AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 9, 2003 OPINION Law And Relationships What was it that Poor Richard (Ben Franklin) noted; the only things certain in life are death and taxes? Could he have meant death and “legislation”? Fanners are forever caught up in the complexity of farming in an urbanized world. But how many of you understand the laws and the relationships built before those state and township regulations were enacted? More than ever before, township officials are attempting to dictate exactly where to farm, how to farm, and why. So it’s time for Lancas ter Farming to introduce a new column by John Bell, counsel, gov ernmental affairs with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, called “Law of the Land.” The column appears for the first time on page 1 this issue. Bell’s column will provide an update into the potential legal prob lems and benefits that may arise in the course of everyday agriculture. The June 2003 issue of Agri Marketing Magazine includes a story about “CRMs.” CRM stands for customer relationship management. What is farming and industry more about, anymore, than relation ships? In this world where anybody’s past can come up as a result of an Internet search, there is little to hide. In the case of business and CRM, the buzzword simply denotes keeping data on exactly what customers by and why. That “relation ship” the CRM owners have on the data is similar to the local farm store when they know what kind of feed and supplies customers are looking for, and what they’re willing to pay. It should be the same kind of relationship farmers have about what kind of decisions are going to be made by the different personalities down at the township office and throughout the corridors at the capitol. Bell is scheduled, on a quarterly basis, to provide some updates and insight into developing legislative issues. But remember, the column in no way is a substitute for professional legal advice. These, as the Chinese saying goes, could be considered “interesting times” indeed. Saturday, August 9 South Central Pa. Holstein Champi onship Show, Fairgrounds, Ship pensburg, 9:30 a.m. Washington County Ag Fair, thru Aug. 16,(724) 225-7718. Composting Seminar, Romano, 4-H Center, Honey Brook, 10 a.m., (610)696-3500. Tioga County Holstein Show, Fair grounds, Whitneyville, 9 a.m. Gardeners Selects Open House and Tour, Rudy Park, York, 9 a.m.-l p.m., (717) 840-7408. Chester County 4-H Dairy Show, Romano Center, near Honey Brook, 9:30 a.m. Blueberry Festival, Bradford County Jr. Holstein Club, Crawford Farm, Windham, 8 p.m., (570) 265-2896. Sunday, August 10 Potato Association of America Annu al Meeting, Spokane, Wash., thru Aug. 14, (800) 325-4000. Garrett County, Maryland Fair, McHenry, Md., thru Aug. 16, (301) 387-5408. Bullskin Twp. Community Fair, Fayette County, (724) 887-3986. Erie County Fair, Wattsburg, (814) 739-2232. Huntingdon County Fair, Hunting don, (814) 643-4452. McKean County Fair, Smethport, - (814)887-5361. Chester County 4-H Horse Show, Romano Center, near Honey Brook, 8 a.m. Monday, August 11 Dayton Fair, thru Aug. 16, (814) 257-8332. Kutztown Fair, thru Aug. 16, (610) 683-7696. Lawrence County Fair, (724) 654-7745. Montour-Delong Community Fair, thru Aug. 16, (570) 437-2176. Queen Anne County Maryland ■v -- ❖ Farm Calendar ❖ s - >j> County Fair, Fairgrounds, (410) 758-0267. Ohio Pumpkin Field Day, Western Branch of Ohio R & D Center, 4-6 p.m., (937)454-5002. Tuesday, August 12 Pike County Fair, thru Aug. 17. New York Organic Crops and Soils Field Day, Jordan Hall, New York State Ag Experiment Sta tion, Geneva, (607) 255-5439. Bradford County Junior Holstein Club annual Blueberry Festival, Crawford Dairy Farm, Windham, 7:30 p.m., (570)265-2896. Grazing Walk in Berks County, Greener Pastures Farm, Shartles ville, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., (610) 378-1327. Huntingdon County Holstein Show, Fairgrounds, 9:30 a.m. Chester County Holstein Field Day, Samuel Matthews Farm, Chester Pasture Walk, Sherman Haas, Re bersburg. Middletown Grange Fair, thru Aug. 17. Thresherman’s Reunion (Rough & Tumble Engines), Route 30, thru Aug. 16. Ohio Turfgrass Research Field Day, Columbus, Ohio, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., (800) 510-5296. PAW Summer Walk Around, Stew art Vineyard, Stewartstown, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Ohio Soil and Water Field Night, Vanmeter Farm, Piketon, Ohio, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., (614) 294-4900. Kutztown Fair Holstein Show, Fair grounds, Kutztown. Maryland Small Fruit Tree Twilight Meeting, Catoctin Mountain Or chard, 6 p.m., (301) 432-2767, ext. 315. Land Use and Property Values meet ing, Berks County Ag Center, (Turn to Page A 33) To Apply For The Century Farm Designation The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the Century Farm Program. To qualify the farm must be owned by the same family for 100 consecutive years to the date of the application. A family member must live on the farm on a permanent basis. Addi tionally, the farm must consist of at least 10 acres of the original holdings or gross more than $l,OOO annually from the sale of farm products. This program honors the family farm and the rural traditions of Pennsylvania that are important for the continued growth of the commonwealth. For applicants in Lancaster Coun ty, information about the program, applications, and assistance in filling out the application may be obtained from the Lancaster County Coopera tive Extension Office at (717) 394-6851. Century Farm nominees from Lancaster County whose appli cations are processed by Oct. 1 will be honored at the Lancaster County Farm-City Ag-Chamber Banquet on Nov. 24. r < BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS Background Scripture: Joel 1 through 2. Devotional Reading: Acts 2:14-23. I have never witnessed a truly seri ous natural disaster. We read about them and see images of them on TV, but unless we have personally experi enced one of them, it is difficult to re ally identify with them. The prophetic occasion for Joel is an unprecedented plague of locusts that engulfed the land of Israel, de vouring its plant life and plunging the nation into a dangerous famine. We can hardly appreciate just how devastating they can be. Joel paints a picture of the tragic extent: “What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten” (1:4). Our society has become so techno logical society that we forget about our dependence upon the living earth. We need to be reminded from time to time that milk actually origi- 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 For Century Farm applicants in other counties, applications and as sistance can be obtained directly from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at (717) 787-5085. The application is also available on the Pennsylvania Department of Agri culture Website (www.agriculture.s tate.pa.us). To Prevent Fly Problems In Livestock Production Using IPM Much of the livestock industry in Pennsylvania is located near urban residents who do not appreciate hav ing flies in their backyard and homes. During the summer months, homeowners spend a lot of their time outdoors and the reproduction rate of flies is the highest. This makes management efforts to control flies very crucial to good neighbor rela tions. Regional poultry agent Gregory Martin points out that integrated pest management or IPM is not real ly a new concept. Farmers who have adopted IPM controls in their crops have been successful at controlling insect pests while reducing the over all cost of pest control. Livestock pro ducers too can use this program as well to help both in reducing the amounts of chemicals used to control insects while timing the use of spray ing and other control methods to op timize their effects in reducing fly populations. The cornerstone of this approach is to use best management practices (BMPs) on the farm that actually helps keep populations from growing out of hand. A key feature of fly IPM on the farm is the use of scouting to de termine the types of flies and number of flies present. “Spec” cards are 3 x 5 inch white cards that can be hung throughout the livestock building to help determine fly outbreaks. Fly spec counts that reach more than SO on one half of the card are consid ered high counts. These cards should be changed weekly and tallied so that fly numbers can be monitored on the farm on a constant basis. The use of sticky tape exposed for short durations also can be used to nates in cows, not pasteboard car tons, and green beans did not germi nate and grow in our freezers. Dwight E. Stevenson says that “If a plague like that pictured in Joel should assail America, the people of our cities would be starving in a few weeks.” Dependent Upon God Joel used this devastating plague to get their attention with the bad and good news of God. Disaster im presses upon us the fact of our de pendence. This is particularly sober ing to us because we think we are quite independent of God. Disasters help us to realize that we are not as self-sufficient as we assume. Our ar rogant pride is humbled by this real ization. Joel shocks them into ac knowledging their dependence upon God. Joel is also uses this occasion to re mind people that God is their judge. This should not be so startling for any of us but it often is. When things are going well for us either as individuals or nations we forget about God’s judgment because we think it is intended for others, not us. We assume that God is as satisfied with us as we are! When we are most self-satisfied, our arrogant pride is al most unimaginable. In Joel 3:2, Joel speaks of the “val ley of Jehoshaphat.” This is not a real place but an allegory of God’s judgment for the name means “Yah weh has judged.” All of us will have to journey through a valley of Jeho shaphat, because we ignore sin’s long-term consequences, especially when it seems that we have quietly gotten away with them. Rend Your Hearts So Joel makes an impassioned plea for repentance: “Yet even now,” determine fly counts as well as the type of flies that are in the area. Controlling the environment is crucial to the success of a Livestock IPM program. Flies that do not have food or water resources will quickly die out or move on. Since most feed stocks contain some form of protein, there are many potential feeding sites on a farm. By controlling water and feed spillage along with drying the manure or litter, managers can go a long way toward fly control. Other areas to watch are the compost areas and feed bins near livestock housing. Manure and bedding should be handled in a way which helps reduce fly numbers prior to spreading. Tarp ing manure piles for 14 days prior to spreading and the use of stacking sheds to lower moisture content have been successful in poultry operations. Spread materials according to your nutrient management plans and try to get the manure into the growing zone. Spot check the fields to de termine if successful incorporation of the materials has been achieved. When it is time for fly population control, try to match the severity of the cure to the level of the population encountered. At times a “knock down” spray may be called for, while with lower populations, natural in sect predators could be used. With flies in the household/back yard, it is important to read and use controls appropriate to the location. Fly traps are very effective in catch ing insects but are best used 30-50 feet away from the house to help draw them away. Fly electrocution devices are best used in closed hous ing (“zappers”). With any controls, please read, understand and follow all instructions that come with your fly control sprays and devices. Good IPM doesn’t require extraor dinary efforts, but you will get out of it what you put into it. As with all other management programs on the farm, the better you are at it the more it pays in the long run. Quote Of The Week: “Leadership; the art of getting someone else to do what you want done became he wants to do it. ” Dwight D. Eisenhower says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with.fasting, with weep ing, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments’” (2:12-13). What God demands is sincere re pentance, not just rituals and empty words. It is easy to say “I’m sorry,” (well, not for everyone), but it is a lot harder to repent because repentance may involve words, but it goes a long way beyond. “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and mer ciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love ” (v.l3b). Joel’s good news is that the Day of the Lord will mean three important changes in the world. First, there will be a renewal of nature; “The thresh ing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years which the swarming locusts has eaten ” (2:24,25). Secondly, the human spirit will also be renewed. This will be a spiritual renewal: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughter shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions ” (2:28). Finally, there will be the advent of international justice. Human beings always forget or overlook the fact that God is passionately concerned with justice. “Let the nations bestir themselves. And come up to the val ley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about” (3:12) If we will respond to it, God’s good news is always infinitely better than his bad news is bad. 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
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