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Show July 1972 Environmental Horse Sense It is understandable that citizens are impatient in asking for protective actions to avoid their environmental perfection, the new voices demand we accomplish in a period of months what modern agriculture has struggled for years to achieve. Agriculture recognizes there is much more to be done, which will To achieve the predictions of world pollution disasters. Now that the President, the Congress and the courts are agreed that citizens are to be protected from pollution, a new dilemma has take time. The new program proposed for feeding the nation consists of developed. It is rdatively easy to demand that the environment be protected. The dilemma now is: How to do it? It the purist concept of pollution abatement were implemented, it would bring our national economy to a halt. Factories would be closed,- - automobiles to natural processes. National leaders are being pressured to place a ban on agricultures use of production tools such as fertilizer, pesticides, reverting etc. Three to five years ago, these would be banned, power plants would be shut down because each produces varying amounts of pollution. The price of a total clean-u- p in terms of lost employment, power shortages, a food crisis, etc., would be unbearable. Thinking citizens recognize we must apply our best minds to develop a plan that continues employment, power generation, food production, etc. The decision is not whether to stop pollution, but how. While there are technological barriers to be broken, the immediate challenge is to slow down the environmental emotionalism and apply some Horse Sense to correcting the environmental Farmers and Ranchers are the worlds, most experienced environmentalists. Cleaning up pollution by recycling waste into the soil to become plant food is a agricultural ed proposals were accepted as possible alternatives. In 1972 it is unbelievable that such ideas are still around. Three national scientific groups have investigated the dangers to man from agricultures use of pesticides. They did not recommend a ban on any chemical, but stricter control. The only agricultural scientist in world history to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Norman Borlaug of Iowa, states the proper use of fertilizer and pesticides is not only safe but essential to feed man. Dr. Borlaug estimates if pesticides and fertilizers were not used it would require doubling the acreage in agricultural use in the United States to harvest the farm lf practice. Farmers and Ranchers have applied land and water conservation principles that have made U. S. agriculture lands and their production the envy of the world. These achievements have been accomplished by graduates of Mother Natures environmental school of hard knocks. It represents years of intense observations by personal sacrifice and toil. A new crop of environmental leaders now propose a return to the Discard the good old days. lessons man has learned from famine, droughts, the destruction trial-and-erro- r, mens helplessness when disease and pests descend on the land, and the dust bowl tragedies. of floods, can be banned. However, he says someone - not the farmer - must first decide which fifty million Americans we will allow to starve to death. Dr. White-Stevesays food costs would increase three to five times, which means: milk at (1.20 per quart, eggs at $1.60 per dozen, and hamburger at $2.40 per pound. Farmers in Missouri have researched the comparative cost of growing fruits and vegetables with and without the use of pesticides. Their study shows peaches would cost the consumer 19 cents per pound if pesticides were used and 89 cents per pound if pesticides were not applied; apples would cost the consumer 29 cents per pound compared with $1.08 per pound if pesticides were not used; ns AUOlHER DAY THE LORO HAS GIVEN US TO DO THE BE5T WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE. LET'5 5EE WHAT Al AD 'TiniMVC TUC UAII I u $0N RETURN,, environmentalists or ecologists - all profess to be conservationists. The aim of a true conservationist has been to understand that there is a mutual relationship between man and nature. He should read the quotation engraved on the bronze statue of President Theodore Roosevelt in Washington, D. C. It reads: "Conservation means development as much as it does protection. All agree pollution of the en- vironment must be effectively abated. This requires wise conservation of all factors and should avoid excesses of that might endanger the survival of man. Ranchers and Farmers - over-correctio- ns across America have adopted organization policies pledging cooperation to do their part to Night Driving Hints Never look directly into the lights of an oncoming car. Go slow on curves. Remember that your cars momentum does not follow the direction of the curve. Keep, your - headlights on low beam when following another car. If you are tired, dont drive. 19,716 Corporate Farms in U.S. Only one American farm in one fewer stockholders, and 63 corporate farms with more than 10 stockholders. Even in California, which is sometimes cited as a stronghold of corporate agriculture, the Census found 43,421 individual or family thousand is operated by a giant corporation, according to 1969 data recently released by the Census Bureau. The 1969 census showed that 85.4 percent (1,480,565) of the 1,733,683 farms with sales of $2,500 or more operated farms, 8,193 partnership in 1969 were operated by families farms, 1,717 corporate farms with or individuals; 12.8 percent 10 or fewer stockholders, and only (221,535) by partnerships; 1.1 217 corporate farms with more percent (19,716) by corporations than 10 stockholders. Utah has a total of 8,413 farms with 10 or fewer stockholders, that sell $2,500 worth of comwhich are usually family corporations; and only 0.1 percent modities or more. This number (1,797) by corporations with more breaks down as follows: Individual and family 7,158; partnership than 10 stockholders. 1,002; 10 or fewer shareholders 170; Most farms with less than $2,500 more than 10 shareholders 18; in annual sales are noncommercial 65. Somehow the other part-tim- e or by individuals or fear that the big corporations are families. taking over never seems to oft-repeat- ed part-retireme- nt In Illinois, which is rather typical of the Midwest, there were 84,192 family or individual farms, 535 corporate farms with 10 or materialize. It leads to the belief that those who keep repeating it either are not aware of the actual situation. HAVE YOU SAVED YOUR FARM BUREAU MEMBERSHIP DUES? THE AUTHOR Leonard H. Johnson, assistant director of the AFBF natural resources department, is a veteran of 18 years staff service in Farm Bureau. He primarily serves natural resources interest in state FBs west of the Mississippi. He is a Brigham Young University graduate with an economics degree. A PRODIGAL 5 -- protect the environment. They ask that abatement programs be based on thoroughly researched facts. To say it another way: Let us cool off the emotionalism, research the of This would production today. mean returning recreational, problem areas, and use some Horse Sense to conserve residential and open spaces to and the environmental uses. develop agricultural Dr. Earl Butz, Secretary of resources of our world! Agriculture, says fertilizer and pesticides Page curring as nonagriculture minds make decisions about some real and some imagined dangers produced by modern agriculture. The new environmental leaders whether they call themselves old-fashion- ed problems. long-establish- back Utah Farm Bureau News and Sweet corn would cost 69 cents for one-hadozen earns, or $1.53 if pesticides were not applied. Men have a tendency to go to extremes when they correct a problem. This seems to be oc- It Only Takes a Purchase of Four Tires. MARK III, IV or V PASSENGER TIRES OR TRUCK AND TRACTOR TIRES, DESIGNED FOR YOUR NEEDS ARE AVAILABLE. Present your tire certificates or 1972 i,'Vf Farm Bureau membership card at the nearest :J ", f ?; : - INTERMOUNTAIN FARMERS ASSOCIATION STORE. Additional Certificates at County Farm Bureau Offices. |