814-UncMHf Farming, Saturday, July 11, 1992
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
WILLOW STREET (Lancaster
Co.) Poultry, pork or beef?
What does Anita Meek like best?
As the Beef Industry Represen
tative, Anita declines a choice, but
says that she believes the meat
industry on the whole gets a bad
rap from the media and needs
someone to remind them of the
benefits of including meat in the
diet.
In the last few years, Anita has
been the Lancaster County Poultry
Queen for one year, the Pork
Ambassador for one year, and
recently she was appointed the
Beef Industry Representative for
one year.
Since all three of these meats are
raised by her parents, Ken and
Esther Meek, Anita has a working
understanding of what goes on
behind the scenes in the three meat
industries. The Meeks raise about
200 head of beef, 50,000 chickens,
and have a farrow to finish hog
operation on their Willow Street
farm.
‘There are a lot of myths about
meat, especially red meats,” Anita
said.
She hopes to diffuse these myths
by handing out literature and talk
ing to consumers who attend store
promotions and conventions.
For those concerned with the
cholesterol found in meat, Anita
stresses, “The key is moderation."
Beef is lower in fat and calories
than before as the result of new
breeding and feeding techniques.
She tries to avoid animal right
ists since she considers it pointless
to try to help them understand her
viewpoint For TV viewers who
watched media coverage of a meat
Perry County Chooses Dairy Princess
NEW BLOOMFIELD (Perry
Co.) Tracey Sauder, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. John Sauder, Jr.,
Ickesburg, was crowned as the
Perry County Dairy Princess
recently. She was chosen from a
field of three at the Dairy Princess
Pageant held in the Extension
Office conference room in New
Bloomfield.
Tracey will be a senior this fall
at West Perry. She is an active
member of FFA, and plans to run
for a state office next year. She
also plans to further her education
Participant* in the Perry County Dairy Princess Pageant Included, from left: Marel
Raub, alternate; Jennifer Hummer, former dairy princess: Tracey Sauder, Perry Coun
ty Dairy Princess; and Colleen Kretzlng, alternate.
Anita Meek Speaks Out For Beef
,1V
packing plant and are wary ot eat
ing meat, Anita answers, “There
ate a few bad businesses out there
as in everything else.”
For herself, Anita believes that
meat is perfectly safe to eat, and
that much of the bad publicity is
often taken out of context.
“Beef is the only meat that con
tains heme iron. This is much more
usable by the body than iron found
in other foods. If you eat beef, it
helps your body to absorb other
sources of iron better as long as the
other foods are consumed at a meal
that includes meat My work is
most satisfying if I can change a
person’s way of eating,” she said.
A recent beef research cam
paign showed that many consum
ers did not know how to use the
beef cuts available in the super
market To change this, more point
of purchase materials will be used
in supermarket displays to give
consumers ideas and recipes for
the beef cuts. Part of Anita’s job is
to hold cooking demonstrations so
that consumers can taste the meat
and know how to prepare it for
their own use.
Recently, Anita attended a Beef
Council workshop to leant how to
prepare beef by marinating and
using stir fry and grilling methods.
She will use these methods for
store and group promotions while
handing out samples.
Anita is a senior at Millersville
University where chemistry is her
major and mathmatics and busi
ness marketing is a minor. During
the school year, she worked as a
secretary assistant in the chemistry
office and will work as a lab assis
tant during the fall semester. She is
president of the American Chemi
cal Society at the University.
at Penn State for agricultural
education.
Colleen Kretzing, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Perry Kretzing and
Marel Raub, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Keith Raub were named as
Tracey’s alternates. Rebecca
Innerst, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Innerst, and Megan Ste
phens, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Gordon Stephens, will assist Tra
cey as Dairy Misses.
Tracey, Colleen, and Marel
each performed an informative
skit or speech. Tracey taught the
audience what the REAL seal
As Beef industry Representative for one year, Anita Meek is responsible for encour
aging consumers to include beef and veal in their diets. Anita helps her parents, Ken
and Esther Meek, with the 220 steers, 50,000 chickens, and farrow to finish operation
at their Willow Street Farm.
Anita hopes to have a career in
the ag-chemistry field. During the
summer months, she works for the
Chester Water Authority in the lab
and does stream studies.
Anita is a coach for the Lancas
ter County 4-H Meats Judging
Team and a director for the West
Lampeter Community Fair.
Groups that would like Anita to
provide a cooking demonstration
should contact the Beef Council at
(800) 572-2020.
meant, and Marel showed what
nutritional value you can get from
milk and milk products. Colleen
entertained with a skit about what
would happen if we would run out
of milk.
Entertainment was provided by
Joanne McMillen and “Ronda”
the pink cow that just was not hap
py. Beverely Amsler from LOVE
99 assisted as emcee. The judges
for the princess contest were Ann
Day of Shippensburg, Larry
Swartz of Lancaster, and Barbara
Wilson of Port Royal.
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Clarion-Venango
To Hold Coronation
TIONESTA (Forest Co.)
The official crowning of the 1992
Clarion-Venango Dairy Princess
will be held on July 11.
Tracy Wagner, the 1991
Clarion-Venango Dairy Princess,
will crown Robin M. Walls of
Emlenton. She is the daughter of
Charles and Nancy Walls. She
will be a senior at Keystone High
School in the fall, where she is
active in four bands, the Panther
Buddies and National Honor Soci
ety. She is also very active in 4-H,
Girl Scouts, Jr. Holstein Club, and
many community activities. She is
employed part time by Ila Huns
berger. She plans to attend Penn
State to study agribusiness.
This year, Robin will have five
Question: My mother always
sealed her jams and jellies with
paraffin. Is this safe?
Answer: No. We do not recom
mend using paraffin because it is
almost impossible to obtain a per
fect seal. Growth of mold occurs
and the toxins that result can con
taminate the jellies. Molds can be
carcinogens or cancer causing.
We urge everyone making jams
and jellies to use Mason canning
jars with the two-piece lids. They
need to be sterilized first and then
after the jars are filled and the lids
tightened, processed in a boiling
water canner for S minutes.
Question: Can I reduce the
amount of sugar in my jelly
Dauphin Holstein Club
The Dauphin County Holstein
Club will hold its annual Twlight
meeting on July 17, at Catapala
Farm operated by Dale and Ray
Kennedy of Middletown. Dairy
judging will start at 7:30 p.m.
Alan Hostetter of Dale-Pride
Holsteins of Annville will serve as
the official judge. The guest
speaker for the evening will be
Ken Brandt, lobbyist for Pennsyl
vanians Responsible for (he Use
\l
Ask The
Food Preserver
dairy ambassadors to help her in
promoting the consumption and
sale of dairy products to consum
ers. They are Tracy Waner, Sami
Willyoung, Catherine Walls, Erin
Hersman, and Kay Dee Patterson.
Robin and these girls will be rep
resenting the farmers of Clarion
and Venango counties in promot
ing dairy products.
The coronation will begin at
7:15 p.m. July 11, at Town and
Country Days, being held at the
Gay-Mar Holstein Farm, located
at R.D.I, Tionesta. Watch for
signs between Tionesta and Lake
Lucy off Routes 36 and 208.
The public is invited to attend
this free celebration, sponsored by
the Clarion-Venango County
Dairy Promotion Committee.
Master
recipes?
Answer: no. Always use the
full amount of sugar in the recipe.
Sugar helps in gel formation,
serves as a preserving agent and
contributes to the flavor of the jel
lied product. It also has a firming
effect on the fruit. Most recipes
strive for a 65 to 68% sugar. If you
reduce the amount (to under 65%)
the gel will be weak or runny. If
you increase it (to over 68%) you
will have undissolved sugar crys
tals and it will leave a sandy feel
ing in the mouth.
The Master Food Preservers
are trained volunteers for Penn
State Cooperative Extension in
Cambria County.
of Animals. The important issue
of Animal Rights which has been
gaining momentum will be dis
cussed in detail. Everyone is cor
dially invited. Light refreshments
will be served. Directions to farm;
From Harrisburg take Route 283
East. Exit at Route 341 inter
change. Go East cm Rt. 341,1 1/4
mile, turn right onto Kennedy
Lane. Go about 1/2 mile- farm is
on the right