B2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 25,1982
Couple has 4-H
family of friends
By PATTY GROSS
Staff Correspondent
Harry and Dot Briggs of Sinking
Valley don’t have a family as most
know one. However after you get to
know them, you realize they belong
to a very large family of friends.
Their rich life has taken years to
mature,- and, they aren’t finished
yet.
The Briggs’ children are the
many 4-H’ers they have helped
since Dot became a local leader in
1937.
Dot and Harry have seen many
members come and go through 4-
H. “It’s wonderful for us,” said
Dot. “It keeps you on your toes.”
They admit working with young
people is a hard job. The Briggses
have learned alot about children,
even though they have none of
their own. “Kids have to be made
to do things,” offered Dot. “They
want to do it, but they will just bum
along until you make them work. ’ ’
Dot has over 40 years in 4-H
project work and Harry has
volunteered for 30 or more in the 4-
H Community Club. Two years ago
they decided to try something new
work with adults instead of
children.
As coordinators, Dot and Harry
attempt to get new leaders and
clubs organized in Blair County.
“You don’t realize how many
people are involved in 4-H, but still
a vast amount of people don’t even
This Sinking Valley, Blair County farm, belonged to Harry
and Dot Briggs up until a year ago. The couple gave over 40
years to the farm before selling. However they haven't
retired. Their projects are growing bigger and better all the
time.
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Flowers add beauty to the vegetable garden
of Harry and Dot. The former farmers don’t
plan to get old, but do want to spend most of
know Extension exists or what it
can do for them,” commented Dot.
She has high praise for Ex*
tension. “It’s doesn’t hand out
anything, rather it is an
educational facility. The object is
to get you to think for yourself. You
are taught to do your own thinking,
which is very important.”
Extension has the backing of this
Smking Valley woman because it
appears to go along with her
thinking. “Kids and adults must be
taught how to make decisions, to
have self discipline, self respect
and respect for others and their
possessions,” added Dot.
She’s thrilled at the plans which
are currently underway to un
prove Extension programs and the
work that is being done to ap
proach and alert people about the
programs.
Although there are over 1,000 4-
H’ers in Dot’s home county, she
says there are many people still
not involved. “There are not
enough adults willing to give of
their time,’’ she reasoned.
However she sympathizes with the
difficulties that are around today
which were not prevalent 45 years
ago. “I find kids a challenge and
stimulating, but they try you! You
can’t change people’s lives if they
don’t want changed. You can only
work with those that have open,
receptive minds. ”
Four-H to Dot is not just limited
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their time in 4-H work, church, and with their
f lowers, fruit trees, and garden.
This “retired" Sinking Valley couple, - irry Since selling /arm a year ago, Dot and
and Dot Briggs, enjoys seeing their vegetable Harry Briggs are enjoying the part of farming
and flower gardens grow larger each year, they never had time for over the past 40 years.
Blair County. She attends
meetings in a six county area
which includes Blair, Cambria,
Somerset, Huntingdon and Fulton.
They form, part of a state
organization. From there, she
moved on to take the job of
chairman of the program planning
committee tor the state, which is
working in the areas of ag, family
living, 4-H and community
resources.
A beautiful experience for Harry
and Dot once evolved out of then 4-
H work. As leaders of the 4-H
Exchange Club, they have traveled
to Worth Carolina, Wisconsin and
lowa. Plus they have learned the
lifestyles of others, while visitors
staying in their homes during
exchange visits to Blair County.
"We’re talking all about Ex
tension, but church is our first
love,” smiled Dot, as she smoothly
changed the subject. She is
president of United Presbyterian
Women at the First Presbyterian
Church in Tyrone, while Harry is
an elder.
Up until a year ago the Briggs
were fanners. They sold their 134-
acre farm and built a new home on
a couple of acres they kept.
The story has been told before;
"It got to be too much for us,”
stated a sad reminiscent Harry.
"We couldn’t get good help. ”
Farming had been a way of life
for both of them since before 1936
when they took over the farm that
was Dot’s home.
In 1974 they sold the poultry
portion of the farm and a year later
the dairy cattle went on the sale
block. Harry concentrated on crop
production for the next six years.
Seventy-year-old Harry says he
wouldn’t have traded one year of
his long, hard-working life on the
farm. "We love to farm,” he
smiled. He also enjoyed filling his
days with work away from bis
farm, as he drove a milk truck for
21 years.
The common question posed as,
what will fill all the spare time that
they have on their hands? "1 can’t
find tune to fit all the things,” Dot
readily replied. "We’re not retired.
We’re retreaded,” she joked.
"I’m no joiner. If I’m going to
belong to something there, is a
reason. 1 want to work.” Work is
what they do, but Dot and Harry
take on the jobs because they enjoy
the tasks.
The gardeners each year grow
ail their own plants. As fall ap
proaches and much of their garden
has seen better days, the couple is
busy pampering a late plot of
homegrown plants.
Flowers and bushes surround the
year-old Briggs’ house and garden.
Harry and Dot do their own land
scaping, which enables them to
save money and develop hidden
talents. They also are seeking ,
more knowledge as they consult''
with local nurseries, Penn State
Extension and garden magazines.
A small orchard of a dozen ap
ples, peaches and pear trees is the
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After selling their farm, Dot and'Harry Briggs built a new
home near the farm. They were sure to include a cold storage
cellar for Dot to store her vegetables, fruits and dried flowers.
latest project for the couple. They
hope to expand next year with
grapes, cherries and apricots. To-|,
make use of limited space they
plan to branch their fruit trees out
on wire.
This is only the beginning for the
Briggses. In the spring of ’37 they
took on 4-H, because they enjoyed
working with young people. “1 also
wanted to belong to 4-H as a child,
but it was too far away,” confessed
Dot. Forty-six years later, they,
along with 4-H are still branching
out.
Their farming projects have
reduced in size, but the quality is
getting better, as are Harry and
Dot. The former farmers still have
some hens and roosters. Once a
year they turn over the eggs to a
Blair County poultry farm.
"We love anything that pertains
to something living and
explained Dot. She plans to live '
and work a long time, because "IV
don’t want to get old.” She says;>
that she is 39 and holding!' ,
If leading an active and fulfilled
life have anytmg to do with age,
Harry and Dot are
getting younger and they are intent
on spreading it around.