, not of
the whole nation, but of the remnant
that remains faithful and responsive
to the Lord, the Israel within Israel.
In Isaiah 43, we begin to suspect that
sometime he is referring to the rem
nant Israel and sometimes to a spe
cific person.
Some 500 years later, Jesus identi
fied himself with this servant. So,
we’ve solved the problem of “Who is
the servant?” No, not entirely but
we will return to that question later.
Lancaster Farming
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ty” seminar is a great opportunity to
learn about developing a business
plan for starting a new business.
To Enroll In
“Tilling The Soil
Of Opportunity”
Tilling the Soil of Opportunity is a
multisession program (12 weeks in
length), providing farmers/
agribusinesses or anyone working in
food or the green industry with the
skills to reinvent their enterprises.
Business planning, marketing re
search, and financial management
skills are a few of the concrete tools
taught by certified extension educat
ors and local business experts. Using
proven adult learning techniques and
a curriculum tailored to the unique
needs of Pennsylvania agriculture,
participants will evaluate their busi
ness ideas and complete business
plans for a banker’s review.
The program is designed to help a
broad range of small- to mid-sized
farmers, food processors, distribu
tors, retailers, food professionals, and
others working in the agriculture sec
tor. Owners and managers of new
and existing businesses are encour
aged to participate. If you have a
business dream or goal that you
would like to make happen, this pro
gram can help make those visions a
.reality.
If you’re thinking about beginning
a business and searching innovative
ideas about how to start an enter
prise, this program will assist you in
getting to your goal. You will learn
how to organize and develop a pro
fessional business plan to make that
business dream come true.
The program is offered in three lo
cations once a week from January
through April. The program is of
fered on Tuesday evenings in Lan
caster County at the Garden Spot
High School in New Holland. It is
also offered on Monday evenings for
Lebanon and Dauphin counties at
the Milton Hershey School in Her
shey. It is offered in Adams County
at the Adams County Agriculture
Center in Gettysburg on Tuesday
mornings.
For more information and to regis
ter, call Ed Herrmann at the Leba
non County Extension Office (717)
Isaiah 42 begins boldly: “Behold
my servant, whom I uphold, my cho
sen in whom my soul delights.” The
servant here is neither a slave nor an
employee, but one whom God has
called to a vocation, for a mission.
God is the initiator and also the one
who empowers the servant: “I have
put my spirit upon him.” God never
gives anyone a mission without pro
viding the proper equipment.
Bring Forth Justice
The servant’s mission: “... he will
bring forth justice to the nations.”
Notice: the mission is not to spread
their religion nor to send armies to
bring all nations under Israelite rule.
The word translated here as “jus
tice,” mishpat, is difficult to define
but, from the Bth century BC proph
ets onward, it is obvious that the con
cept includes honesty, fairness, and
concern for the powerless.
Often, when the word “justice” is
used, people think of the punishment
of the guilty. Yes, that is part of jus
tice, but if punishment is the focus,
then justice is simply “vengeance
dressed up in Sunday clothes.”
Numerius, a former Roman gover
nor, was charged with embezzlement.
But he denied the charge and, al
though greatly suspected, could not
be convicted. Exasperated, the judge,
Delfidius, cried out, “Can anyone,
most mighty Caesar, ever be found
guilty if it be enough to deny the
charge?” To which Julian relied:
“Can anyone be proved innocent if it
be enough to have accused him?”
I believe our judicial system is
probably the best in the world, yet it
still falls far short of Biblical justice.
If a poor man and a rich man are ac
cused of the same crime, the latter’s
chances of getting off are almost infi
nitely better than those of the former.
When did you last find a millionaire
270-4391. If you wish to register, call
promptly, since classes start the first
full week of January.
In the meantime, start off the New
Year by supporting the livestock and
horticultural industries by enjoying a
hearty meal of pork, sauerkraut, and
mashed potatoes!
To Operate Skid-Steer
Leaders Safely
Skid-steer loaders put workers at
risk of rollover and runover inci
dents. If you operate or work near
skid-steer loaders, take these steps to
protect yourself.
Always work with the seat belt fas
tened and the restraint bar in place.
Load, unload, and turn on level
ground when possible. Travel and
turn with the bucket in the lowest po
sition possible and do not travel
across slopes. Travel straight up or
down a slope with the heavy end of
the machine pointed uphill. Keep by
standers away from the work area
and never disable safety devices.
In order to enter and exit from the
loader safely, follow these guidelines.
Enter the loader only when the buck
et is flat on the ground or when the
lift-arm supports are in place. When
entering the loader, face the seat and
keep a three-point contact with
handholds and steps. Never use foot
or hand controls for steps or hand
holds. Before leaving the operator’s
seat, lower the bucket flat to the
ground, set the parking brake, and
turn off the engine.
It is important to maintain the ma
chine in a safe operating condition.
Keep the foot controls free of mud,
ice, snow, and debris. Regularly in
spect and maintain the interlocked
controls, safety belts, restraint bars,
side screens, and Rollover Protection
Structures (ROPS). Never modify or
bypass safety devices and, if you
must perform service under a raised
bucket, use the lift-arm supports.
To order a complete copy of the
NIOSH Alert on skid-steer loaders,
visit their Webpage at http;/
www.cdc.gov/niosh or call (800)
356-4674.
Quote of The Week:
“Plan your work for today and
everyday, then work your plan.”
Norman Vincent Peale
on death row? The Minneapolis Trib
un. reports that when a certain
Texas judge instructed a jury to re
turn a verdict of “guilty” in a car
theft case, the jury foreman dutifully
replied: “We find the innocent man
that stole the car guilty”!
Spiritual Power
Our Constitution speaks of justice
before it mentions liberty and the
Declaration of Independence pro
claims; “all men are created equal.”
That does not mean equality in en
dowment or moral worth, but equali
ty before the law. Many of the He
brew prophets sum up the mission of
Israel as correcting the injustices vis
ited upon the poor and weak.
So the aim of the mission is to
“bring forth justice,” but there is a
method that is also part of the mis
sion: “He will not cry or lift up his
voice, or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break, and
a dimly burning wick he will not
quench; he will faithfully bring forth
justice” (42:2,3). The servant
therefore will not enforce it with a
sword, but with the light of example.
“I have given you as... a light to
the nations ...” (v. 7). He will exer
cise his power in a quiet and unas
suming manner. It is natural that we
associate this “servant” with Jesus
Christ. That was his style and meth
od.
Who is the servant? First Israel,
then the remnant, then Jesus Christ
and now 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
Andy Andrews, Editor
Copyright 2001 by Lancaster Farming