‘Moo Queen ’
(Continued from Page B 16)
the nearest city so everyone sup
ports all the school events like
basketball or whatever sport is in
season,” Robin said. ‘The neigh
bors help each other and when I
was crowned, everybody seemed
to do something to make me feel
special,” Robin said.
Several local businesses sent her
savings bonds and cow memora
bilia. Teachers and students hung
news clippings of (he dairy prin
cess coronation all over the school.
Many people offered to help with
transportation, chores, and with
promotional work.
A Northeast Bradford High
School senior, Robin is already
accepted at the State University of
New Yoric, Morrisville campus
where she will take a two-year
course in animal husbandry and
dairying. “It’s a hands-on course,
and I’m really looking forward to
it.” Robin said. “Since it’s an out
of-state school, I won't be able to
get state funding, but I’m really
impressed with the school.”
In college, Robin wants to be
part of the showmanship and judg
ing teams at the college. She hopes
to continue showing cows during
the summer. For the one all
consuming event for the Wilbur
family is showing cows in both
Pennsylvania and New York.
It was in 4-H that Robin got her
start in showing Holsteins. She
liked it so well that the next year
she got her cousins interested in
showing even though the cousins
do not live on a dairy farm. The
cows are kept at the Wilbur’s farm,
Lyn-Lene Farm (name derived
from the last syllables of Robin’s
parents’ names).
Robin and her cousins spend
almost the whole summer going
from show to show in both Penn
sylvania and New York, which
borders her county. As a member
of both the Pennsylvania and New
York Holstein Clubs* Robin shows
twice at the Troy Fair, Tioga
County Fair, 4-H Roundup, Potter
County 4-H Districts. Northeast
ern Championship Show, and the
All-American Youth Show.
“We show 15 head of cattle that
we haul in a four-head cattle truck
so Dad needs to make a lot of trips
back and forth to haul all the cattle
to the show and back,” she said.
Each show the Wilburs attend is at
least one hour away.
Robin refers to her 13-year-old
brother, Jeffrey, as the one who
gains the honors from herpractice.
“I’m the practice child,” she
explained. “Because I’m the oldest
child in the family not only do my
parents practice on me but also I
practice on showing cows and my
brother gains from all the
practice.”
For example, at Bradford Coun
ty 4-H Roundup last year, Robin
had the junior reserve champion
for a calf. This year, her brother got
Wool Wizards Win Sheep To Shawl Contest
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
To see the wool on a sheep,
sheared, spun, and woven into a
beautiful shawl within hours never
fails to intrigue Pennsylvania Farm
Show visitors.
On January 13, four teams com
peted in the Sheep to Shawl Con
test held in the small arena. The
Wool Wizards, previous winners,
spun there way to the top again
with a Shamess broken point twill
pattern in dustry rose through pink
and light grey.
The five-member team is from
Harrisburg and is best known for
it’s shearer, Chris Heir, who conti
nually wins the best shearer award.
The team also is proud of the
youngest spinner who competes,
13-ycar-old Kelli Peyser of Mid
dletown. Her mother, Carolyn
Peyser, is the team’s captain and
also a spinner. Other members of
the team include weaver Tom Kni
sley, Dover, and spinner Kathy
Graham, Hershey.
The Wool Wizards used the
wool of a registered Border
Leicester owned by Carolyn Peys
er of Nik-Kel Farm in
Middletown.
The prize shawl sold for $350 to
a Harrisburg man who preferred to
be anonymous since he purchased
the shawl as a gift for his wife.
The reserve champion title went
to Ewe Who’s, a five-member
team from Lancaster County. A
70-inch shawl called Ginny's Coat
in blue, peacock, and purple colors
was woven by members Dave
Keefer, Nottingham; Ann Guidon,
Nottingham; Debbie Glass, Airvil
le, Nancy Hamilton, Leola; and
Bill Glass, Airville.
The Ewe Who’s used a Romney
Lincoln sheep, which also yielded
the best fleece in the competition.
The prize-winning sheep fleece
came from a sheep owned by Bill
and Debbie Glass of Meadow Vale
the grand champion title.
Robin’s dream is to go to Madi
son, Wisconsin to show cows.
“But farming isn’t showing
cows every day,” said Robin. “It’s
the daily work that farmers do
every day and I love it. After gra
duation, I hope to return to the
family farm. It’s been in our family
since my grandparents came from
Norway and I want it to stay in the
family,” Robin said.
* ?a ? n ‘ . Peddlars and HiU and Hollow design in weaving; and condition
It was a special delight for the Handspmners of Huntingdon 0 f fleece
teain to place second since this was County. Jud ges included; Jacqueline
the first year that the team com- The teams are judged on team Boggs. Fleetwood: Jane Krebbs.
pcted together. identification for originality and McMurray; Marcia Beppler. Pori
The two other twins that com- overall appearance; even work- Matilda; and Anthony Dobrosky,
peted were the Butler County manship and speed on shearing; Glen Rock. J
uniformity in spinning; innovative
Baby Boomers Get Back To Basics
PITTSBURGH (Alleghany homes versus purchasing luxury heart disease, for example.”
Co.) Baby Boomers, those care or hiking frequent vacations. Libby Mikesell, manager of
Americans ages 25 to 49 and the Having done it all, tried it all. Public Relations for the Intema
largest segment of our population, and nearly spent it all. Baby tional Food Information Council
have taken merchants and demog- Boomers are finding that a happy (IFIC), agrees that nutrition and
raphers on a roller coaster ride home and good health are the keys food safety are areas of concern
with their changing attitudes and to enjoying their lives. And after for Baby Boomers. “As they age,
ideals. purchasing homes and starting they definitely have more interest
The ride peaked in the’Bos with families they zero in on healthy in nutrition messages,” she said,
young, upwardly mobile adults eating and improving their diets. As a result, the tried and true
indulging in conspicuous con- As a resulk, they arc more like- four basic food groups are enjoy
sumption, and now boomers are ty to pay attention to nutrition fog renewed popularity with Baby
leveling out their lifestyles and messages about calcium-rich Boomers looking for a simple and
getting back to basics...from the dairy products, high-fiber fruits sound approach to nutrition
cars they drive to the foods they and vegetables and empty-calorie
eat. sodas and snacks.
New Priorities
“Our consumer bend research
indicates that people now reaching
their mid-40s are more interested
in nutrition than young parents
with small children,” said Susan
Boora, R.D., director of Consumer
Affairs for the Food Marketing
Institute (FMI), a trade association
representing supermarkets. “And
although actual behavior may not
change as quickly as their atti
tudes, these Baby Boomers are
trying to balance their diets more.
They realize that a balanced diet
can help reduce the risk of certain
illnesses such as osteoporosis or
Defining The Trend
Time magazine summed up the
shift this way: “Good-bye to hav
ing it all. Tired of trendiness and
materialism, Americans are redis
covering the 'joys of home life,
basic values, and things that last.”
The most important factors
influencing this generation’s
change in attitude are children and
mortgages, according to the May
issue of American Demographics
magazine. Now facing the respon
sibilities of rearing children, pay
ing mortgages, saving for college
tuitions and planning for retire
ments, dual-income couples are
finding that their paychecks don’t
leave much room for luxuries.
Writer Cheryl Russell, former
editor of American Demo
graphics, consludes that it’s not
that Baby Boomers are spending
less money, but that they are
spending money on their kids and
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 25, 1992-817
Although Robin lives in a se
cluded area, she has traveled to
places few teen agers have. She
has been to Norway two times.
“My grandparents came from
there. Our family is very close and
we traveled there twice to visit
relatives. I love Norway because it
has such beautiful farms,” Robin
said. She was impressed that the
farms follow a quota system for
milk production and that the area is
known for its rich dairy desserts.
“Robin was bom enthusiastic
and never had any trouble talking,”
her mother said. Her dad con
firmed it, “When Robin goes to
college, it’s going to be awfully
quiet around the house, because
she talks all the time.”
Robin said, “I just love telling
people about dairy products. I hate
to see so many dairy farmers going
out of business. We have a good
product and it’s dairy fanners who
have worked together to make it
good. I want to do everything I can
to see that dairy farmers get a bet
ter price for their product”
Foodservice Responds
In response, supermarkets are
expanding their dairy, deli, frozen
foods and produce sections in
order to offer more variety. And
restaurants are adding lighter,
healthier fare to their menus to
attract the nutrition-conscious
diner.
Whether it’s with finances or
food, Baby Boomers are taking
the middle road. Reflecting cur
rent wisdom that success is no lon
ger measured by excess; William
Rice, food and wine columnist for
the Chicago Tribune said, “Con
sumers will embrace the appeal of
moderation and common sense.”