A2B—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 13,1982 BY DONNA TOMMELLEO COCHRANTON - A lot can happen in a decade. In 1972, Crawford County 4-H’er Cinda Oakes found herself next to the bottom with her first project heifer in local competition. Cinda claimed she chose that particular heifer to work with because of a “seven” marking on its forehead. Today, Cinda’s discerning eye looks beyond markings. The 18- year-old Crawford County Dairy Princess is now breeding her own line of top-notch Holsteins at Vel- Rus Farm near Cochranton. And this year, she’s reaping the benefits. Two of her heifers were chosen as Junior AU-Pennsylvama and later advanced into the All- American ranks. “I feel great. It took ten years,” she said with an ear-to-ear grin. Intermediate calf, Vel-Rus Elevation Boots Lovely was named High Honorable Mention Junior All-American. “There’s just two better than her in the nation,” said the proud breeder. Her second heifer, a junior calf, Vel-Rus Marvex Penstate Maria received honorable mention. Both heifers are sired by Elevation sons, Sweet Haven Lochivar Boots and Lawcrest Marvex-Twin. Cinda’s scrapbook now includes congratulatory letters from both the Pennsylvania Holstein Association and the national Association for the fancy Black and White duo. But the com bination of her love of the big bovines and her detailed knowledge of pedigrees could expand Cinda’s scrapbook into a “scrap” filing cabinet in the future. The daughter of Ernest and Janet Oakes, Cinda grew up on the 400-acre northwestern Penn sylvania dairy with her older sister Beth Ann and younger brother Ernest 11. The Vel-Rus prefix is derived from her grandparents’ names Velma and Russell Oakes, who farmed the land for more than 'i '> Am ' & . At the halter of her Junior High Honorable Mention, Vel-Rus Elevation Boots Lovely, Clnda looks forward to another successful show season with her senior yearling. Holstein Junior soars from bottom a half-century. It was up to Velma Oakes to choose breeding bulls and keep track of pedigrees and health records, explained her grand daughter. Cinda took over those duties when her grandparents turned the farm over to her father about four years ago. But her in terest is the family farm was evident years before. At 10 years of age, Cinda was so eager to milk cows that her father had to lift her up so that she could attach the milking unit to the pipeline. She explained that much of her chores included housework, but two years ago she put down the dust pan and picked up a pitch fork. "I had enough housework. I wanted to go out and do farm work,” she stated. It was with that same conviction that Cinda told her physician, last year, that her fractured finger would not keep her from milking the herd. She explained that the finger was bent in a 90 degree angle as a result of a rambunctious heifer. Her doctor informed her that a small cast would be necessary. “Oh good then, I can still milk cows,” she retorted. However, the doctor had other ideas and promptly fitted Cinda with a cast that stopped short of her elbow. However, the cast offered little resistance in the show ring. Cinda competed in the Pennsylvania All- American Dairy Show with Lovely and Maria, who stood sixth and second in their classes, respec tively. She also competed in the State Dairy Princess Pageant and paraded in front of judges, con testants and spectators wearing her long gown set off with mat ching wrist cast. The Dairy Princess contest was just another vehicle for this eager Junior Holstein member to spread the word about the dairy industry. “I wanted to go out for the contest for a long time,” she ex plained. “1 felt it was my at Vel-Rus Holsteins to top in 10 years Under the tutoring of Cinda Oakes, this line-up someday in the pages of their mentor’s show of Vel-Rus, babies may find themselves scrapbook. obligation to the dairy industry.” Concerned about the over production and under-consumption of milk, Cindy said she is in terested in the possibility of creating overseas markets as well as feeding this nation's hungry. Since her crowning as Crawford County Dairy Princess in June, Cinda has appeared on local television, in supermarkets, malls, several schools and parades. It’s not a well-kept secret that many farm children find them selves with more responsibilities than most of their city coun terparts. And Cinda Oakes is no exception. For the past few weeks, the “the head honcho” at Vel-Rus farms has been none other than Cinda. Her father, recovering from back surgery, has joined his parents at their winter home in Florida. Cinda’s mother has accompanied him, and now the 18-year-old is back to doing housework in ad dition to her dairy chores. "I miss him not being here,” she said of her father’s temporary absence. “It takes another hour to do chores.” Helping out during this short-handed time are herdsman Junior Hostettler and hired man Iddo Yoder. Although Crawford County is a long cold way from sunny climes of Cjnda>s taj , |ess fe|ine fr|end) » Bob .. for a little af . (Turn to Page A29> faction from the animal-loving youngster. ; inda Oakes is surrounded by some of her best friends, the Val-Rus milking herd. t- \ \ , y* J *, - > l < ,• * .> </**• w ~ 4 ' " 'J %*r w} * a £
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