B2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 2,1983
Springtime means iambin
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
Easter brings the promise of new
life, and springtime exemplifies
this promise through the
awakening of nature. One of the
true rites of spring in agriculture is
lambing, with lambs depicted in
Easter pictures and candy as
fluffy, adorable creatures, full of
fun and easy to love. In reality,
they are exactly that - fluffy, cute
and sure to win over young hearts.
Thirteen-year-old Ellen Lewis is
participating in this spring
tradition, with her 4-H project
ewes giving birth to a total of 10
offspring. At lambing time, it is
important to be nearby to assist
with the lambing and to make sure
that the newborns get their first
drink of colustrum from their
mother to get them off to a good
start.
Ellen explains, “Sometimes they
need help to learn to know bow to
care for their lambs.” Of course, if
there are problems, some lambs
become bottle-fed lambs to make
sure they prosper.
Ellen has been a member of the
Lancaster County 4-H Woolies Club
for three years, but has shown
animals in just the last two years.
She used her first year of mem
bership as a time of learning and
becoming acquainted with what
was expected of her as a 4-H
member.
Her learning paid off well, and in
just two years of showing. Ellen
has accumulated many awards
and lots of useful experience. Last
year she won first place with her
project book, largely on the basis
of an excellent, detailed story. In
her first year she had grand
champion Hampshire at the
Manheim Farm Show, reserve
champion at the 4-H round-up and
reserve champion at Farm Show.
She says, “I did well. I didn’t know
what I was doing, so to me I look so
dumb now."
Nevertheless, the experience in
the show ring paid off and gave
Ellen an encouraging start on her
career. She admits, “I was
kind of scared the first time I had
to show. I was a little nervous
about it because I never did it
before.”
Ellen lives on a 12-acre farm
with her parents, George and
Lorraine Lewis, 606 Stony Battery
Road, near Salunga. She had
always grown up around animals
and says she chose sheep for her 4-
H project because “I had always
These are a few of the ribbons and silver trays Ellen has
won for her outstanding 4-H work in the two years she has
been showing her Hampshire sheep. She says she learn at
each show, and enjoys meeting the many people she en
counters as she shows her 4-H animals.
wanted a lamb when I was little.”
When the Lewises decided to
purchase a 4-H animal they turned
to Clyde and Dorothy Brubaker on
the Harrisburg Pike, well-known
local breeders of Hampshire
sheep. They chose Hampshires
because of the availability of good
stock through the Brubakers and
also because, as Ellen puts it,
“They are good, all-purpose
'sheep.”
The Brubakers not only supplied
them with good sheep, they also
supplied them with lots of en
couragement and support. In
Ellen’s first open show she was
positioned close to Clyde who
encouraged her throughout the
class. Ellen recalls, “The junior
show was much easier.”
In her second year of showing,
Ellen expanded her project
animals to four, and this year with
the birth of the additional lambs,
she hopes to be showing even more
animals. She plans to keep at least
one of the rams which were bom so
that she can show in group classess
such as pen of lambs and breeders’
flock.
Showing is a lot of fun, but it is
also hard work. Ellen estimates
that it takes about 3% hours to
wash, trim out the bellies, hand
clip and card a sheep to get it
ready for the show ring. The work
of preparing the animals is
divided. Ellen’s mother Lorraine
points out, “It is a family project.”
Ellen and her mother wash the
animals and Ellen and her father
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clip and finish than. The first year
of showing, the leaders give 4-
H’ers lots of assistance, but this
year Ellen is looking forward to
taking over more of the clipping
herself.
The work of caring for her small
flock on a daily basis is divided
between Ellen and her father.
George feeds them in the morning
Easter means
: r
Annabelle was Ellen's first 4-H animal, and quickly became a favorite of the family and
the community. Now her twin offspring will become part of •Ellen’s Hampshire flock, and
soon Ellen will be breaking them to lead as she prepares for the 1983 show season.
and Ellen does the chores after
school.
Later in the spring, Ellen will
begin the work of getting the show
animals ready for showing. After
halter breaking them, she walks
them so they get acquainted with
her and used to handling. While
market lambs must be exercised to
help them develop properly, Ellen
walks her lambs just to work with
them. SHe uses the fields around
her home to walk them, but has
also become a familiar sight in the
nearby housing development. She
says people express surprise when
they see her lambs on a halter, but
she adds that some shows require a
halter, while some prohibit it. In
any case, she says die feels more
confident when she is using a
halter. “I used it the first year I
showed,” she says.
Ellen’s first 4-H project, An
na belle, became not only a family
favorite; but also something of a
celebrity. Because of her nice
disposition, Annabelle traveled
twice to Park City as part of the
Farmer’s Association promotion
and was in the church Christmas
pageant. She also appeared on
WGAL (with Ellen) on its Rise and
Shine program. It was almost as if
Annabelle had learned the nursery
rhyme, “Mary had a Little Lamb,”
and was .living it out with Ellen,
because she did follow Ellen
wherever she went.
In fact, Annabelle was so
cooperative that Ellen still uses
her to encourage new sheep as she
works with them. Annabelle knows
just what to do and the others will
follow her lead.
Ellen points out that each lamb
has a different personality or
characteristic, and must be
treated as aw' individual in
preparing them for their showing
debut. Not all are as pleasant as
Annabelle, and one of Ellen's even
earned itself the nickname
“Dumbelle” because of its stub
bornness.
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season at the Lewis farm
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through Park City Mall during Farm City Week. But what
Ellen was really shopping for were curious shoppers who
wanted to know more about farming and the sheep business.
She found plenty.
Enthusiastic about belonging to
4-H, Ellen is especially happy with
an animal project. She says, “You
have to be responsible to care for
them. It is good experience.”
She has expanded her 4-H in
volvement by working out with the
livestock judging team, although
she is not yet old enough to become
a member. “That gives you self
confidence, and you learn to speak
because you must give reasons in
front of the judge.” She says it is
one of her goals to become a
judging team member. She learns
about other animals as well, since
they must evaluate all kinds of
livestock. In fact, since she’s been
working with the livestock team,
Ellen thinks she’d like to have a
steer as a project, but she has not
yet convinced her parents of that."
A further expansion of her
horizons came when she entered
the Ladies Lead Line competition
this past year at the en
couragement of her mentor, Sarah
Fleener. Ellen said, “You are
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judged on the way you present the
sheep, on the outfit, and the way
you present yourself. It was a good
experience. You model your outfit
on a platform and you have to
remember to smile at the judges.”
Ellen’s outfit was 100 percent wool
which her mother sewed for her.
They also covered a halter with
matching fabric. Out of the 22
competitors, Ellen was the
youngest, but finished sixth. She
says, “I would like to do it again.”
Ellen feels she • has grown
through her 4-H projects, saying.
“I like to go to shows and see how
they are judged differently to
different places. You learn
something different at each show. I
meet a lot of different people from
other schools. It also gives you self
confidence.” Her mother adds, “J|
just a few years’ time she hP
gotten to know a lot of new
people.”
Going to a surburban junior high
school like Centerville where Ellen
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