Ing, Saturday, December 14, 1991
Bio-Lancaster Farmli
Never Too Young To Work Toward Goals
Linda Williams
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.)
“I’m a fifth generation dairy farm
er and proud of it,” says Bedford
County’s second dairy maid, Jan
clle Koontz, daughter of Wayne
and Kathy Koontz.
Janelle lives on the farm started
by her great-great-grandfather. It
is known as Stan-El Jerseys locat
ed at Bedford RD 4.
At 13, Janelle has two Jersey
cows of her own. “Actually 214
she laughs. “I am working to pay
off my third cow.”
“She is working,” agrees her
dad. Janelle does all of the entries
for the Stan-El Jerseys, helps with
feeding and silo filling, and is on
hand for the milking every Sunday
and any other day she is needed.
Being busy on the farm doesn’t
stop her from excelling in outside
activities. She participates in
Odcssey of the Mind, and, last
year attended the Pennsylvania
Junior Academy of Science.
There, Janelle won top honors for
her project of BST studies.
BST is a subject that is very
controversial in fanning today. It
involves giving a cow hormone
shots to increase milk production.
Some think this is good and others
think it is bad. Janelle presented
both sides of the story.
To complete her research in this
field, she worked with a professor
at Penn State University. "The
professor told me he had only
worked with graduate students on
a project of this magnitude be
fore,” she says.
“I also realize that my genera
tion is inheriting an environment
with a lot of problems,” Janelle
says. For this reason, she partici
pates in Environthon, a young
Bottle feeding her first heifer calf.
people’s group involved in clean
ing the environment
She urges her peers not to
smoke and to stay out of the sun as
much as possible through being a
member of the Young Against
Cancer organization.
Despite all this, Bedford Coun
ty’s Dairy Maid finds time to sing
in the choir at the Yeager Lutheran
Church and is also a frequent solo
ist. She is a member of the honor
society and on the Bedford Middle
School Yearbook Staff and captain
of her cheerleading squad.
As the Dairy Maid, it has been
her job this year to hand out thou
sands of pamphlets at fairs, festi
vals, and parades.
“My goal,” she admits, smiling
broadly, “is to some day be the
Jersey Jug Queen."
Already well on her way, Jan
ellc has a room full of trophies she
has won for her cows, Sweet Pota
to and Sweet and Sour. Until this
year, her cows had produced a
number of bull calves, including
twins, bom on Janelle’s birthday.
This year, however, Sweet Pota
to, presented Janelle with her first
heifer calf.
“Of course Jerseys are my fa
vorite,” she says. “TTiat’s what my
family has always had. But, as the
dairy maid, I can’t promote any
one breed of cows. 1 would like
people to know, however, that
there are brown cows. Many seem
to think that all cows are black and
white.
“But,” admits this bright young
lady, “I do have a higher goal than
being any kind of a dairy queen. I
want to eventually attend college
to be a veterinarian. I know it will
be lough. But, with hard work, I
think I can do it.”
*•
* { *
Janelle brushing one of the young calves at the Stan-EI Jersey Farm located at
Bedford RD 4.
Readers
Write
Dear Readers,
I am 10 years old. I live on a
dairy farm. 1 have two brothers and
two sisters: Brenda, 11; Nelson
Ray, 8; Norman, 6; and Joanne, 2.
We milk 44 cows. We have eight
calves. I like to feed them. I like
washing dishes. My birthday is
November 6. My jobs in the even
ing are washing dishes and sweep
ing the floor. We put a conveyer in'
the bam.
I like school. My grandma has a
store. I help her. Sometimes I bag
candy. Daddy shot a goose for
Sunday dinner. We have a Jot of
fun playing our new game called
“Operation.”
Sandra Jane Brubaker
Wolmelsdorf
Janelle and the Koontz family border collie
I <,
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Janelle Koontz, Bedford County’s Dairy Princess.
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