A3o—LancasterFarming, Saturday, June 2_, 1980 Lancaster’s dairy princess sparkles BY PAT KAUFFMAN LITITZ Sparkle. Connie Balmer, the newly crowned 1980 Lancaster County Dairy Princess should add lots of it to her reign. Her dark eyes sparkle at the talk of Nancy and Jesse Balmer joined their daughter Saturday evening for pictures. Connie Balmer, Lititz, the new 1980 Dairy Princess is flanked by Belle Balmer, Mount Joy, first runnerup, left and Lu Ann Brenneman, Mount Joy, second runnerup "'""//a'' 't 'A / £* y Some of the many gifts Connie received Saturday are shown* bracelets, traveling alarm clock, pocket mirror, umbrella, cow creamer, and tote bag as well as her pewter bowl for Miss Congeniality meeting people and going places. Connie is the 17 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Balmer, Midway Road, Lititz. With her crowning Saturday evening. t s / jss Connie offers a preview of her show animal, Gordline's Choice Carol which she will show in the X she becomes the representative of the Lan caster County dairy industry for 1980-81. This has been a big year for Connie. She’s a 1980 grad of Warwick High School. And prior to winning the pageant, she was planning to seek employment in an ac counting or secretarial job. But Saturday evening changed all that. Now she’s planning to devote a large portion of her time to the dairy industry. Her personality not only impressed the judges, it also impressed the contestants. Connie was also chosen Miss Congeniality Saturday, an award which is becoming old hat m her household. Seems her sisters Cindy and Cheryl who have also participated m the pageant have been recipients of the award. Connie’s home farm just outside Lititz is also home for 150 head of registered Guernsey cattle of all sizes The family milks ap proximately 80 COWS. Cum... and her mother, Nancy regularly help with the milking. And when the men are out doing the haying, the ladies take charge of the cows. This young lady hasn’t been sitting around for the past few years. In addition to her farm responsibilities, she has found time to be in the 4-H Guernsey club for 9 years She has served as secretary and news reporter for the club and is presently its vice-president. A 4-H sewing club for 5 years and church youth involvement as well as Thursday evening roller skatmg have helped to fill her hours She also played trumpet m the Warwick bands and orchestra Her love of her breed comes to the front when she talks of her show calves It seems this young woman has had the Grand Champion Guernsey for the past three years at the county roundup Ana last year in addition to having the Grand Champion, she also exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion, a daughter of her Grand Champion In total, Connie owns 7 r’Mornsev heifers and cows Her lather who farms 120 acres on the home farm plus rented land has given the 4 county roundup this year. Connie is no stranger to the dairy industry. While she'll be doing a lot up front for the industry this year, here she shows a working knowledge of the other end. animals to her as well as to the other children in the family This year Connie is planning to hit the show ring with a new project animal, a senior yearling heifer Connie’s Grand Champion cow received an award from Pennfield for her 1979 production of 16,743 pounds of milk and 759 pounds of butterfat In addition, she was the second high but terfat award winning cow in the Ephrata Fair last year Connie’s cow was topped by her sister’s cow in this competition Her love and expertise in showing have won for her numerous awards in showmanship over the past few years She has shown in the County, District, Junior Dairy and All American shows Connie said it’s the "challenge to tram animals and the fellowship at shows’’ that she loves about showing In her 4-H Guernsey club, Connie said she thinks the activities planned are in teresting She said that she’d like to see more involvement from the younger members of the club During the competition Saturday, the girls gave short presentations Con nie’s presentation was the following rhyme Out in the meadow so beautiful and green. Stands Bessy the cow, she thinks she’s a queen She is much entitled to feel this way, Smce she gives good rich milk, which we need every day k I f Af* * fir * 4 I * *4 HUH (Turn to PageA3l)
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