82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 12, 1992
Togetherness Marks Pa. Alternate Princess’ Family
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
HAMBURG (Berks Co.)
SMAK-B Farm is home for Penn
sylvania Alternate Dairy Princess
Sandra Gross and her siblings,
Michael, IS; Alicia, 12; Kristen, 9;
and Brian 6. It’s also the place
where teen-agers want to drive
4-wheelers, play football in the
fields and work.
“All my friends who come to
visit want to work here because my
dad makes everything sound like
fun,” Sandra said.
Encouragement and competi
tion are the main ways that Sand
ra’s father, David, inspires Sandra,
17, and other teen agers to work on
the farm.
When they are unloading hay
bales, Gross challenges the kids by
saying, “I can throw the bale this
high. How high can you throw it?”
Soon the kids are chucking hay
bales fast and furious while Gross
speedily stacks the bales. To
inspire the kids to work even hard
er during hay stacking, Gross tells
them, “If you can bury me in the
hay mow. I’ll stay up here and
stack them.”
The kids become mesmerized
by trying to bury him in the hay
mow. And, Gross is secretly
chuckling because the hay is get
ting unloaded in prime time.
Unlike some fathers, Gross said
that he does the work that no one
else wants to do and has no prob
lem doing it. “I guess it’s because I
was the youngest son in the family
This dairy promotion presentation by Sandy received
honorable mention at state pageant competition.
and I grew up doing the jobs no one
else wanted to do.”
Another method Gross utilizes
in inspiring his children to work is
to work side by side with them
instead of assigning them chores
on their own.
Gross said, “I always do the
same work as the kids. From little
on up, the children go everywhere
with my wife and me. That way,
the children see how it’s done
rather than have me tell them how
to do it”
Gross contends that if a child
accompanies him for five years by
watching him mow hay, that child
will know how to do it a lot better
than waiting until they are 14 years
old and then having him tell them
how to do it
To help children enjoy work.
Gross believes they need to see
that the jobs they do are of value.
“I like to make kids feel impor
tant,” he said. “When more calves
are bom, I tell the child who feeds
them, ‘You are more important
today because you are responsible
for more calves.’”
With compliments such as these
the child is not as inclined to com
plain about the extra workload.
A sense of humor also lightens
the work load on the farm.
Sandra said, “My father always
has a reason for everything. It
doesn’t always make sense it’s
off-the-wall logic but we like to
hear what he has to say.”
Some of her dad’s off-the-wall
logic includes his surmise that
The kids enjoy tractor work on the fat 'ly farm.
Ma^H^n^^Mtehae^S 6 fr ° m ,ef * : A,,CIa ’ 12; Kr,Sten ’ 9: Sandra ’ 17; Brten -®: David,
everyone has 24 hours in which to want more sleep, you have two Th e children do not complain,
sleep, work, and spend money, choices: go to bed earlier or get up because they know that their dad’s
“If you work for me 8 hours, later. Getting up later isn’t one of m ethod of payment is not because
sleep 8 hours, you have 8 hours to your choices.” he is stingy but because he consid
spend money. But, if you work for While many farmers pay their ers them partners in-business with
me 14 hours and sleep 8 hours, you children an hourly rate for doing him.
have only 2 hours to spend money; chores. Gross does not His theory is that children
therefore you don’t need as much He said, “We pay the kids week- should be given two calves on the
money because you don’t have ly very ‘weakly.’ The amount child’s eighth birthday. He figures
time to spend it.” varies from week to week and is that tf the child continues to have
Gross admits, "I haven’t con- based on what the child needs that *he calves bred, by the time the
vinced any of the children of the week not on an hourly wage.” (Turn to Pag* B 3)
logic of that one, but I’m still
trying.”
Sandra groans goodnaturally
and said, “He thinks up things like
that when he gets up at S a.m. to
milk.”
Another tidbit of wisdom that
Gross tells his children: “If you
Sandra practices her dairy promotion for senior citizens
on her grandparents, who have helped make props for her
skit and given Input on her presentation.
Wotnestfiod
t/l/Sics