AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 8, 2003
*****
OPINION
Allow Hunters?
We received information via e-mail the other day about a new in
come and stewardship opportunity via a Website, www.permissionto
hunt.com.
As a hunter, you could simply log onto the Website, input what
you’d like to hunt, in a location you’d like to hunt, and farmers would
simply be listed for those who’d allow you to do so. With their permis
sion, of course.
We went to the Website and we quote a fair warning they give those
who are looking for such a service:
Hunting private land should be regarded as a privilege, not a
“right." To earn this privilege, it is best to approach the landowner
prior to season’s opening day to ask for your Permission To Hunt.
Considerate hunters need to help maintain our proud heritage and
hunter ethics.
Show the landowner that you.
• Have respect for the land.
• Exhibit good hunter ethics.
• Appreciate the use of their land by saying “thank you. ”
In an ideal world, this would all be well and good. But farmers
would be wise to understand the pitfalls of such an idea.
You could, for instance, talk to Carl W. Grub of Sunset Hollow
Farm in Hanover. Grub, who owns a 175-acre farm in York County,
would be the first to caution farmers: don’t do it. If you allow hunters
on your land, you could be begging for potential problems.
Grub claims to be struggling with an incident involving hunters on
his land.
While we don’t want to proffer any kind of detail, suffice it to say
that farmers really need to think long and hard about allowing people
io hunt their lands, especially in this litigation-happy society. There
are legal concerns, too, and dealing with agencies can be a real head
ache.
Saturday, March 8
Farm Family Appreciation Cele
bration, Hamburg Field
House, Hamburg, (610)
378-1327.
Professional Shearing School,
Cornell Sheep Farm, Harford,
N.Y., 8 a.m.-5 p.m., thru
March 9, (320) 587-6094.
York Garden Wise, York Subur
ban High School, York, 8
a.m.-3 p.m., (717) 840-7908.
Pa. Forestry Association annual
dinner, Genetti Hotel and
Convention Center, William
sport, (717) 766-5371.
Beekeeping Workshop, Wayne
County Visitors Center, Hon
esdale, 10:30 a.m.-I:30 p.m.
Pruning Hardwood Trees Work
shop, Western Maryland Re
search and Education Center,
Keedysville, Md., 1 p.m.-3
p.m., (301) 972-0848.
“On the Farm” Exhibition,
Chandler Gallery, Randolph,
Vt., thru March 9, 10 a.m.-
noon, (802) 728-9878.
Building Your Own Greenhouse,
Merck Forest and Farmland
Center, Rupert, Vt., 10 a.m.-l
How To Reach Us
To addiess a Ictlei to the editor.
• Bv tax (717)733-6058
• icgulai mail
Editor, Lancaster Farming
P.O. Box 609, 1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
• B\ c-mail
farming®'lancneHS.infi.net
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* V I
❖ Farm Calendar ❖
p.m., (802) 394-7836.
Organic Biodynamic Orchard
Management Workshop Se
ries, Threshold Farm, Clave
rack, N.Y., 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Also
Saturday, May 24 and Satur
day, Oct. 4.
Sunday, March 9
FFA State Legislative Leadership
Conference, Harrisburg, thru
March 11.
Monday, March 10
Franklin County Pesticide Up
date, extension office, 1 p.m.-3
p.m. and 7 p.m.-9 p.m., (717)
263-9226.
Pa. Farm Link Passing On the
Farm Workshop, Lewistown,
10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., (717)
664-7077.
Arbor Care Workshops, Lock
Haven University, Lock
Haven, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., thru
March 14.
Regional Corn and Soybean Day,
Clark Mills United Methodist
Church, Clark Mills, (814)
333-7460.
Hardwood Lumber Grading,
Penn State’s Ag Arena, thru
March 13,(814) 863-1113.
Lancaster County Family Dairy
Day, Lancaster Farm and
Home Center, 9 a.m.-3:30
p.m., (717) 394-6851.
Act 6 Nutrient Management Cer
tification and Plan Writing
Seminars for Farmers, Berks
County Ag Center, Leesport, 9
a.m.-3;30 p.m. Also march 12,
9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and March
18, 9 a.m.-noon.
Tuesday, March 11
Workshop on Insect Monitoring,
Adams County Extension of
fice.
Spreadsheets II class, Franklin
(Turn to Page A3O)
To Market Products
Via The Internet
USD A has produced a publication
designed to assist agricultural pro
ducers in marketing their products
via the Internet. “How To Direct
Market Farm Products On the In
ternet” provides basic information to
farm direct marketers who are inter
ested in selling their products online
or using a Website to publicize their
farm or products.
“For agricultural producers, the
Internet can help solve problems of
time, distance, and location in mar
keting their products,” said A.J.
Yates, administrator of USDA's Ag
ricultural Marketing Service. “We
are working to provide the tools to
help level the playing field for agri
culture and rural communities by
providing technological solutions and
technological support.”
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Ve
neman also recently announced that
USDA will expand efforts to bring
farmers, rural residents, and busi
nesses greater access to improved tel
ecommunication technology through
the financing of more than $1 4 bil
lion in loan and loan guarantees to
rural telecommunications providers.
The number of Internet users
shopping online has skyrocketed in
RAISING
THE ROOF!
Background Scripture;
Mark 2:1 through 3:6.
Devotional Reading:
Luke 15:1-7.
Two groups of people stand out in
these early chapters of Mark, one of
them negatively. These were the
Pharisees, a religious party dedicated
to applying the law to daily life. It
was a worthy goal, but they went off
in the wrong direction. Applying the
law superlegalistically, they missed
its purpose to enrich human life
under God.
For example, when Jesus was heal
ing the paralytic (2:3-12), instead of
praising God for this wonderful
work, they called it “blasphemy”
when he said, “My son, your sins are
forgiven.” ‘Who can forgive sins but
God alone?,” they protest, caring
more for their interpretation of the
law than they did for the paralyzed
man. Whenever you care more about
your theology than a good work done
in the name of God, you, not others,
are likely to be the blaspheme! l
Another example is their reaction
when Jesus was seen “eating with
sinners and tax collectors.” Because
Lancaster Farming
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recent years. Ot the estimated 168
million Internet users 16 years of age
and older in the U.S., approximately
half say they shop online. Because of
this rapidly growing trend, many
farm direct marketers are turning to
online marketing to increase their
customer base.
The publication addresses issues to
be considered before adopting the
Web as a marketing tool, as well as
tips on how to research the Internet
market, set up a Website, and mar
ket products on the Web. References,
largely from the Internei itself, are
cited to enable producers to under
take additional research.
•How To Direct Market Farm
Products On the Internet" is avail
able m print and on the Internet at
www.ams.usda gov/
tmd SB sb.htm. For more inform
ation or to obtain a copy of the publi
cation, contact Errol Bragg, USDA
AMS TMP MSB. Room 2646 S, Stop
0269, 1400 Independence Ave„ SW,
Washington, DC 20250, (202) 720
8317, fax (202) 690 0031, or e-mail
Errol.Bragg@usda.gov.
To Sign Up For
The Farmers Market
Nutrition Program
Agriculture Secretary Designee
Dennis C Wolff lias announced to
Pennsylvania growers that sign up
for the Farmers Market Nutrition
Program is under way.
“The Farmers Market Nutrition
Program is a great partnership be
tween those who grow Pennsylvania
fruits and vegetables and those who
need them,” said Wolff. “This is a
great direct marketing opportunity
for Pennsylvania farmers Since the
introduction of this program, many
farmers have launched or expanded
their retail operations, providing ad
ditional income to their farm opera
tion."
The Farmers Market Nutrition
Program provides coupons to eligible
recipients to purchase fresh fruits
and vegetables from approved grow
ers at one of Pennsylvania’s farmers
markets or roadside stands. Growers
interested in participating in the
2003 program must own or lease
farmland in Pennsylvania where they
produce and sell more than $l,OOO of
agricultural products.
Growers who participated in the
the tax collectors worked for the Ro
mans, they were considered the worst
kind of sinners. But they forgot that
all of us are “sinners,” not just those
who violate our religious rules. If
they didn’t like the sinful company
Jesus kept, they really didn’t like the
company God keeps.
Compassion Or Legalism?
They criticized Jesus because he
didn’t fast. They criticized him be
cause on the Sabbath day he and his
disciples had plucked grain to feed
themselves. The attacked him be
cause he dared on the Sabbath to
heal a man with a withered hand.
Their devotion to the law was taking
the place of compassion for the needs
of fellow human beings.
We do not often see Jesus angry,
but here we do: “And he looked
around them with anger, grieved at
their hardness of heart...” (v. 3:5).
Notice, he is angry, not with their
poor theology, but their lack of com
passion. How plainly he puts it: “Is it
lawful on the Sabbath to do good or
to do harm, to save life or to kill?”
Even this failed to reach these hard
ened hearts, for they “went out, and
immediately held counsel with the
Herodians against him, how to de
stroy him.”
There is a second, much more ad
mirable group. We don’t know their
names and they were not part of any
organized faction. We only know
that there were four of them. Perhaps
the only thing they had in common
was their concern for a paralyzed
man. They might not know much
about Jesus, but they believed he
could help their friend.
2002 program received notices from
the Department of Agriculture’s Bu
reau of Food Distribution. For any
other farmer interested in participat
ing in the Farmers Market Nutrition
Program, contact the Bureau of Food
Distribution at (800) 468-2433. The
program will begin on June 1, 2003
and continue until Nov. 30, 2003.
The Farmers Market Nutrition
Program provides coupons to eligible
Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC) recipients and qualified sen
iors to purchase fresh fruits and veg
etables from more than 625 approved
vendors in Pennsylvania. In 2002,
more than $5 million in state and
federal funds were available tor the
WIC and seniors programs.
WIC mothers and children ages 2
to 5 can receive $2O in coupons. The
Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition
Program was launched in 1998 for
older Pennsylvanians. In 2002, the
Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition
Program was offered statewide. Last
year, qualifying seniors received $2O
in coupons. More than 96,000 seniors
redeemed more than $2.2 million in
coupons in 2002.
To Attend The
Lancaster County Dairy Day
The Lancaster County Dairy Day
postponed in February because of the
Presidents’ Da\ snowstorm has been
rescheduled <or Monday, March 10
at the Farm and Home Center in
Lancaster.
The theme is "Strategies for Suc
cess" and the displays open at 9 ( m.
Topics include “Nutrition Strategies
to Increase Profits," “How Is Your
Dairy Business Performing’" and
“Biosecurity On Farms."
Other topics include "Strategies
for Using Youi Farm Resources,"
“Emerging Dan\ Farm Technolo
gies,” “Budding Your Plan For the
Transter of the Farm Business, and
"Crop Insurance Strategy for Sur
\ival.” Also, an optional program for
spouses will be offered on “What’s
New In Home Canning" and there
will be pressure canner testing for
those who bring their dial gauge
pressure canner lid.
Quote Of The Week.
"It's OK to lend a helping hand.
The challenge is gelling people to
let go of it. ”
Four Intercessors
This is a fine example of interces
sory prayer. The man couldn’t come
to Jesus, so they took him to the
Master. Picking up his pallet, they
brought him to the house where
Jesus was healing. When they ar
rived, the crush of the crowd pre
vented them from getting the paraly
tic in the door.
Like true intercessors, they were
not pul off by the obstacles ihaf con
fronted them. Carrying the man to
the roof of the house, they removed
some of the sticks and packed earth
that comprised the roof and, making
a hole large enough for his pallet,
they lowered him down into the
midst of Jesus and the crowd.
Note that it was their faith to
which Jesus was responding. We
don’t know what expectations the
paralytic had, whether there was
anything in him that could be called
“faith,” but, “when Jesus saw their
faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘My
son, your sins are forgiven.’” Would
the critics of Jesus have been just as
angry if he had said, “God forgives
your sins”? I think so, for they were
bound to what they were against, not
what they were for. In that, they
were not too unlike some of us.
Their invasion of this house where
Jesus was healing is a case of sancti
fied housebreaking. The four name
less but compassionate men literally
raised the roof to bring this man to
the healing touch of Jesus Christ.
How can we do less?
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
. E Main *»t.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc
A otemman Enterprise
William J Burgess General Manager
Andy Andrews, Editor
Copyright 2003 by Lancaster Farming
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