AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 10, 2003
OPINION
Mortgage
Lancaster County, home to the number one cash crop, tobacco,
faces a dismal future for tobacco growers.
How often have we seen or heard that type of opening paragraph to
stories about the future of tobacco farming in Pennsylvania?
What once was the county’s number one cash crop, what growers
called the “mortgage burner,” can’t even be grown anymore! Colleges
such as Penn State have been warning growers to step away from
growing tobacco and to grow produce or some other niche-market
crop.
(Problem is, if too many people grow the “niche-market crop,” it’s
no longer a niche market. Then what do you do?)
Last week we reported that Vector Tobacco, a North Carolina com
pany that contracted tobacco in the county and guaranteed $1.50 per
pound, no longer needs a crop this season. We’ve heard reports that
many growers have depended heavily on the sale of the tobacco to do
what tobacco used to do best in the county: get rid of mortgage and
other farm debts. In the early 19905, at the Paradise Tobacco Auction,
we reported prices as high as $1.60 or more per pound! that went a
long way toward getting rid of farm debt.
Vector, processed by Trileaf Tobacco out of New Holland, worked
to provide tobacco for the Quest brand of low- and no-nicotine ciga
rettes sold in seven states. Though Quest is going well, according to a
company spokesperson. Vector has enough supply and doesn’t need
tobacco from Lancaster County or anywhere in Pennsylvania.
We have witnessed the death of this mini-industry. Just to provide
the scope of this death, we turned to the Pennsylvania Agricultural
Statistics Service (PASS) and came up with numbers from 1980 until
the present, in terms of just how widespread, alarming, and severe the
Saturday, May 1 0
Western Pa. Sheep, Lamb, and
Goat Sale, Mercer 4-H Park, 5
p.m.
Spring Scavenger Hunt, Ludwig’s
Comer Riding and Driving
Club, Marsh Creek State Park,
9 a.m.-noon, (610) 827-7780.
Beekeeping Short Course, Dau
phin County extension center,
Dauphin, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Editor:
In regards to your opinion col
umn May 3, you raise some very
good questions. You are right
questions like the ones you raise
do demand answers. But are you
suggesting that Pennsylvania
Farm Bureau (PFB) has them
all? Whats wrong with looking at
the farmers who are successful,
both conventional and otherwise?
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® iancnews.infi.net
Please note: Include your full
name, return address, and
phone number on the letter.
Lancaster Farming reserves the
right to edit the leltei to fit and
is not responsible for returning
unsolicited mail.
‘Burnout *
(Turn to Page A 33)
Open House Livestock Processing
Plan, Oak Hill, N.Y., 10:30
a.m.-2 p.m., (518) 765-3512.
Keystone Palomino Exhibitors
Association Benefit Auction,
Windy Hill Farm, Lititz, (717)
627-2263.
MAAFS Judging School, Freder
ick, Md. Fairgrounds, (301)
662-8025.
(Turn to Page A 29)
You quoted State Rep. Art
Hershey as saying those who
think “grandfathers way of farm
ing is the way to farm are in la
la-land” and you said “we
agree.” Does this mean Lancaster
Farming is taking sides? Are you
speaking for the entire staff? If
you are, then I would suggest you
are doing more harm to agricul
ture in this state then 581413
could have.
My family has farmed in Penn
sylvania for about 300 years.
Some of us conventional and
some of us not. My father was
more conventional and in most
years was lucky to break even. I
am not and our farm makes a
profit. If being a profitable farm
er means living in “la-la-land,”
then here I’ll stay. Grandfather’s
way of farming is not the way. Its
a way of farming.
Those who opposed 581413
never spoke out against farming
in this state, only against the cor
porations who would sell these
“bill of goods” to our rural com-
(Turn to Page A 29)
The late spring season this year
has impacted the development of
crops and insects. Insects that nor
mally feed on crops are developing
later by the calendar than last year.
Alfalfa weevils are beginning to
feed on the new alfalfa crop. The
population of economic significance
results from eggs laid in the spring by
overwintering adults. These adults
move into hay fields containing alfal
fa as soon as the plants begin to grow
and lay their eggs in the stems of
plants.
The weevil eggs normally hatch
between mid-April and early May.
Larvae hatching from these eggs
reach maturity in approximately
three weeks, normally from late May
to early June. Injury symptoms are
usually most evident during mid- to
late May. Once the larvae pupate,
they are done feeding for the year
and scouting efforts can cease.
For this reason, scouting for this
pest only needs to occur during the
first growth period (first cutting) of
alfalfa. However, in fields where high
numbers of weevil are present at cut
ting, the stubble should be checked to
assure that regrowth is not being pre-
mt
IAR ❖
tSMii
WHO DO YOU
SAY HE IS?
Background Scripture:
Mark 8:28 through 9:8.
Devotional Reading:
Philippians 2:5-11.
Perhaps you have noted in reading
Matthew, Mark, and Luke that Jesus
is usually reticent to refer to himself
with a title. If he refers to himself by
any designation, it is most often as
the “son of man.” A term from the
Old Testament, printed 97 times in
the Book of Ezekiel, it is literally
translated as “son of the man” and
can mean either “the human one” or
a very special human. Significantly,
as Prof. Walter Wink notes, in 121
pages of the New Testament
(NRSV), Jesus, and only Jesus, uses
this term more than 80 times.
When he questions the disciples,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answers, “You are the Christ”
(the anointed one, Messiah). It is cu
rious that Jesus does not confirm
Peter’s confession either explicitly or
implicitly. Instead we are told, “And
he charged them to tell no one about
him” (Mark 8:30). When Jesus
stands captive before Pilate, he is
asked; “Are you the king of the
Jews?” and his response is oblique:
“You have said so” (Mark 15:2).
Lancaster Farming
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' ' .'a - 6.
To Begin Scouting
For Alfalfa Weevil
vented by larvae feeding on the new
shoots.
Begin scouting the wannest fields
on your operation with a southern
exposure and those with a soil type
that is Susceptible to drought. Begin
scouting all fields once evidence of
alfalfa weevil injury is observed in
the wannest fields or when 300 de
gree days (base threshold of develop
ment equals 48 degrees Fahrenheit)
have accumulated since Jan. 1. This
will typically occur between May 1
and May IS in most years and at
most locations in the state.
To sample a field, carry a bucket
(a 2- or 3-gallon plastic bucket will
do fine) and walk through the field in
either a “W” or “zigzag” pattern.
Randomly remove an entire stem
from 30 locations at approximately
equal intervals to obtain a good rep
resentative sample of the field. When
collecting an alfalfa stem sample,
carefully cup your hand around the
top of the stem before removing it.
This will prevent any larvae from
dropping off that may have been on
the stem. Now, remove the stem at
ground level and place it top first
into the bucket. Repeat this proce
dure as you follow your pattern
across the field.
After you have collected 30 stems
in the bucket, separate them into 3 to
4 small bundles and beat each bundle
10 or IS times against the inside of
the bucket to dislodge the larvae
from the stems. We are primarily in
terested in the large larvae (green in
color and Va inch long), since the big
ones do the most feeding. In most
cases only the large larvae are easily
dislodged from the plant. Smaller
larvae tend to hide in leaflet collars
and are difficult to dislodge. Count
all the larvae in the bucket, including
the small cream-colored ones. Record
this number on your field data sheet.
Next, measure 10 of the stems to
get an average height of the plants
(in inches) in the field. Record the
average height of the plants on your
data sheet. Also, observe the stems
and record the percentage with buds.
The number of flower buds present
will help you decide whether to spray
or harvest the field if weevil larvae
numbers are near the economic
threshold and the field is near the
harvestjpg stage of development. If,
Why is Jesus so noncommittal
about his title? 1 believe it was be
cause he knew that each of the titles
his followers gave him were subject
to different interpretations and he
did not want to be so narrowly de
fined. Some Jews clearly thought of
the Messiah as one who would lead
them to military victory over their
foes. Obviously, Jesus didn’t want
people to think of him as that kind of
messiah. Nor did he want people to
equate him with an earthly king. If
he was God’s anointed one, he want
ed to define that role as God alone
intended him to fulfill it.
Teacher, Lord, Master
During his earthly ministry, his
disciples called him variously
“Teacher,” “Lord,” or “Master.” For
more than 2,000 years since the res
urrection, however, Christians have
wrangled over the precise meaning of
these titles. We call him “King of
Kings,” “Lord of Lords,” “Son of
God, “Second Person of the Trinity,”
“Incarnate Word,” among others.
These titles can be meaningful to
Christians, but they can also be so
very divisive. When we argue and
even fight over them, we miss the
whole point.
Yes, Jesus wanted to know “Who
do men say that I am?” and also
“But who do you say that I am,” but
after charging them to tell no one
about him, Mark tells us: “And he
began to teach them that the son of
man must suffer many things... and
be killed...” (8:31). And then he
goes on to define what it means to be
his disciple.
It is not a matter of finding the
right title to apply to Jesus, but, “If
any man would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me.” The exalted ti
tles we give him matter little if we do
the field is in full bud when the eco
nomic threshold is reached, early
cutting is usually the best pest man
agement alternative.
More detailed information on eco
nomic thresholds can be found on the
Penn State Entomology Website at
(http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/
CASDEPT/IPM/FldCrop/
tablel7.htm), in the Field Crop IPM
Training and Reference Manual, or
the publication “A Pest Management
Program For Alfalfa In Pennsylva
nia.” Check with your local coopera
tive extension office for copies of the
publications.
To Apply Fungicides
To Strawberries
Gray mold for Botrytis blight is
the most serious disease affecting
strawberries. The causal organism,
Botrytis cinerea, can live both as a
parasite and as saprophyte on decay
ing plant debris.
Botrytis blight usually starts as a
blossom infection, which then later
invades the fruit, causing them to
rot. Rot may first appear at the base
of the fruit or when the berry is in
contact with the soil, other damp sur
faces, or other rotten fruit. The rot
can destroy the berry within 48
hours. As ripening increases and the
humidity remains high, a character
istic gray, fuzzy coating or web pro
duced by the fruiting fungus covers
the strawberry fruit. As the disease
progresses, spores are produced and
are easily blown or splashed onto
healthy foliage. Once the fungus gets
established in a field it can produce
spores continuously throughout the
season.
Moisture is necessary for the
spores to germinate and infect
plants. Therefore the disease is fa
vored by humidity and cool condi
tions. If you need to irrigate and you
are using overhead irrigation, it is
important to irrigate during the
sunny part of the day and shut down
the irrigation while there is still
enough afternoon sunshine to dry off
the plants and fruit before nightfall.
This will limit the ability of the Bot
rytis spores to germinate and infect
the fruit or blossoms.
Because most Botrytis infections
(Turn to Page A 33)
not respond to his call to follow him
even to bearing a cross.
The call of Christ is not to a fool
proof theology, but to a life in which
Jesus is present. “For what does it
profit a man, to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?” (8:36) What
good is it to call Jesus by all the right
titles and subscribe to the best the
theologies if we do not follow him as
Lord and Master?
Ashamed Of Jesus
These next words from Jesus may
seem not to be applicable to us, but
don’t jump to any conclusions: “For
whoever is ashamed of me and of my
words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, of him will the son of
man also be ashamed, when he
comes in the glory of his Father with
the holy angels” (8:38). That couldn’t
possibly refer to us, because we are
never shamed of him. Or are we?
Whenever we decide that the way
of Jesus Christ is not applicable to
the way we relate to our families, our
communities, or our world, is it not
because we are ashamed of him?
Whenever, instead of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, we let our political ide
ologies or personal prejudices de
termine how we do business, how we
respond to the “have-nots,” how we
regard society’s prisoners and our at
titudes toward our enemies, is it not
because we think of his teachings as
not “practical” for the real world in
which we live? Is that not being
shamed of him?
The way we live our lives is the
way we answer his question: “But
who do you say that I am?”
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955.
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Steinman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Andy Andrews, Editor
Copyright 2003 by Lancaster Farming