Former CHy Girl Michele Campbell 1$ a 'Cowgirl' At Heart BY BARBARA RADER Butler Co. Correspondent BUTLER A love of animals drew 21-year-old Michele Camp bell into the farm life at an early age. At the age of five, she began spending much of her time with her aunt and uncle, Stella and Norman Graham, who lived on a dairy farm near the western Pennsylvania town of Con noquenessing. These afternoon stays led to a few ovemighters, and finally Michele began working on the farm throughout the sum mer and on weekends during the school year. With her special interest in dairy cows, Michele plans to attend veterinary school, specializing in dairy animals and other large livestock. Currently a student at Penn State, Michele was named the Penn State Dairy Princess in April and took reserve champion and reserve overall fitter honors at the university’s Dairy Expo. Being crowned Dairy Princess was nothing new to Michele, who was Butler County’s Princess in 1981 and last year’s alternate in the Penn State contest. In one of her first public appearances, she won the Dairy Expo’s milking contest with Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Beth Heald. Michele began her Penn State career at the Beaver campus, where she spent two years before moving to the main campus. In addition to her regular course work, she is a member of the Dairy Science Club the Pre-Vet Club and the Coaly Society, an honorary agricultural organization. As a Dairy Science Club member, she has served as Dairy Expo’s assistant breed manager for the past two years, and has co hosted the club’s banquet in 1984. She also served as co-chairman of the food stand at the Block and Bridle Club’s Little International Livestock Expo. In order to gain more knowledge concerning dairy type and production, she has worked on several area farms in addition to the farm owned by her aunt and Michele and Onyx share a moment with Sunrise, one of the Dairy Production student's showring winners. uncle. These operations have in cluded the Curt Wible farm, Butler; Centre County’s Tussey- View Farms owned by Fred Strouse and Boyd Homan; and Brandale Holsteins in Huntingdon County, operated by Terry and Janeßranstetter. While working on these farms, she also had the opportunity to work with some of the better cows at county and state shows. In an effort to enhance her knowledge of veterinary science, she has also worked for several veterinarians. Her first such venture was with Apple Grove Veterinary Clinic in New Castle. At Penn State, she worked closely with extension veterinarian Dr. Ron Erskine, as well as with Dr. Eberhart in the Dairy Science Department. This summer she has taken a position with Em-Tran of Elizabethtown, where she will milk cows and assist in splitting em bryos, as well as observe embryo transfers. When she returns to Penn State in the fall, she will be working to complete five years of college education and earn degrees in Animal Bioscience and Dairy Production. One area of special interest to this pre-vet student is mastitis. Michele earned third-place at the Northeastern American Dairy Science Association’s meeting at Delaware Valley College this past year for a paper she presented on teat dips. For the past two years she has also done antibiotic testing on the sale consignments of the Nittany Lion Fall Classic. An accomplished 'salesman, Michele has been one of the Dairy Club’s top cheese box salesmen. Her efforts have helped to finance the club’s farm tours to Ohio and Wisconsin. A 1982 graduate of Butler High School, she was actively involved in track and the Junior Achievement program. Before the age of 19, she spent four years with the Butler 4-H Dairy Club, serving as historian and secretary. Michele has accumulated many awards during her show career. Her three-year-old, Graham- Haven Silver Sunrise, placed sixth With an ambitious college year behind her, Michele Campbell enjoys working with the dairy cows at Graham-Haven Farm, owned by her aunt and uncle. Stella and Norman Graham. She's pictured here with her dog, Onyx. in her class and took best udder honors at the Pennsylvania Junior Dairy Show in Harrisburg. This same cow won best udder at the 1982 Butler County Holstein Show and is now scored at 86 points. AS (cmesfcad Manheim FFA Seniors Honored MANHEIM Three Manheim senior FFA members were honored for accomplishments achieved during their four years at Manheim Central High School during Senior Awards night. Neal Benedict received both the Dekalb Agricultural Ac complishment Award sponsored by Dekalb-Pfizer Genetics and the Lancaster County Bankers Award. These awards are presented to the senior agriculture student at taining the highest degree of proficiency in scholarship, leadership and a supervised agricultural program. Neal was this year’s past president of the chapter and has participated in numerous contest and leadership training conferences. The Dekalb award, often con sidered the highest honor a Vo-Ag student can receive at the local level, is presented in nearly 4,000 schools annually. Following graduation Neal plans to continue working in an agricultural production related field. Neal received a $5O award in recognition from the Lancaster Bankers. Phil Myers was recognized by the Rotary Club for his active participation in the Future Far mers of America youth Two other cows that have energetic student’s favorite en amassed memorable show honors vironment. Michele feels most at are Graham-Haven Kit Flo, scored home in her aunt and uncle’s cow at 87 points, and Graham-Haven bam, helping with the 44-cow herd Valiant Lauri, scored at 85 points, of registered Holsteins. This is one But the showring is not this city girl that plans to remain a “cowgirl” for the rest of her life. c A/Sies Donald Yeagley organization, his leadership a strong Work Experience abilities and his Work Experience Program with Walter Heistand. He program. Upon graduation Phil plans on continuing in the same plans to continue working with beef animals and field crop production Phil served as FFA jjjj e 0 { wor k after graduation. He has played an active role in traoc.-o- chapter activities during his four d years in the Vo-Ag program. He is ft Thp P»™ y^ ft m.n jun ■ serving as this year’s chapter Agriculture award was bestowed htateian - Donald was given a ,25 wm wm mill MKI Neal Benedict
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