imsesl
OPINION
Hoard’s Dairyman recently reported that McDonald’s Restaurants will
offer more Happy Meals milk in Sacramento, Calif., home of a state that is
simply overproducing milk.
Dairy promotional organizations are working to push milk in the fast-food
chains and franchises. A release at this time last year from the “Got Milk?”
Milk Mustache Campaign revealed that restaurant-goers want milk if it’s
promoted more in restaurants.
Interesting note: Did you know that a salesman named Raymond Albert
Kroc started McDonald’s Restaurants? Kroc became an exclusive distributor
of a five-spindled milkshake maker called the “Multimixer.” The first
McDonald’s opened in Des Plaines, 111., in 1955 with the milkshake maker.
How about that! McDonald’s has been selling dairy products since day one!
But why no flavored milk at McDonald’s? They have a lowfat white milk
item, according to their Website, in addition to several dairy freezer products.
We spoke with Ross Wladis, communications manager with McDonald’s
East Division out of Philadelphia, on Tuesday this week. Wladis noted there
could be a chocolate milk option in the restaurants “potentially by the end of
the year,” he said all depending on the evaluation process conducted at
Oakbrook, 111.
Right now, McDonald’s customers can order 1 percent milk; milk shakes in
chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry; and customers can even order a “Finding
Nemo” (based on the Disney film) raspberry milkshake. Of course, there is al
ways the cheese on the burgers, and they offer ice cream cones.
McDonald’s offers a single-carton 1 percent white milk item on their
menus. Some (not all, because they are franchise stores) include milk with
their trademarked Kids Happy Meals.
But why not flavored milk, a hot item in many schools? Why not at least
chocolate milk, a favorite of many, or vanilla and strawberry? With their mar
ket clout, surely McDonald’s could push up demand for the product by offer
ing a lot more variety than that, especially to children. After all, when you
make an impression on children, results can be long lasting.
When we phoned, McDonald’s marketing employees were undergoing ex
tensive training at several meetings. Maybe they are working on these kinds of
strategies. It will be fascinating to see what McDonald’s (and other restau
rants) intend to do in these interesting dairy times. After all, McDonald’s
claims to be the “world’s leading food service retailer with more than 30,000
restaurants in 118 countries serving 46 million customers each day,” accord
ing to their Website.
We suggest to them; offer flavored milk and boost demand! Boosting de
mand for wholesome milk is sure to improve these dismal at-the-farm prices.
Saturday, June 7
Small Fruit Production Work
shop, Cornell Orchards, Itha
ca, N.Y., (607) 687-4020.
Earl Township Farmland Preser
Editor:
The editorial, “What Will Slots
Do To/For Pa?”, in the May 31
edition of the Lancaster Farming
contains some incorrect informa
tion, most importantly the asser
tion that “critics point out: What
about the inevitable gambling
debts and bankruptcy court that
having slots will entail?
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@lancasterfarming.com
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.
McMilk
vation Trust Picnic (June 14
raindate), Amos Huyard’s
Farm, Earl Twp.
Log to Lumber Workshop, Bab
(Turn to Page A3l)
There is not a shred of evi
dence for this assertion; indeed,
what evidence there is is exactly
to the contrary! See, for example,
Delaware’s and West Virginia’s
experiences with slot machines at
their race tracks. The incidence
of gambling problems is well
under one percent in both states.
Secondly, you entirely overlook
the fact that this state has
promoted its lottery system for
LANCASTER FARMING
EDITORIAL DEADLINES
Section B: Tuesday noon
Section C&D: Tuesday noon
Section A: Thursday noon
Special Sections: Two weeks
on Friday before publication
date.
Booklets: One month on
Friday before publication
date.
(Turn to Page A3O)
To Evaluate Options
For Late Cora Planting
The continuing wet weather has
delayed the completion of corn plant
ing for many Pennsylvania com pro
ducers. With the prospects of mid-
June or later planting for many fields
this year, com growers should think
careftilly about several management
decisions. Dr. Greg Roth, extension
com specialist, shares the following
thoughts.
In many areas it is appropriate to
consider switching to a shorter sea
son maturity hybrid. Full-season hy
brids planted late will likely not ma
ture and will result in a late harvest
and lower test weight grain. General
ly, by mid-June we need to be think
ing about using hybrids that are
about 10 days or more earlier than
the full-season hybrids planted in
that area.
For Lancaster County, where 115-
to 120-day hybrids are adapted, you
need to be considering 105- to
110-day hybrids. In central Pennsyl
vania, 95-day hybrids are more ap
propriate. For specific recommenda
tions, consult your seed dealer or
visit Penn State’s Website at http://
cornandsoybeans.psu.edu/
GDDhybrids.html.
*
THE GREAT
SHOUT
Background Scripture:
Ezra 3 through 4.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 100:1-5.
Although we speak of The Return
of the Jews from their Babylonian
Exile, there appear to be actually
four different returns to Jerusalem.
The first of these was under the
decree of Cyrus the Great in approxi
mately 538 BC under the leadership
of Sheshbazzar, who commenced the
rebuilding of the temple, but was
eventually forced to halt it because of
opposition from various local peo
ples.
The second return was some years
later during the reign of Darius I
(521-485 BC) under the leadership of
Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Encouraged
by the prophets Haggai and Zechari
ah, they completed the temple de
spite local opposition.
A third return during the reign of
Artaxerxes I (464-423), under the
leadership of Nehemiah, is responsi
ble for the rebuilding of the walls of
Jerusalem.
During the reign of Artaxerxes II
(404-358), the fourth return was
under the leadership of Ezra.
Lancaster Farming
An Award-Winning Farm Newspaper
• PDA Friend of Agriculture Award, 2003
• Keystone Awards 1993,1995 • PennAg Industries 1992
• PACD Media Award 1996 • Berks Ag-Business Council 2000
• Recognized for photo excellence throughout the years by the
Northeast Farm Communicators
Conventional thinking is that
slightly longer season hybrids can be
planted for silage, but sometimes
these can result in immature, low
grain corn silages at harvest. This
year, low quality corn silage is some
thing we should try to avoid, given
the lower quality hay crop forages
that are being produced on many
farms.
Although no one likes to plant in
wetter-than-desired conditions, we
have reached that point in the grow
ing season where we need to make
compromises and get the crop in the
ground. Place a priority on planting
and keep other preplant tillage and
fertilizer applications to a minimum.
Many growers like to no-till double
crop com following hay, but this year
some may want to reconsider this
practice given the later potential
planting dates and increased poten
tial for soil compaction from harvest
ing hay crops under wet soil condi
tions. Consider tilling the soil or
leaving the field in hay under these
conditions.
As we progress toward late June
and early July, think about switching
to other crops. For grain, soybeans
are the most popular option. For si
lage, consider sorghum-sudangrass,
forage sorghum, or soybeans. These
crops can produce reasonable silage
yields with good quality and lower
risk than com, especially on soils
with lower yield potentials.
On the bright side, it is still possi
ble to produce good silage and grain
yields with June-planted com in
many areas, provided we get ade
quate moisture and sunshine. We
certainly have a good start in the
moisture department.
To Understand The
Crop Insurance Implications
Of Late Planting
The significant delay in planting
com and soybean crops this year has
implications for crop insurance cov
erage. Gene Gantz, risk management
specialist with the USDA, points out
that the crop insurance program has
established normal planting deadli
nes of June 10 for com and June 20
for soybeans. Insured producers who
do not get their crops planted by
these dates have two choices.
First, they can continue to plant
The First Step
Chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of
Ezra are set during the second return
under the leadership of Jeshua and
Zerubbabel. Their first step is to
build an altar where they can wor
ship God and offer sacrifices. The
reason that they do this first is so
that they may seek God’s help in
protecting them from the hostility of
the various peoples who live in the
area.
The locals are not pleased with the
return of the Jews to Jerusalem. So
the returned Jews begin their tradi
tional worship with burnt offerings
morning and evening, the feast of the
booths, “the offerings at the new
moon and at all the appointed feasts
of the Lord,” including the freewill
offerings.
Having begun once again the tra
ditional worship of God, they hire
builders and artisans to lay the foun
dations of the new temple to arise on
the same location as the destroyed
temple of Solomon. At last, the re
turned exiles gather at the temple site
to celebrate the laying of the founda
tions. In this celebration, however,
we note two distinct reactions: “And
all the people shouted with a great
shout, when they praised the Lord,
because the foundation of the house
of the Lord was laid. But many of the
priests and Levites and heads of fa
thers’ houses, old men who had seen
the first house, wept with a loud
voice... though many shouted for
joy.... ”(3:11,12).
The younger exiles celebrated the
beginning of the new temple, while
the older generation mourned the de
struction of the old temple. There
were present that day some who
could remember the temple that had
been destroyed 66 years ago.
The Old And New
Religious life is always an uneasy
for an additional 25 days, and the
crop insurance protection will decline
1 percent each day after the normal
deadline. A second alternative avail
able is to apply for a prevented plant
ing payment provided they do not
plant a crop on the acreage this year
(for other than conservation).
If you elect to continue planting
after the normal deadline, keep a re
cord by calendar date of the acreage
planted on each farm. Otherwise cov
erage will be reduced on all acreage
according to the last date that all
planting was completed.
If you decide to apply for a pre
vented planting payment, contact
your insurance agent immediately
for complete details. Keep in mind
that basic prevented planting cover
age is 60 percent of the amount of
protection on timely planted acreage.
Also, be sure to report the prevented
planting acreage for each farm on
your acreage report, which must be
filed with your insurance agent by
July 15 (list the acreage separately
for each intended crop that you were
prevented from planting).
To Update Your
West Nile Virus Vaccinations
For Your Horses
West Nile Virus (WNV) got an
early start again this year. An Ameri
can crow collected on April 28 in
Philadelphia tested positive for the
virus. With the wet weather creating
ideal conditions for mosquitoes, it is
important to vaccinate your horses to
protect them from this disease.
The vaccine manufacturer recom
mends that horses that were vacci
nated in 2002 receive a spring boost
er, and suggests considering another
booster just before peak transmission
season, which is expected in Septem
ber. According to Fort Dodge Labo
ratories, unvaccinated horses should
be given two initial doses in early
spring, followed by a booster just be
fore peak season. The vaccine is
available only through veterinarians.
Quote of The Week:
“The ultimate leader is one who
is willing to develop people to the
point that they eventually surpass
him or her in knowledge and abili
ty”
Freed A. Manske
combination of both the old and new.
It is well and necessary to retain
one’s spiritual heritage, but it is also
imperative to respond to the realities
of the present and the challenges of
the future.
When I went to my first fiill-time
parish, it was a rural community that
was fast becoming suburban. Within
a few weeks, I was told “This is a
small family church and we aim to
keep it that way.” There were others
who were equally committed to what
this church should become. The chal
lenge was for this congregation to re
tain its heritage and meet the
changes of the present and future.
Today, more than three decades
later, it seems they have done just
that.
Like the returned exiles, Christians
are constantly rebuilding on the
foundations of our heritage. The
style of our worship and congrega
tional life are constantly changing as
culture changes. Many congregations
hold worship services in both tradi
tional and contemporary styles. In
any congregation there are those who
remember fondly the way things used
to be and those who think mainly in
terms of how things should be today.
We need both. As Christians, we can
never live wholly in the past, the
present, or the future.
The author of Ezra tells us: “the
people could not distinguish the
sound of the joyful shout from the
sound of the people’s weeping, for
the people shouted with a great
shout, and the sound was heard
afar.” (3:13). That is the way heritage
and future must blend in every con
gregation one great shout!
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