812-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, September 6,1986
NJ. Youth
BY ED SHAMY
Northwest New Jersey
Correspondent
BROADWAY, N. J. - Jay Steele
spent the summer working on a
Far Hills beef farm with 70 head of
polled Herefords.
The June graduate of Alfred
State College in New York felt
fortunate to have found the job.
After all, 70 head of beef cattle is a
large farm in northern New Jer
sey.
But it will pale in comparison to
Steele’s newest job.
He left last week for Australia,
where he will work on a ranch with
400 Polled Herefords in the
Queensland Territory. Steele is
participating in the Future Farm
ers of America Work Experience
Abroad program.
Until March, he’ll be living with
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Thiele on the
ranch he knew, before leaving,
precious little about.
Mrs. Thiele called her American
guest at his home in Broadway, a
tiny village straddling Route 57 in
Warren County, several weeks ago
and told him he would be arriving
in the middle of the three-week
spring season. The most consistent
rains of the year would fall on
grazing lands during the period,
but when the skies clear, summer
will bring its 100- and 110-degree
temperatures, she said.
Australia, in the southern
hemisphere, is now changing from
winter to spring.
Steele will also have to get ac
customed to living far from other
population centers. The Thieles
told him they were “isolated, but
not totally out in the sticks,” said
Steele.
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Steele said the day before he left
that he was up to the task.
Polled Herefords are his first
love, and he hopes to forge a career
of managing a herd. He holds his
associates degree in animal
science from the Alfred, N.Y.
college and has been accepted at
Virginia Polytechnic Institute to
continue his studies when he
returns.
For the Australia phase of his
experience, he has some good
friends to thank.
His parents, Joseph and Virginia
Steele of Broadway, were thrilled
that he would pursue the ad
venture. They left their Asbury
dairy farm six years ago when Mr.
Steele went into the excavating
business.
One of their reasons for the move
was that they weren’t sure any of
their children would be interested
in assuming the farm once they
retired. Jay has emerged as the
farming son, and they are
delighted at his interest.
But even their enthusiasm,
alone, may not have been enough
to send Steele winging toward
Australia.
He figures the trip will cost about
$2,200. He sent out nearly 80 letters
to prospective sponsors and was
surprised at the strength of the
response.
Twenty-one individuals and
organizations pledged $1,820 to his
travel fund.
Max E. Spann responded with a
donation. So did Jeff Strunk, John
Parisi, Mr. and Mrs. David P.
Hall, Joseph Damms, Roy Dowling
and Dan L. Schafer.
Organizations which responded
were the New Jersey FFA
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Jay Steele left the States recently to work on an Australian cattle farm as part of the
FFA Work Experience Abroad program.
Foundation, Warren County Board
of Agriculture, New Jersey Polled
Hereford Association, Warren
County Farmers Fair Association,
Collegiate Agricultural Leaders of
Alfred State College, Farm Credit
Service, Franklin Township Lions
Club of Warren County, New
Jersey Appaloosa Association,
Warren County Cattlemen’s
Association, Warren County
Holstein Association, Stewart-
sville, Warren, and Washington
Granges and Warren County
Pharmacy.
Without them, Steele, 20, said he
would have had a hard time pulling
together the necessary finances to
make the trip to Australia.
And that would have come as a
great disappointment to the 1984
Warren Hills Regional High School
graduate. Ever since he was a
sophomore, said Steele, he had
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dreamed of working abroad
because a neighbor participated in
the FFA program in Holland.
Steele, who will return to the
United States in March, got his
way. And he hopes he can bring
something to the Thieles, his host
family, by contributing to their
operation.
That operation the 400 Polled
Herefords in Australian cattle
country is a dream come true
for the Broadway man.
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