AlO-L&ncaster Farming, Saturday, 'January 1V2003
OPINION
A Tradition (Although With
Some Big Changes) Continues
Today we kick off the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show. We may
get upward of 400,000 people at the country’s largest indoor agricul
tural event.
The economic impact of the Farm Show Complex activities is sig
nificant to the Harrisburg region: about $4BO million annually.
That’s big dollars. And they’re hoping you spend it.
The work should be far from over, however. The Farm Show still
needs a major hotel nearby. The closest hotel is far from walking dis
tance. Who wants to rely on shuttle service through Farm Show
weather for a place to sleep?
Also, an aboveground, multistory parking garage would make
parking a lot more ideal on sight.
Those should be the next additions to the complex.
Some old-timers to this year’s big event at the complex should be
aware of some major changes in the schedule. The dairy shows are on
Friday instead of Tuesday. The sale of champions is Tuesday morning
instead of Thursday.
Also, the big FFA Mid-Winter Convention, normally on Monday
afternoon in the Large Arena, is now in the Banquet Hall (where the
old Family Living exhibits were in the old part of the Northeast Upper
Floor) on Monday. The Family Living exhibits are now in the old
main hall.
These changes are going to take some getting used to! This will be a
learning curve for all of us.
Despite these major changes and renovations, we sincerely believe
the fun times and friendships of Farm Show will continue. We hope
you make Farm Show a part of your visit if simply out of curiosity
if not to see old friends.
Stop by and see us at booth 359 in the Expo Hall.
We hope you have some fun!
Saturday, January 11
Pennsylvania Farm Show, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
thru Jan. 18.
Long Island Agricultural Forum,
Suffolk Community College,
Riverhead, N.Y., Viticultural
Session, 8:30 a.m., (631)
727-7850.
New York Low Input Sustainable
Farming Conference, Jordan
Hall, Geneva Experiment Sta
tion.
Dauphin County Holstein Asso
cation annual meeting, Geo’s
Family Restaurant, Harris
burg, 11 a.m.
Community Supported Agricul
ture and Farmers’ Market
gathering, Royalton Academy
Building, Royalton, Vt., (802)
434-4122.
Sunday, January 12
Pennsylvania Angus Association
Annual Membership Banquet,
Holiday Inn Grantville, 5:30
p.m., (717) 469-0661.
Monday, January 13
How To Reach Us
To address a letter to the editor:
• By fax; (717) 733-6058
• By regular mail:
Editor, Lancaster Farming
P.O. Box 609,1 E. Main SL
Ephrata, PA 17522
• By e-mail:
farming @ lancnews.inh.net
Please note: Include your full
name, return address, and
phone number on the letter.
Lancaster Farming reserves the
right to edit the letter to fit and
is not responsible tor returning
mail
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New York Grazing Conference
Series Jan. 13-18; Jan. 13,
Delhi; Jan. 14, Cobleskill; Jan.
IS, Cortland; Jan. 16, Belfast;
Jan. 17, Carthage; and Jan.
18, Clinton County, (607)
753-5213.
Annual Meeting Pa. Ag Republi
cans, Meeting Room B, Pa.
Farm Show Complex, Harris
burg, 3:30 p.m.
Pa. State Grange Annual Farm
Show meeting, Room B, Farm
Show Complex, 1 p.m., (717)
234-5001.
Tuesday, January 14
New Jersey Vegetable Growers
Association Annual Meeting
and Trade Show, Taj Mahal
Atlantic City, thru Jan. 16.
Capitol Region/Penn State Ex
tension Introduction to
Spreadsheets, Cumberland
County Extension office, Car
lisle, thru Jan. 15.
Vineyard Technical meeting,
Naylor Wine Cellars, Stew
artstown, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., (717)
642-5148.
Ohio Regional Agronomy meet
ing, Community Building,
Huron County Fairgrounds,
Norwalk, Ohio, (419)
627-7631.
Farm Managers Workshop, cen
tral Susquehanna counties ses
sion of 5-week courses, Wat
son Inn, Watsontown, 10 a.m.-
3 p.m., (570) 837-4252, also
Jan. 16,21,23,28.
Farm Bill Update meetings, New
Hanover Twp. Building, 7
p.m.-9 p.m. Also Monday,
Jan. 27, at Franconia Town
ship Building, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.,
and Wednesday, Jan. 29 at
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To Participate In
2002 Census Of Agriculture
In late December, the USDA’s Na
tional Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS) mailed out census forms to
all farmers and ranchers across the
country to collect data on the 2002
year. From 1840 to 1920, the Census
of Agriculture was taken every 10
years. Since 1925 the census has been
taken about every 5 years.
The 2002 Census of Agriculture is
the Nation’s 26th census. For the
census, a farm is defined as any place
from which $l,OOO or more of agri
cultural products were produced and
sold, or normally would have been
sold, during the census year.
The census is very important since
it is the only source of uniform data
on agricultural production and oper
ator characteristics for each county,
state, and the U.S. It is a measure
ment of where farmers stand, their
production costs and cropping sys
tems, their farm supply needs, and
how trends are changing. Because of
the importance of this information,
Congress requires NASS to conduct
the Census of Agriculture every five
years.
Farmers are guaranteed by law
that their individual information will
be kept confidential. NASS uses the
information only for statistical pur
poses and publishes data only in tab-
EVERYONE NEEDS
A ‘BETHANY’
Background Scripture:
Luke 10:38-42; John 11:20-32.
Devotional Reading:
John 15:12-17,
In one of my former parishes there
was a warm and receptive home
where I received as much or more
help than I gave there. It was not
that there weren’t many other homes
in my parish that were “warm” and
“receptive,” but this one was for me
a special place. In a sense, it was my
“Bethany.”
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are
mentioned only in two of the gospels.
Luke 10:38-42 tells us of an incident
during which Jesus was received in
the home of Mary and Martha. It is
in John 11:20-32 that we learn that
they live in Bethany, a small town
just two miles outside Jerusalem, and
John adds a brother, Lazarus.
Obviously, their home was a very
special place for Jesus and they were
friends as well as followers. But that
Lancaster Farming
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ulated totals. Your report cannot be
used for purposes of taxation, investi
gation, or regulation. The law also
provided that copies retained in your
files are immune from legal process.
The privacy of individual census re
cords is also protected from disclo
sure through the Freedom of Inform
ation Act. Under this same law,
NASS employees are subject to se
vere penalties if they release data on
individual operations. NASS safe
guards the privacy of operators’ re
sponses and will not disclose any
data about an individual farm opera
tion.
Many different groups use the in
formation gleaned from the census.
Farm organizations use the census
data to evaluate and propose policies
and programs that help the agricul
tural producer. Farm cooperatives,
commodity and trade associations,
and agribusinesses use the data to
develop market strategies and to de
termine locations of facilities that
will serve agricultural producers.
Federal Government policymakers
use the Census of Agriculture data in
drafting legislation to help resolve
agricultural problems. State and
local governments use the data for
planning rural development, agricul
tural research, and extension pro
grams. For planners and economists,
the Census of Agriculture provides
benchmark data for current statisti
cal series such as the Gross Domestic
Product, Producer Price Index, and
Farm Income Accounts that are pro
duced by the USDA and other organ
izations, such as the Bureau of Labor
Statistics and Bureau of Economic
Analysis.
An individual producer can use
the information to determine which
products are limited and which ones
are heavily produced in his area.
This can be very valuable, especially
in evaluating new niche market op
portunities. Individuals can also be
guided by the data when making de
cisions on competitive market pric
ing, farming trends, and new tech
nologies.
You can find Census of Agricul
ture data on the Internet at
www.usda.gov/nass/ by clicking on
“Census of Agriculture.” You can
also find Census of Agriculture data
through local NASS State offices,
many depository libraries, universi
ties, and other state government of
fices.
doesn’t mean they were perfect. In
Luke we see a clash of temperaments
that are probably quite familiar to
most of us. We all know someone
like Martha who becomes so involved
in her hospitality that she misses the
opportunity to learn more from the
Master.
Also, like many people who want
to do “something for us,” resentment
may creep: “Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me to serve
alone?” (Lk. 10:39), a rebuke of her
sister, but it also a muted one to
Jesus, for he was keeping Mary from
doing her share of the work! But
Jesus replies with deep understand
ing of Martha (and us!): “Martha,
Martha, you are anxious and trou
bled about many things; one thing is
needful. Mary has chosen the good
portion ” (10; 41).
Feeding Our Own Egos
When Jesus says, “one thing is
needful,” he is probably not saying
that Martha’s preparations are not
worthwhile, but that she is overdoing
it. A simple meal would be more ap
propriate. While he appreciates her
efforts, he knows that she may also
be unconsciously feeding her own
ego.
Look at what I’m doing, Jesus,
and I’m not even getting any help
from my lazy sister! So are we, like
Martha, also “distracted from much
serving,” so “anxious and troubled
about many things” that we miss out
in our relationships with spouses,
children, and others? We need a bal
ance between sheer busyness for
Christ and quiet receptivity of Christ,
For more information on the Cen
sus of Agriculture or any NASS sur
veys, call the NASS hotline at (800)
727-9540.
United States law requires all
those who receive a census report
form to respond even if they did not
operate a farm or ranch in 2002.
Completed report forms are due Feb.
3, 2003. Take some time on one of
these cold winter days to sit in the
warm and fill out the survey and
send it back. A response from every
one is needed to make the census val
uable.
To Attend The
Lancaster Chamber’s
Farm Business Symposium
To succeed in today’s economy,
farmers and agribusiness managers
must be equipped with practical busi
ness knowledge in many areas, in
cluding human resources, account
ing, and strategic business planning.
The Lancaster Chamber will offer
a daylong program for farmers and
agribusiness managers covering these
many areas, presented by experts
from a diverse cross section of indus
tries during The Farm Business Sym
posium, “Strategies for a Thriving
Farm Business.” The event will be
Feb. II at Willow Valley Resort,
2416 Willow Street Pike, Lancaster.
At the conference, you will hear di
rectly from some of the area’s most
respected professionals in their fields.
Topics include “Financial Analysis
Tools,” “Business Succession and
Farm Estate Planning,” and “Strate
gic Planning for a Successful Farm
Business.” An additional topic to be
covered is “The Link Between People
and Profits” which includes “At
tracting the Right People,” “Retain
ing Your Key Employees,” and
“Tools to Effectively Manage Your
Employees.”
For more information or to register
online, go to www.lancaster-cham
ber.com or call the Chamber’s Ag
Services Manager Brent Landis at
(717)-397-3531.
Quote Of The Week:
“We look forward to a world
founded upon four essential human
freedoms. The first is freedom of
speech and expression. The second
is freedom of every person to war
ship God in his own way. The
third is freedom from want. The
fourth is freedom from fear. ”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
for John assures us that Jesus loved
both Mary and Martha (Jn. 11:5).
If we can identify with Luke 10,1
think we can also And ourselves in
John 11. When Lazarus becomes se
riously ill, Martha and Mary send
word to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you
love is ill” (11:3). But, after assuring
us that he loved this family, John
tells us: “So, when he had heard that
he was ill, he stayed two days longer
in the place that he was” (11:6).
Questioned by his disciples at this
unconscionable delay, Jesus implies
that a greater purpose is to be served
than if he would leave for Bethany
immediately.
If You Had Come!
By the time he arrives there, Laz
arus has already been in the tomb
four days.
Martha greets Jesus with an excla
mation of both faith and reproach.
“Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died.”
(11:21). Yes, I have faith in you,
Jesus, but why didn’t you come? Can
you not hear your own voice speak
ing those words: Yes, Lord, I know
this will all be resolved in the king
dom of heaven, but I want help now!
When Martha replies, her assur
ance is not in the knowledge of what
Jesus will do, but in what he is
“Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the
Christ, the Son of God ” (11:28).
She trusts Jesus even though she
does not understand why he has
seemed to fail them. She doesn’t real
ize that during those two days he was
responding to her prayer. In all like
lihood, he was praying for, standing
at the tomb of Lazarus, although he
had not been seen to pray, Jesus says,
“Father, I thank thee that thou hast
heard me ”
Even though God does not seem to
respond to our prayers, and when he
responds it may be in some way dif
ferent from what we asked, he does
npt # $e}av anfl he will be with us
our ownßethany. ’ *
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