A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 16, 1993
FFA
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming StafT
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) For the first time, the Pen
nsylvania FFA held its mid-Winter
Convention in the Large Arena of
state Farm Show Complex Mon
day evening, to present the organi
zation’s earned degrees, honor
supporters and to select the top
four star members in the state.
Because of delays with beef
cattle shows, the convention got
off to a late start, but it did little to
deter the apparent enthusiasm of
the members who sat on metal
folding chairs facing a stage con
structed at the north end of the dirt
floor arena.
With an amplified banging of
the gavel, state FFA President
Mandy Hilbert opened’the conven
tion with the traditional opening
ceremony, with each of the state
officers explaining their duties.
She then welcomed the public
and explained the newness of the
convention site.
“This is the first year to hold the
convention here at the Farm Show
Complex. This is an opportunity
for us to inform the public about
our organization, the FFA,” she
said.
She told the full arena that they
would witness more than 300
active FFA members from across
the stale receive prestigious
awards, inlcuding the Keystone,
Star and State Star.
She also explained that the
national FFA claims membership
of more than 400,000 youth,
including the District of Columbia
and territories Guam, Virgin
Islands and Puerto Rico, and that it
is an agricultural and leadership
development organization.
She also talked about the state’s
membership in excess of 7,500
youth aged 14 to 21 and the diver
sity of the different chapters.
Also, she explained that it is no
longer called Future Farmers of
America, a error still commonly
made by non-agricultural media.
One of the highlights of the mid
winter convention is to' present
achievement and honorary awards
and degrees.
Prior to the convention, most of
the recipients already know what
they are to receive. However, the
selection for the top four members
in the state organization isn’t reve
aled until the convention.
There arc four catagoncs for
which a member can strive to
achieve star status: in production;
sales, service and mechanics; hor
ticulture; and specialized.
The regional star winners were
ushered out on stage by one of the
FFA officers, where a spotlight
focused on the member while the
introduction was made.
There was also a large screen
hung to the left and high above the
stage so that the audience could
watch as a slide presentation of the
member accompanied the
introduction.
When the regional star winners
of the catagory were all intro
duced, an envelope was opened to
reveal the winner’s name, adding
to the drama.
Western Region Star Chad
Nichols, presidentof theConncaut
Valley FFA Chapter, was named
state production star. He is the son
of David and Jean Nichols, and
lives at home on his parents' Craw
ford County dairy farm. His pro
jects arc Brown Swiss dairy hard
and raising sorghum. He started in
FFA with 11 animals and*now has
21 registered Brown Swiss.
Also up for the award wcr6 East
ern Region Star Kraig Sellers, son
Holds Midwinter Convention In Large Arena
of Kenneth and Karen Sellers, who
have a dairy farm near Annvillc
and milk about7o Holsteins; North
Central Star Catherine Pirrung,
member of Headwaters FFA and
daughter of Gerald and Constance
Pirrung, who have a dairy farm;
and South Central Star Colleen
Krctzing, of the West Perry FFA,
daughter of Perry and Adcliadc
Krctzing, who have a dairy farm in
Loysville.
The Agriculture Sales, Service
and Mechanics Star is Western
Region Star John Evans, member
of Linesville FFA Chapter and son
of Mark and JoAnn Evans, from
Crawford County.
John’s enterpirses include dairy
herd, small engine repair, agricul
tural mechanics, landscaping and
mowing. He learned basic lunc-up
skills working on push mowers for
Ins grandfather who has a small
cnginc repair business.
For the past two years he work
ed on neighbors farms doing things
such as greasing equipment,
changing oil in tractors and doing
maintenance.
Also up for the award was Doug
Walker Norlhccntral Rcgiona 1S tar
for Ag Sales, Service and Mechan
ics. A member of Cowancsquc and
die son of Doug Walker and Nor
man and Bonncy Merchant.
The state Horticulture Star went
to Linda DcAnn Hall, daughter of
David and Nancy Hall. A member
of the Slate College Little Lions
FFA, she raises and sells poinset
lias, spring bedding plants and
vegetables and she markets and
sell the plants at a profit. She uses
the school greenhouse to grow a lot
of her plants, since she doesn’t
have much space at home. She also
has done research on light intensity
and did a work experience project
doing lawn care, maintenance and
landscaping. ‘
Also up for the honor was West
ern Region Star Julie Urchcck,
member of the Derry Area FFA,
and daugther of John and Jane
Urcheck.
The Specialized Agriculture
Star was won by Braden Elkin,
also a Western Region Star, son of
Benjamin and Kathryn Elkin. Vice
president of the Marion Center
FFA, Braden did a supervised pro
ject of raising winter squash, Chin
ese vegetables and peppers. He
used knowledge gained in class to
fertilize the soil and control weeds
to raise the crops which he mark
eted to local businesses.
Also up for the honor were East
ern Region Star Jesse Rabert,
member of Kutztown FFA, and
son of Lawrence and Shirley
Rabat, of Kempton; and South
Central Star Aaron Stephens, with
Greenwood FFA, son of Dean and
Gail Stephens, Liverpool.
In addition to the star fanners,
there were 228 Keystone degree
recipients (announced in the Jan. 9
issue of Lancaster Farming).
Other recognitions made during
the convention included the Spe
cial Parent Recognition Award,
given to parents who have had
three or more children receive the
FFA Keystone Degree. Those
parents with three children
received an Honorary Keystone
Degree, while those parents with
four or more Keystone Degree
winning children received a spe
cial parent award.
In the Eastern FFA Region,
included were Nelson and Lois
Harnish, of Willow Street with
four Keystonfe children; Robert
and Esther Groff, Lancaster, with
three children; Abram and Mary
Jane Hess, of Conestoga with four
children winning; Daniel and Ethel
Metzler of Pequea, with three;
Braden Elkin receives the
state Star In Specialized
Agriculture.
John and Jane Barley, of Conesto
ga, with three children receiving
the Keystone; Harold and Audrey
Dice, Fredericksburg, with three;
Robert and Joan Rohrer, of Not
tingham, three; and Ray and Bar
bara Bicksler, Richland, three.
In the South Central Region
were Galen and Sonja McDonald,
of Imler, with four children having
received the Keystone; Glenn and
Verda Fisher, St. Thomas, with
four children; Carl and Mabel Leh
man, Mechanicsburg, three; Char
les Lobaugh and Anita Bown,
Aspers, with three; Dale Sr. and
Jean Myers, of Wellsville, three;
and Earl and Tamie Campbell,
Lykens, with three.
In the North Central Region,
honored were Bryan and Donna
lanson, of Coudersport, with three
children having received the
degree.
And in the Western FFA Reg
ion, honored were Clyde and June
Mostoller, of Garrett, with three
children; and Herb and Carol
Engle, also of Garrett, and also
with three children having
received the FFA Keystone
Degree.
Eleven Honory Keystone
Degrees also were presented to
individuals who have provided
support and service to the FFA,
having helped at least two FFA
chapters for more than 10 years.
Recipients were state Rep. John
Barley (also received special
parent award); Gerald Phillips,
loan officer for Keystone Farm
Credit, Lancaster; Sonja Wasco, of
Lititz, former ag instructor at War
wick High School, currently office
manager at Grant Heilman Photo
graphy; Robert Badger, Quarry vil
le, vice president of the Bank of
Lancaster County: William Rin
gler, dairy and*crop farmer, former
Pennsylvania, Stale Grange Mas
ter; Bernard Kunselman, of
Marion Center; Michael Wilson,
principal at New Oxford High
School; Dr. Carl Allison, dairy far
mer in Franklin County; Dr. Edwin
Sponseller, chief school superin
tendent at Chambersburg Area
School District; Calvin Saucfcr,
farmer and truck driver in Cumber
land County; and Dustin Peters,
principal at Elizabethtown High
School.
In other awards, Stephanie Gar
ret, with Manor FFA, received the
state Computers in Agriculture
Award, which is given to the stu
dent who uses computers for agri
cultural purposes.,
In the Building Our American
Communities program, five chap
ters won the gold award at both the
Linda DeAnn receives the
state Star In Horticulture.
state and national level for a num
ber of projects.
The Spud Growers Chapter of
Potter County did an aquaculture
program at their high school, con
structed a new park concession
stand at the Coudersport Area
Recreation Park, constructed
water quality improvementon Mill
Creek; a wildlife management pro
ject on 10 acres; and joined to
assist 15 county officers in recov
ering and relocating after fire
destroyed their office building.
They also studied, grew and prom
oted flower awareness to more
than 250 elementary school
children.
The Greenwood FFA did two
recycling projects; the Lcnapc
FFA Chapter did a number of pro
jects at Crooked Creek Horse Park;
Grasslands FFA did a number of
projects centered on the Chesa
peake Bay and improving health
through increasing recreational
activities. '
Cedar Crest FFA won a national
silver award; Twin Valley and
Headwaters FFA chapters won
national bronze awards; while
Franklin Farm-City
Program Wins Again
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
State Secretary of Agriculture
Boyd E. Wolff presented awards
to three Farm-City Councils, the
winner of a state poster contest,
and a family partnership for con
servation efforts Tuesday evening.
The Farm-City Councils were
recognized for their yearlong
efforts to promote rural and urban
understanding. County activities
were documented through scrap
books and judged in December.
Dalton -Paul, chairman of the
Franklin County Farm-City Coun
cil, received a plaque for first
place. His organization sponsored
an agricultural exposition at the
Chambersburg Mall, pumpkin
caper, several farm tours, environ
mental festival,-poster contest,
mall exhibits, job exchange prog
ram and a speakers bureau.
■ Second place was awarded to
the Mifflin County Farm-City
Council, chaired*by Donna Snook.
Their activities included an agri
cultural products day, school
programs, work exchanges and
the printing of placemats for use
by local restaurants. They were
also instrumental in having farm
city themes included in a Hallo
ween parade, fall frolic, and coun
tywide proclamation.
The Juniata Farm-City Council,
Chaired by Nancy Kauffman,
picked up the third place award.
They promoted conservation and
environmental messages at the
Juniata County Fair, agricultural
banquet, farm family awards,
state Star in Agricultural
Sales.
Chad Nichols receives the
state Star in Agricultural
Production.
Clearfield, Ephrata and Sclmgs
grove FFAs won silver slate
awards: and Berlin Brothcrsvallcy,
United, - and Manheim FFAs
received state bronze awards.
cooperator of the year and printed
placements with county data.
Abe Singer of Dushore won the
1992 State Farm-City Poster
Contest.
His poster was the blue ribbon
entry at the Sullivan County Fair
and made him eligible for the state
contest. He received a $lOO check
from Dyan Yingst, chairperson of
the State Farm-City Council.
Adam Shaffer of New Stanton,
representing the HarroldFair, won
second place in the poster contest
earned a $75 check. Third place
and $5O went to Katlyn Sleppy of
Penn Run, Indiana County Fair.
They were unable to get to the
Farm Show for the awards.
Honorable mentions in the con
test were given to Kendra Stoltfus
representing the Kimberton Com
munity Fair, and Amanda
Wyman, Spartansburg Communi
ty Fair.
Gilbert Hutter of Westmoreland
received Pennsylvania’s
1992 Good Earth Family Award
from the National Endowment for
Soil and Water Conservation.
Hutter’s sons Blaine and Dale
accepted his award for outstand
ing achievement in conserving
natural resources.
Hutter was a pioneer farmer in
the use of no-till farming and
nutrient management. His willing
ness to try new farming methods
and his lifelong practice of soil
and water conservation earned
him the award.