AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 1,2003 OPINION The Full Farmer The English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon once noted, “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.” In other words, if you want to know what you’re talking about, you’d better be well read on the subject. And those that are well read can be counted on to know a bit about history and have the so-called “well of information” to prove it. With that in mind, a couple of years ago we began a column enti tled Farm Shelf, which pointed out good books for farmers to read and enjoy. The column continues to be a source of education and fun, especially to those of us who read and write about books of interest to farmers. The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Foundation, in a letter last month, noted that, in a joint program with the National Educa tion Association, the Read Across America Program celebrates the joys of reading, and honors well-known children’s author Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) as well. Geisel’s birthday is on March 2. The official Read Across America celebration is March 3, this coming Monday. Read Across America is established to demonstrate the importance of reading. Reading is the essence of good writing and good business. The best farmers are also the most well read. Farming should be a lifelong learning enterprise, and many good books have been written by and about farmers on the lifestyle and business choice that continues to change and grow. Good books are our guides and inspiration. They convey the success and heartaches sometimes found in our industry. But they also pass along the wit and wisdom garnered from experience the farmers themselves share. Let’s make Read Across America Day this coming Monday an im portant one for our industry. Saturday, March 1 Maryland Grape Growers’ Associa tion annual meeting, University of Maryland, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Md., (301) 432-2767. New and Beginning Farm Work shop, Grantville, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., (717) 664-7077. Northeast Regional Christmas Tree Growers’ Meeting, Genetti Lodge and Conference Center, Hazleton, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Editor: It’s unfortunate that Lancas ter Farmer chose to bash “green banking” rather than welcome it. (Editorial, Feb. 15). How To Reach Us To addicss a letter to the editor •By tax (717)733-6058 • By regular mail - Editor, Lancaster Farming P.O. Box 609, 1 E. Main St. Ephrata, PA 17522 • By e-mail farming Crf'lancnews. infi.net Please note Include youi lull name ictuin addiess. and phone numhci on the letlei Lancaster Farming icsmcs the light to edit the letlei to In and is not icsponsihle loi ictuinmg unsolicited mail !*M’ • -f'l »**<> ’* * Farm Calendar ❖ v i* >* (570) 325-2788. Woodland Owners Conference, Penn’s Inn, Alvin C. Bush Stu dent Center on campus of Pa. College of Technology, William sport, 8:30 a.m., (570) 265-2896. Northeast Forest Landowners Con ference, Luzerne County Com munity College Conference Center, Nanticoke, 825-1701. Holstein Club Annual meeting, Basil Leaf Restaurant, Mon- (Turn to Page A 34) ❖ Farm Forum ❖ Green banking programs are offering new sources of reduced cost credit to producers who meet certain environmental standards. What’s so distasteful about that carrot? It surely beats a stick. Over and over, I hear produc ers complain about escalating regulatory and consumer expec tations, and ask who is going to help them pay for their increased costs. When the community offers to help with these costs, whether through lower-cost credit, public funding for conservation pro grams, or market premiums for production systems like organic, and grass-based livestock, farm ers need to pay attention. Farmers already accept that they will be paid for production (Turn to Page A 35) Mu] ’./■ t* * 'A ’“<*>- * To Upgrade Your Crop Insurance Coverage This week, USD A Secretary Ann Veneman announced a very signifi cant increase in the cost share for crop insurance premiums of up to 50 percent. The 2003 Targeted States Crop Insurance Financial Assistance Program will be available in 15 states. The eligible states are Con necticut, Delaware, Maine, Mary land, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyo ming. The effect of this additional dis count is that producers can often in crease their level of coverage/ protection two or three levels (that is, 65 percent up to 75 percent or 80 percent) for the same amount of net premium cost as they had initially budgeted. This will benefit producers in two ways. First, they will have much more and better protection in the event of a crop loss. Second, if they have a good crop, they will add a nice premium credit to the premium account that will help reduce premi um costs in the long run. With this additional support, producers are IMMEDIATELY! Background Scripture: Mark 1:1-45. Devotional Reading: Luke 4:14-21 The New Testament scholar, Edgar J. Goodspeed, said that one should begin to read the Bible by reading first the Gospel of Mark and, second, reading Mark at one sitting. So often, we approach the Bible in bits and pieces and, valuable as that may be, we also lose something if we do not also get the big picture. As another Bible scholar, Dwight E. Stevenson, puts it, “Mark is so simple that a child can understand it and so powerful that dictators cannot reckon with it; so brief that it can be read in the time required to glance through the evening newspaper, and so searching that a man will spend his whole life trying to live up to it.” If you read the Gospel of Mark from chapter one through 16, there is one word that appears 41 times, on the average of more than twice in each chapter. That word is “immedi ately,” and it appears nine times in Lancaster Farming An Award-Winning Farm Newspaper • PDA I ncnd of Agriculture Award, 2003 • Keystone Awards 1993, 199 S • PennAg Industries 1992 • PACD Media Award 1990 • Berks Ag-Busrness Council 2000 • Recognized for photo excellence throughout the years by the Northeast Farm C'ommunicatois only paying about 20 cents per dollar of gross premium. It is important to be aware, how ever, that the enrollment deadline is March IS. If you already have crop insurance, contact your agent promptly to upgrade your coverage if you are interested. If you do not have crop insurance, this additional sup port adds to the reasons why you should use this risk management tool. If you need help in finding your local crop insurance agents, contact your local Farm Service Agency of fice and they can supply you with a list of agents. To Prune Backyard Fruit Trees The winter wonderland around us makes it seem like spring is far away. But the calendar reminds us that a season change is near. Dr. Tim Elkner, horticulture agent in Lancaster County, reminds us the end of winter is a good time to prune your fruit trees. The primary purpose of pruning young fruit trees is to de velop a framework for maximum fruit production later in the tree’s life. Once that’s accomplished, prun ing focuses on increasing light pene tration into the tree, removing less productive wood, and maintaining the crown of the tree in an efficient, stable form. There are two general types of pruning cuts employed: heading cuts, which are used to reduce or maintain tree size, and thinning cuts, which are used to remove entire branches. Visualize a tree as seen from above without its leaves. Branches radiate from the trunk much like the spokes of a wheel. To allow the sunlight needed for proper fruit development and coloration to enter the center of the tree and to make harvest easier, some of these “spokes” may need to be thinned out. Consider these items as you work around the spokes or “scaffold” branches of a tree. First, remove suckers or watersprouts, which are those yigorous non-fruiting shoots that often appear at the base of graft ed trees or in crotches and sites of previ