Farming, Saturday, Juna 20, 1992
Jill Harnish Attains
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Lancaster County’s newly
crowned Dairy Princess Jill Ham
ish vows to become a dairy farmer
forever.
“Maybe I’ll marry a dairy far
mer or maybe I won’t, but either
way. I’m going to be a dairy far
mer,” thedecisive 17-year-old told
the judges at the Lancaster County
pageant held June 13.
Chosen from three other contes
tants, Jill impressed the judges
with her creativity in the promo
tional skit presented before the
audience at the Farm and Home
Center.
Dressed in a business suit, Jill
portrayed an advice columnist
Among the letters she read was one
from a desperate, compulsive
woman who chases ice cream
trucks.
“Your problem is obvious,” Jill
said. “You aren’t getting enough
calcium in your diet After outlin
ing the need for calcium in the diet,
Jill admonished, “If you don’t fol
low my advice, you’ll end up with
back pains or dowagers hump from
osteoporosis.”
For the person who wrote com
plaining of depression and skin
that looks like sandpaper, Jill had a
solution. “There are 1,900 farms in
the county. Get a job on one of
them.” She promised the hard
work in the outdoors would soon
have her a picture of glowing
health.
Jill prescribed more solutions
for her imaginary patients before
answering the impromptu question
posed by Master of Ceremonies
Grover Goukcr Jr. who asked, “If
you had the opportunity to speak to
world leaders about the United
States, what would you saysnakes
you most proud of your county?”
Jill responded that she finds it
most gratifying to have freedom of
religion that allows her to warship
the God that she honors in the way
that she chooses.
Jill, the daughter of R. Edwin
and Arlene Hamish of Christiana,
will be a senior in the FFA prog
ram at Solanco High School in the
fall. TheHamishes farm 220 acres,
milk 54 Holsteins of which Jill
owns 11. Her 4-H and FFA pro
jects include 7 sheep. 3 pigs, and 1
T ) J
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This team is eager to start dairy promotion in Lancaster County. Dairy Princess Jill
Harnish, center, will be assisted by Alternate Heather Becker, left, and dairy darlings,
fro ' left, Elizabeth Young, Rebecca Young, Lisa Blank, and Jill Hoover.
steer.
Heather Becker of Narvon was
named alternate dairy princess. In
her presentation. Headier dressed
as a French chef who was attempt
ing to fill a dinner request for a frill
day’s supply of calcium. To do so,
she considered the impractical
possibility of serving 11V4 pounds
of carrots, 314 pounds of spinach,
or 20 oranges before deciding on a
menu with a muenster burger,
macaroni and cheese, and cheese
cake.
Heather, the daughter of Gayle
and Patricia Becker, graduated
from Pequea High School and will
study at Penn State University in
the fall.
Two other dairy princess con
testants in the pageant were Mela
nie Balmer of Manheim and Jess
lyn Oberholtzer of Elizabethtown.
Four Dairy Darlings ranging in
ages from eight to 10 years old
were introduced as assistants to
help the dairy princess in milk
promotion at stores, farm meet
ings, nursing homes, and schools.
The opportunity to be a daily dar
ling is considered a grooming pro
cess in becoming a dairy princess
candidate when age requirements
are met
The four Dairy Darlings include
the following: Lisa Blank, daugh
ter of Cliff and Joyce Blank of
Gap; Jill Hoover, daughter of Gor
don and Carol Hoover of Gap;
Elizabeth Young, daughter of
Dave and Carol Young of Peach
Bottom; and Rebecca Young,
daughter of Matt and Linda Young
of Peach Bottom.
Robyn Groff in her farewell
speech thanked the audience for
the honor of representing the dairy
industry this past year. She also
recognized the Dairy Darlings who
assisted ho- in> milk promotion.
These included Sarah Bard, La lira
Blank, Meagan Good, Laura Her
shey, and Amber Shellenberger.
Judges for the event were
Phoebe Bitler, Fleetwood; Ernest
Miller, Hamburg; and Janice Gar-
ber Weaver.
Lisa Risser presented Dairy of
Distinction Awards to the owners
of four county farms. The program
recognizes farms that present an
attractive appearance to the com
munity. Specially-designed signs
denoting the honor were presented
v
•Air?'
Lancaster Dairy Princess Ci
Competition at the Lancaster County Dairy Princess Pageant resulted In Jill Harn
ish being crowned by Robyn Groff. Heather Becker, left, is alternate. At right are con
testants Melanie Balmer. bad and Jess' Oberholtzer.
Newly-crowned Lancaster County Dairy Princess Jill Hat surroi jr
sister, Jenny Bowman, and parents, R. Edwin and Arlene Harnish of Christiana.
*%4
for the farmers to display at the ter; and the farm of John H. Shank,
farms’ entrances. Quarryville.
This year’s honorees include
Heir-Hope Farms owned by A. In other business. Julie Herr, a
Dale Herr of Kirkwood; Howcrest former dairy princess and dairy
Holsteins, owned by Susan A. and promotion chairperson for the last
John H. Howard of Willow Street; four years, will resign due to other
Pine View Dairy Farm owned by J. responsibilities. The committee
Larry and John B. Hess of Lancas- thanked her with a farewell gift
*'*
otlon committee, left, talke with Phoebe Bitter, center, and
Janice Garber Weaver, Judges for the pageant.
own