A3O-Uncaster Fanning, Saturday, January 18,1986
Bennecoff homegrown hog tops Market Swine Show
BY JACK RUBLEY
HARRISBURG Show judge
Dr. Gene Isler of Columbus, Ohio,
was impressed. “We have proof
out here that we can put together
perforrhance, profitability, func
tion and soundness,” said Isler at
the conclusion of this year’s Junior
Market Swine Show.
The pig that made the biggest
impression on Isler was “the
totally big pig” shown by Todd
Bennecoff of Kutztown. “He’s the
biggest pig out here in terms of
length, depth and width of body,”
Isler said after giving the nod to
Bennecoff’s 236-pound Hampshire-
Yorkshire cross for grand
champion honors.
Only four months old, the heavily
muscled barrow was bred and
raised by 18-year-old Bennecoff,
who, himself, seems to be well
bred for the swine business. A
third-generation pork producer,
Todd bought his champion’s dam,
a Yorkshire sow, from his grand
father, Calvin Lazarus, a swine
breeder with half-a-century of
experience in the purebred
business. Todd also purchased the
Reserve champion honors went to Chadd Folker of New
Holland.
HARRISBURG - The Bobbin
Bunch, spinning to a packed house,
shuttled the grand champion title
and teamed up with Deb Bit
tenbender in the auction ring
during the sixth annual Penn
sylvania Sheep to Shawl Contest
held Wednesday evening in the
small arena '
The Bobbin Bunch spun and
loomed a 92x23 inch, 100 percent
wool shawl in shades of blue and
cream in just 130 minutes to win
the grand champion title. The
auction of the shawl then tied
Farm Show’s 1985 national record
by selling to Deb Bittenbender of
Mechanicsburg, Cumberland
County, for $6OO. The previous
record was held by Rich Brandt
Real Estate of Reading, Berks
County.
The winning team included
Diane Huddleston of Macungie,
Lehigh County; Northampton
Countains Betsy Johnson of
Bethlehem, Alice Gillespie of
Danidsville and Jean Sattler of
Easton; and Jim Shearer of
Mountville, Lancaster County. The
team received $l5O in premiums
and a travelling trophy sponsored
by the Pennsylvania Sheep and
Wool Growers.
The Pick-Away-Spinners,
representing Berks County,
winners of the 1985 competition,
captured the 1986 reserve grand
champion title and $125 in
premiums. Successful buyer at
$l6O was Ray Hillard, Jr. of
Gossett Livestock Pre-Mixes of
Mifflintown, Juniata , .County.
Team members Candy Franklin of
Kutztown, Sue*'. Hollowbush of
Fleetwood, Marna Mac Kay of
Boyertown, Shirley Waid bf Oley
and Randy Stitzel of Fleetwood,
make a stripe in herringbone twill
shawl in cream, rust and curry
top porker’s Hampshire sire from
long-time Farm Show exhibitor
John Strawbridge of Stewart
stown.
The son of Terry and Carol
Bennecoff, Todd graduated from
Northwestern High School and is
already off to a running start in the
swine business as the owner of 300
Hampshire, Berkshire and
crossbred hogs.
For his reserve champion, Isler
chose Sam, a 242-pound. Hamp
shire-Duroc barrow shown by
Chadd Folker of New Holland.
This is the second time in four
years of Farm Show market hog
competition that 12-year-old
Folker has ended up in the win- »
ner’s circle. Chad’s 1983 grand
champion and this year’s reserve
were both bred by Lyle Bidner, a
purebred producer from Illinois.
“He has the type of hog that I’ve
always liked,” notes Chadd’s
father, Tony Folker, who buys
about 20 pigs from Bidner every
spring. Todd’s sister, Laura,
showed another Bidner pig in 1982
that took champion honors in the
heavyweight division.
Bobbin Bunch tops Sheep to Shawl Contest
tweed,
The packed crowd in the small
arena waited with nervous an
ticipation as four teams scrabled
to finish their shawls within the
time limit. Nine teams consisting
of a sheep shearer, three spinnedrs
and one weaver had two hours and
fifteen minutes to take the wool
from the sheep, then spin and
weave the wool into a finished
shawl.
Auctioneer Harry Bachman’s
gavel dropped at $l2O to David
Hume of Camp Hill, Cumberland
County, as successful bidder of the
third-place shawl. The shawl was
made by Berks Countians Candace
Campbell of Reading, Faye Kirck
of Lincoln Park, Sherry Filman
and Greg Snyder of Reading, and
Edna Ross of Sinking Springs,
representing the Spinning
Wooletts.
Fiber Freinds representing
Schuylkill County placed fourth,
selling their shawl to David
Schneider of Waverly, NY. A
Huntingdon County team, the Hill
and Hollow Handspinners, cap
tured fifth place honors, selling
their shawl to marvin W. Waid of
Oley Engineering & Associates of
Berks County.
The Welsh Mountain Kindred
Spirits, placing sixth, were also
selected by fellow exhibitors for
the coveted Teams Choice Award.
Each member was given an op
portunity to vote for-the shawl of
their choice during the com
petition. The navy, violet and plum
colored, shawl sold to DAryl
Breniser of Brcikerville, I>an
caster County, for $155.
Three teams received honorable
fnention in the competition, in
cluding the Butler County Pedlers,
selling their shawl for $ll5 to Willie
Judge Gene Isler (left) congratulates Todd Bennecoff, Kutztown, on his grand
champion victory in a competitive Market Swine Show.
But good breeding isn’t all that
goes into the making of a Farm
Show winner, according to Chadd’s
father. “You need a decent pig,
and a lot of luck,” he concludes.
Following are results of the
market swine show and the
showmanship contest that
followed.
' Jr Market Swme
Lightweight 1
1 Greg Banhert 2 Tom Kinder 3 Daryl
Grumbine
Ltwt 2
1 Chris Wherley 2 Brian Banker! 3 Rod
McConn
Ltwt 3
1 Dave Hess 2 Jeffrey Bomgardner 3 lerry
Stermer
Lightweight Champion
DaveHebi Lancaster
Ltwt Reserve Champion
Competitors in Wednesday evening's Sheep to Shawl contest work against a deadline
to be the first to complete their shawls.
Kreider of Stauffers of Kissel Hill,
the Spin Thrifts > from Butler
County, selling their shawl to
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
Mike McGovern for $75, and the
Barefoot Treadlers from
southeastern Pennsylvania, selling
their shawl to Farm Show Com
missioner ’ Dennis Grumbme,
Evergreen Tractor Company,
Lebanon, for $lO5.
Another highlight of the evening
was a 4-H spinning and weaving
exhibition by 14 members of the
Butler County Cottontail 4-H Club.
The Cottontail Twisters, making a
100 percent wool scarf, sold it for
$55 to Sherman Allen of Nicholls &
Greg Banker! York
Middleweight 1
1 Darren Grumbine 2 Jeff Byers 3 Tim
Rohaley
Middlewt 2
1 Greg Christman Jr 2 Jennifer Arnold 3
Paul Breauri
Middlewt 3
1 Guy Kuhns 2 Mark Umberger 3 Cathy
Harlacker
Champion Middleweight
Greg Christman Franklin
Middlewt Reserve
Guy Kuhns Lehigh
Light Heavywt 1
1 Ryan Rohrer 2 Carl Smoker 3 Kevin Horst
Light Heavywt 2
1 Todd Bennecoff 2 Matt Horchler 3 Matt
Stoltzfus
Light Heavywt 3
1 Laura Folker 2 DonShetss 3 Steve Harman
It Hvywt Champion
Todd Bennecott Lehigh
Reserve Lt Hvywt
l aura Folker Lancaster
Allen Real Estate in Conneaut
Lake, Crawford County.
Not to be outdone, the Fuzzy
Bunny Bobbins sold their angora
rabbit scarf to Helen Miller of
Petticoat Lampshades, New
Oxford, Adams County, for $l5O.
Proceeds from the scarves will go
toward the 4-H’ers travel expenses
to the Farm Show. *
Harry Bachman of Annville,
Lebanon County, received a
special award during the evening,
a 100 percent wool shirt, sponsored
by Woolrich Inc. Bachman has
volunteered his services to the
industry for the past six years.
Travelling from Ohio, the four
Heavyweight 1
i Chad Folker 2 Judy Petersheim 3 Stacy
Nestleroth
Heavyweight 2
1 Tammy Balthaser 2 Donald Klemtelter 3
James Parlett
Heavyweight 3
1 Todd Neitert 2 Debra Curtis 3 David
Sheiss
Heavyweight Champion
Chad Folker Lancaster
Heavyweight Reserve
ToddNeifert Lancaster
Grand Champion Market Hog
Todd Bennecoff Lehigh
Reserve Grand Champion
Chad Folker Lancaster
Showmanship
12 lr Under s
1 Beth Nestleroth 2 Shelly Townsend 3
Darren Grumbme
13 15
1 Jeffrey Bomgardner 2 Shawn Hancock 3
Rod McConn
16 and up
1 Jeff Byers 2 Jere Hoover 3 James Parlett
judges scored teams on shearing,
spinning, weaving, design of the
shawl, speed and team iden
tification. Paul Get? of Canal
Winchester, Lorna Kenreich of
Baltimore, and Pat & Larry Bullen
of Columbus officiated.
For more information regarding
the sheep compeition, write to
v SHEEP TO SHAWL, Bureau of
x Markets, 2301 North Cameron
Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110. The
contest was sponsored by the Pa,
Sheep and Wool Growers
Association, Woolrich, Inc. of
Clinton County, the Pa. Meat
Marketing Progrlam and the State
Farm Show Commission.