OPINION
Plan Should Unify Farmers
Last week, our page 1 story on a township’s plan to drill a well on a
dairy farm near Ephrata raises troubling questions about the future of
agriculture in Pennsylvania and not just on large-scale operations.
Paul B. and Lena Zimmerman’s third-generation family farm is
home to about 65 Holsteins and SO acres of cropland. The Zimmer
mans’ son, Paul Jr., manages the dairy herd.
East Cocalico Township is set on taking over a site near the center
of the Zimmerman’s cropland. A working municipal well there would
prohibit normal ag production methods on 10 to 12 acres surrounding
the wellhead, including any fertilizer or chemical applications. That
would “just demolish the value of the farm,” Paul B. Zimmerman
said.
Township officials seem to be ignoring an application filed two and
a half years ago for ag security protection on 500 acres of prime lime
stone farmland in the township. The Zimmermans were one of eight
families who signed the application.
According to John Bell, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s counsel of
governmental affairs, and Zimmerman’s attorney, Paula Leicht, the
Ag Security Area was automatically approved by law six months after
it was submitted to the township in September of 2000. That makes
the well-drilling plan illegal.
We believe the township has done a questionable job explaining
what gives it the right to claim eminent domain on the Zimmerman
farm.
The chairman of the Water and Sewer Authority board spoke to
Lancaster Farming about the sophisticated geological technology
Saturday, May 17
Keystone Stud Ram and Ewe
Sale, Keystone Classic at Penn
State Ag Arena, thru May 18.
Evaluating Your Forest Resource
Workshop for Landowners,
Laurel Haven Conservation
Education Center, 9 a.m.-
noon.
Penn State Master Gardeners of
Wayne County and Penn
State Extension Spring Gar
den Expo, Lakeside Elemen
tary, Honesdale, (570)
253-5970, ext. 239.
District VII 4-H Horse Camp,
Editor:
Thank you for running the Vector
Tobacco article in last week’s Lan
caster Farming. 1 share your con-
cerns.
Attached is a letter from Mr.
Leßow, chief executive officer of
Vector, in response to my request to
How To Reach Us
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Editor, Lancaster Farming
P.O. Box 609, 1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
• By e-mail
farming@lancasterfarming.com
Please note Include your full
name, return addiess, and
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(Turn to Page A 25)
Farm Calendar ❖
Bedford County Fairgrounds,
Bedford, thru May 18, (814)
623-4800.
1 J
Sunday, May 18
Clarion County Pasture Walk,
John Allen Farm, Saxonbury,
2 p.m., (814) 782-0033.
Monday, May 19
National Egg Quality School,
Hilton, San Antonio, Texas
Airport, thru May 22, (765)
494-8510.
Cooperatives Working Together
(Turn to Page A 26)
< R
❖ Farm Forum ♦
continue growing tobacco in Pennsyl
vania in 2003. I believe it would be
helpful to share this letter with your
readers. While it is not a commit
ment letter for 2004, it is a strong
statement about Vector’s positive re
lationship with Pennsylvania grow
ers.
Dennis C. Wolff
Pa. Secretary of Agriculture
Harrisburg
It was with regret that I had to in
form you in our recent telephone
conference that Vector Tobacco
would not be growing tobacco during
the 2003 crop season.
We have come to greatly value the
relationship that we have with the
Pennsylvania farmers as well as with
your office, and we recognize the im
portance that our crops have been to
the local farming community.
Therefore, you should be assured
that we have explored all possible op
tions before making this difficult de
cision.
As we explained, from our per
spective, the launch of Quest is going
. A 25)
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To Control Caterpillars
In Greenhouse
Vegetable Production
Caterpillar pests are not usually
considered to be a major pest in
greenhouse vegetables. However,
Cathy Thomas, with the Integrated
Pest Management Program of the
Pennsylvania Department of Agri
culture, reminds us they can be a
problem in warmer months of the
growing season.
During warmer weather, the adult
stage (moth or butterfly, order Lepi
doptera) migrates into the green
house to lay eggs. One of the most
common species found in tomatoes is
the tomato homworm. However, to
mato fruitworm, armyworm, and
loopers can also infest tomatoes and
peppers. If you are introducing natu
ral enemies to control other pests,
caterpillars must also be controlled
with natural enemies or compatible
pesticides.
There are many enemies of cater
pillars found in natural populations
that will attack caterpillars if you are
not using a broad-spectrum insecti
cide program. Examples of these in
clude predators such as assassin
bugs, damsel bugs, minute pirate
bugs, and parasitic flies and wasps. If
populations are not kept in check
with indigenous natural enemies,
consider supplementing with biologi-
DO YOU
HAVE IT?
Background Scripture:
Mark 9:14-37.
Devotional Reading:
John 16:25-33.
Many years ago I climbed to the
top of the mountain traditionally
noted to be the Mount of Transfigu
ration. It was a true “mountaintop
experience” for me, not just because
there is a marvelous view of the Gal
ilee plain below, but because the ex
perience of Jesus, Peter, James, and
John is made very real here.
Later, as I descended the moun
tain, I remembered that what hap
pened next at its base was also very
important. As Jesus came down, he
saw “a great crowd about them, and
scribes arguing with them. And im
mediately all the crowd, when they
saw him, were greatly amazed” (Mk.
9:15). Note the striking difference be
tween the scene at the top of the
mount, an experience of God’s glory,
and that which greeted him below,
controversy and argument.
Why was the crowd “amazed”
when they saw Jesus? It may have
Lancaster Farming
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- .Northeastfarm Communicators .
cal controls that can be purchased
through a biological control distribu
tor.
Caterpillars and moths undergo
complete metamorphosis consisting
of four stages: egg, caterpillar (larva),
pupa, and adult. Eggs are laid in
groups on leaves. Eggs hatch into lar
vae that have well-developed chew
ing mouthparts. Larvae eat continuo
usly and can cause damage to foliage
and fruit in a short period of time.
After several developmental larval
stages, the insect transforms into a
stage called the pupa or the resting
stage. This stage does not feed and is
usually inactive.
Pupae are often covered by a co
coon or some other kind of protective
material. The final stage occurs when
the adult butterfly or moth emerges
from the cocoon to begin the egg-lay
ing process again. Damage symp
toms from larvae appear as holes
chewed in leaves and/or fruit and
large of amounts of excrement may
be observed on the foliage.
One of the most popular and effec
tive controls for caterpillars is the egg
parasitoid, Trichogramma. These
tiny wasps (.9 millimeter in length)
work by laying eggs (parasitizing) in
the eggs of many destructive caterpil
lar pests. A new wasp will emerge
from the parasitized egg. If you are
going to use this biocontrol, inspect
the crop for the presence of eggs,
since this is the life stage that is at
tacked. Trichogramma is not effec
tive against the larval stages.
Grain moth eggs parasitized by
Trichogramma are glued to small
cards and shipped to the grower. The
cards are then placed throughout the
crop where the wasps will emerge to
search the plants. Protect the cards
from ants since they will feed on the
eggs.
The species available from most
biocontrol suppliers include T. bras
sicae, T. minutum, and T. pretiosum.
Consult suppliers for applications
rates and appropriate species needed
for the crop and pest.
A microbial insecticide such as Ba
cillus thuringiensis (Bt) has a selec
tive mode of action that will target
caterpillars but not harm other bene
ficial organisms. Various subspecies
(strains) are commercially available
for controlling many common foli
age-feeding caterpillars. The most
widely used Bt insecticides are for
mulated from the bacteria Bacillus
thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Dipel,
been because Jesus still shone with
the luminous light of glory. They
may not have known what he experi
enced up there, but they could see
that he was transformed by it.
Discussing?
Jesus asked, “What are you (the
disciples) discussing with them (the
scribes)?” The term “discussing”
sounds like a reproach. A man
brought his son to be healed and the
best that the disciples and scribes
could do was to discuss it.
Sometimes in the church that is
what we are best at discussing ur
gent needs. Halford Luccock com
ments: “The sad plight of the epilep
tic boy called for more than
arguments, debates, rebuttals
words, words, words It called for
adequate power.”
A man in the crowd said to Jesus,
“I brought my son to you ... and I
asked your disciples to cast it out,
and they were not able” (9:19). What
a judgment upon the disciples; called
upon to heal a tragic affliction, “they
were not able.” Millions look to the
church expecting that we will some
how make a difference in our society,
leading people to a deeper awareness
of the human needs that cry out to us
on all sides. But, like the man who
brought his son to Jesus’ disciples,
they find that we, too, are not able.
For two thousand years we have
been preaching the gospel of the
Prince of Peace, but we still have not
taught the world how to make peace
ful diplomacy work. It is said that
the wars of the 20th Century made it
the bloodiest century of all time.
What will our descendants say about
the Christians in the 21st Century?
They were not able?
Javelin). This isolate is toxic only to
the larvae of butterflies and moths.
When the Bt is ingested by an in
sect, the protein toxin paralyzes and
destroys the cells of the gut wall. In
sects may die* quickly or may stop
feeding within 2 to 3 days. Mortality
varies with larval size, target species,
and the dose consumed. Caterpillars
must feed on treated leaves for it to
be effective since it is not a contact
poison.
Azadirachtin (Azatin XL, Neemix)
is a botanical insect growth regulator
derived from kernels of the neem
tree. As an insect growth regulator,
Azadirachtin blocks the insect’s pro
duction of hormones and interrupts
the molting process, preventing the
insect from completing its life cycle.
Azadirachtin may also serve as a
feeding deterrent for some insects.
This compound is compatible with
beneficial insects and in addition to
controlling caterpillars it will kill/
repel a variety of greenhouse pests.
Microbial and biological insecti
cides are registered by the Environ
mental Protection Agency. Growers
must read and follow the label to de
termine if the intended use has been
approved. Always read the label be
fore using.
To Remember To
Vote On Tuesday
Tuesday May 20 is the Pennsylva
nia Primary Election. The ballot for
the fall elections will be determined
for many local offices, including
township supervisor, school board di
rector, and county commissioner. Of
ficials in these positions make deci
sions which have a big impact on
your ability to operate your business.
The primary election is especially im
portant in areas where one political
party is dominant. In those areas the
individuals who win the primary
usually are elected in the fall.
Because we are having a late
spring and some work is behind
schedule, it will be tempting to skip
voting this time. However, you
should park your equipment or leave
other tasks for a few minutes and get
out and vote. Don’t leave it to others
to decide who will be on the ballot in
the fall.
Quote Of The Week:
“An actor knows two important
things to be honest in what he is
doing and to be in touch with his
audience. That’s not bad advice for
a politician, either. ”
Ronald Reagan
If You Can
The man from the crowd implores
Jesus: .. but if you can do any
thing, have pity on us and help us.”
Jesus’ reply must have shocked the
man: “If you can!”
Jesus can, but can the man? Jesus
has the power and all it takes to
channel that power is this man’s
trust in Jesus. His reply might be
made by any of us today: “I believe;
help my unbelief.” We know we be
lieve, but it is not an automatic re
sponse on our part. We need help
with our wavering trust in Christ.
But, if we open the door with “I be
lieve,” he will come in even if we
must confess, “help my unbelief.”
Later, after Jesus has healed the
epileptic boy and the crowds have
gone, the disciples ask; “Why could
we not cast it out?” (Mk. 9:28). Jesus
answered- “This kind cannot be driv
en out by anything but prayer.”
What he is saying here is that the
power to heal and transform is not a
matter of words which we say. The
disciples knew the right words, but
they did not have the power that
Jesus had. And the reason they did
not have that power is because they
were not yet living lives of intimate
communion with God.
The bad news was that they were
not able. The good news is that they
could be able if they lived a life as
close to God as they could. So, those
who would intercede with God for
others and their hurts and needs will
find access to that power. And so will
we.
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