AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 26, 2063
OPINION
Editor’s note for all Guest Editorials: Please keep in mind that
the opinions of the writers don’t necessarily agree with the edit
or’s. For the benefit of our diverse readership, we strive to provide
a balance of opinion in Lancaster Farming.
Tactics To Preserve Agriculture
Guest Editorial By
Tom Baldrige
President
Lancaster County Chamber Of
Commerce And Industry
A recent column by the Scribbler in the Lancaster New Era chal
lenged the long-held notion that Lancaster County is the most produc
tive nonirrigated county in the country. After presenting his “proof’
proof, I might add, that is subject to interpretation he concluded
by noting:
“Lancaster and Pennsylvania like to emphasize their agricultural
nature. That’s a good thing, if kept in the proper perspective. The
truth is that agriculture is an important industry in Pennsylvania and
Lancaster is a fertile place. Let it go at that.”
In a sense, that sums up my column. So, if you will, I will begin
with my conclusion ...
Agriculture is as important even an essential element in the
Lancaster County economy... yet, in a rapidly-changing world, busi
ness-as-usual in the agricultural (or any other-industry) simply will
not work. By acknowledging its significance and challenges now, we
will be better equipped to ensure its future success.
Now that I have given you my conclusion, let me add some meat to
the bones.
First of all, let us make no mistake about it Lancaster’s ag econo
my is significant:
Saturday, April 26
AFGC annual conference, La-
fayette, La., thru April 30.
Lamb Camp, Maple Hollow Dor
sets, Bedford County, (814)
865-4700.
Barnyard and Stream Bank
Fencing Tour, Upper Mont
gomery County, (610)
489-4315.
Editor:
I want to thank Lancaster
Farming for the April 5, 2003
front-page article on sustainable
agriculture in Cuba by Brian
Snyder.
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 St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
By e-mail;
farming @ lancnews.infi.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 for returning
unsolicited mail.
(Turn to Page A 29)
Mid-Atlantic Brown Swiss Calf
Sale, The Great Frederick
Fair, Frederick, Md., (301)
371-5206.
Montgomery County Livestock
Conservation Tour, East
Greenville and Sassamansville
Farms, 9:15 a.m.-noon, (215)
822-5840, ext. 110.
Spring Bargain Fling, Penn State
Ag Arena, University Park,
(814) 863-3914.
(Turn to Page A 32)
With the conventional wisdom
touting high-input, high-cost se
curity schemes of questionable
effectiveness, it’s refreshing to
hear about an effective, low
input, low-cost approach that ac
tually benefits both consumers
and real farmers.
With all our high-priced
thinkers, why does this insight
have to come from a third-world
country? Is it that we may be lis
tening to the wrong people?
I hope you will continue to
present articles of this type to
help counteract the self-serving
schemes being advanced under
the guise of security.
When the emperor isn’t wear
ing any clothes, we need to tell
him (or her). Again thank you
for having the courage to tackle
sensitive issues.
Thomas W. Maurer Jr.
Annville
To Control Weeds
In New Strawberry Plantings
Weed control in the establishment
year of matted row strawberries isn’t
easy. Scott Guiser, extension horti
culture agent in Bucks County, re
ports recent changes to the Sinbar
label give growers a new tool in the
battle against annual weeds.
Actually, Sinbar is one of the old
est preemergence herbicides used in
strawberries. Previous labeling allow
ed use only at renovation and during
dormant periods. Now it may be
used at low rates (2-4 ounces of Sin
bar 80 WP per acre) at planting and
during the establishment year.
Research and field experience has
shown that strawberries are tolerant
of 2-3 ounces of Sinbar when it is ap
plied just after planting and before
new growth begins. It can be tank
mixed with 3-4 pounds Devrinol 50
WP to broaden the spectrum of
weeds controlled.
Later in the season, as weeds break
through, growers may cultivate, and
then reapply Sinbar at 3-4 ounces per
acre. However, at this time it is im-
THEY LAUGHED
AT HIM
Background Scripture:
Mark 5:21-43.
Devotional Reading:
Hebrews 11:1-6.
Recently I spoke with a pastor
who was trying to decide what to do
with a healing service he had inher
ited from his predecessor. He didn’t
feel confident in canceling it, but nei
ther was he comfortable with it con
tinuing in the life of his congregation.
Some 40 years ago I asked my
church council for permission to
begin a weekly healing service. They
were obliging up to a point, granting
permission. They also, however, said
they doubted our people would sup
port it. So with much trepidation I
began what was possibly the most
important aspect of my pastoral min
istry. I could not have dreamed how
it would enrich the life of my congre
gation.
At the time, 1 wondered what
other pastors would think, and I was
right: they thought what I anticipat
ed they would think. They were in
credulous. I don’t know that anyone
laughed behind my back, but from
time to time 1 learned of their scorn.
Eventually, however, some of those
Lancaster Farming
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Northeast Farm Communicators
portant to wash the Sinbar off straw
berry leaves through irrigation or
timely application that coincides
with rainfall. Injury to strawberry
plants can occur through foliar ab
sorption of Sinbar.
A late summer/early fall applica
tion of 3-4 ounces per acre will aid in
control of winter annual weeds such
as chickweed. Growers should note
that the maximum amount of Sinbar
that may be applied is 8 ounces per
year. Lower rates, as specified on the
label, are recommended for light tex
tured soils and soils with 1-2 percent
organic matter. Sinbar should not be
used on soils with less than 0.5 per
cent organic matter.
Strawberry varieties vary in their
sensitivity to Sinbar. Some varieties
are tolerant (Earliglow) while others
are known to be sensitive (Guardi
an). Each grower should try small
plots to observe tolerance before
making whole field applications.
All growers should get a copy of
the Sinbar supplemental label avail
able on the Internet at (http://
www.cdms.net/ldat/ldl93ooo.pdf)
and read it thoroughly before using
Sinbar on first-year strawberries.
Another product that can be used
at planting time is Dacthal for pre
emergent control of annual grasses
and some broadleaves. Remember
where trade names are used no dis
crimination is intended and no en
dorsement by Cooperative Extension
is implied.
To Read Your
Pesticide Labels
Lancaster County Agronomy
Agent Robert Anderson reminds us
pesticide labels contain a lot of valu
able information, especially if read
ahead of the application. Make sure
that the crop and pest that are being
sprayed are listed on the label. Next,
check the application rate. Then be
come very familiar with the personal
protective equipment and mixing
precautions listed on the label, in
cluding the amount of time between
when you are applying the pesticide
and when you can reenter the field.
same pastors quietly slipped into the
rear pew to observe our service. In
time, several local physicians sent
their patients to the service and a
doctor-parishioner came as often as
he could to help in the service.
Sarcastic Scorn
People are somewhat more accept
ing of the church’s healing ministry
today than they were then.- But, in
the minds of many, Christian healing
is associated with the emotional anti
cs of TV evangelists. Healing specif
ically and spirituality in general still
evokes scornful laughter.
Jesus himself and those who fol
low him are still the objects of ridi
cule. Faith is rejected because it is
not discernible to the five senses, nor
subject to reason or laboratory exper
imentation. (Actually, Christian
healing has been convincingly subject
to experimentation in the laboratory.
See my book, “Rediscovering The
Gift of Healing,” chapter 7, 1997,
Abingdon Press, 1983, Samuel Weis
er.)
Both healings listed in Mark 5 con
cern people who came to Jesus as a
last resort. Jairus, the lay leader of a
synagogue and father of a desperate
ly ill 12-year-old girl, came because
he heard that Jesus had the power to
heal and, encountering Jesus, he
trusted that he could heal his daugh
ter. The woman hemorrhaging for 12
years also had heard of Jesus’ power
and trusted him to the point of be
lieving he would hear her.
She was healed: “Daughter, your
faith has made you well; go in peace
and be healed of your disease” (5:34).
When Jesus and Jairus were stopped
on the way to his home with the news
that the daughter had died, Jesus
said to Jairus, “Do not fear; only be
lieve.” Jesus did not ask either of
them about their beliefs or doctrines.
This is important for you, your fami
ly’s, and your employee’s health.
One of the most important parts of
the label often overlooked before
spraying is the rotational restriction
of the pesticide being applying.
Based on a half dozen or so calls re
ceived the past two weeks, many ap
plicators are forgetting this step in
the pesticide selection process.
The pesticide which is most often
being asked about in these recent
phone calls is Basis Gold. Basis Gold
has been giving com growers excel
lent weed control. However, once
used, the list of crops that can be
planted during the next 18 months is
very limited. Solving a difficult weed
problem is great but maybe not at the
cost of excluding rotation of a field to
another desired crop for 18 months.
To Buckle Up
Your Children
Motor vehicle crashes are the lead
ing cause of death of children be
tween the ages of 1 and 18. More
than 1.5 million children are involv
ed in motor vehicle crashes each
year. Car seats and booster seats re
duce the risk of injury in an accident
by 60 percent.
Pennsylvania has a new child pas
senger safety law. The law requires
children under 4 to use a restraint
(safety seat) and children ages 4 to 8
are required to use a booster seat. All
persons between the age of 8 and 18
are required to be restrained while
traveling in a vehicle. A driver can be
cited for failure to follow the safety
belt law if there is another moving vi
olation and fines can be up to $lOO.
If you are taking your children on
a trip in your car or someone else’s,
make sure the proper restraints are
available. If you arc providing trans
portation for someone else’s children,
make sure you or the party you are
transporting have the proper re
straints for their children.
Quote Of The Week:
“An important question for
leaders, ‘Am I building people or
building my dream and using peo
ple to do it?’” ,
John Maxwell
The belief and faith to which he re
. ferret} was notabdat Maait’buttrust.
If they trusted in him, they opened
the doors through which the healing
power of God could enter, one of the
keys to Christian healing. The faith
of Jairus and the woman enabled
healing to be given by God.
Eliminate The Negative
Another key was to eliminate the
negativity that surrounded Jairus’
daughter. Stopped with the news
that “Your daughter is dead. Why
trouble the Teacher any further?”
Jesus continued on the way and did
not allow anyone else to accompany
them except Peter, James, and John.
Arriving at the house of Jairus, they
are surrounded by “a tumult, people
weeping and wailing loudly.” And,
when they laughed at his pronounce
ment, “The child is not dead but
sleeping,” Jesus “put them all out
side, “ and went in where the child
was” (5:39,40).
Sometimes healing is greatly hin
dered by the negativity, not of the
patient, but of well-meaning friends
and family. Even a doctor may some
times be part of that negative atmos
phere.
The woman who had touched the
fringe of Jesus’ garment was healed
because of her own faith, but essen
tially it was the faith of Jairus that
brought Jesus to his daughter’s bed
side and opened the door for healing
to take place. People may still laugh
at our trust in Jesus, but with our
own doubts and fear, we must put
the laughter behind us and accept
the master’s promise: “Do not fear,
only believe.”
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 2003 by Lancaster Farming