82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 6, 1993
Cows are a priority on the Wenger’s Farm but that does not interfer with the Campus; Eric, 17, is Lancaster County Superior 4-H’er; Neil, 15; and Troy, 10,
opportunity to develop personal talents. Dean, 19, attends Penn State York help parents Nelson and Alma on the farm.
Wenger Family: Where Cows And Kid
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming StafT
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
Sevcnlccn-ycar-old Eric Wenger
is only a junior at Manheim Cen
tral High School but he has already
accumulated an impressive portfo
lio of printing jobs that he has
completed.
He has also developed a compu
ter course that he teaches to county
4-H’crs, and he has printed a com
puter class manual that is being
adopted by other 4-H computer
clubs.
For his computer work, his
excellent public speaking skills,
and for his many other achieve
ments in the 4-H program for the
past nine years, Eric recently was
lauded as winner of the 4-H
Achievement Award, formerly
called the Lancaster County Out
standing 4-H’cr.
Only one of 13,100 county
4-H’ers receives this annual
award. It was a dream of Eric’s for
many years to attain the award.
“It’s a great feeling to help kids
Because Eric was not satisfied with the computer mater
ial available to teach a 4-H Club, he developed a manual that
is now being used in other counties. He also does desk top
publishing for many organizations including Lancaster
County Holstein Association.
leam something and master it,”
Eric said of his four years of teach
ing computer.
His accomplishments arc all the
more impressive because Eric is
self-taught on computers. He and
his mother invested in'an Apple
computer and a laser printer for
their desktop publishing business.
“Eric seems to get all the
money-making projects and I get
all the volunteer ones,” said his
mother Alma, who learned
desktop publishing skills from
Eric.
Self-motivation seems to be a
common quality of Eric’s. Typical
of his response to mediocre print
ing jobs arc- the words, “I can do
better than that.”
With creativity, organization,
and neatness, Eric has proven his
ability by designing the catalogue
for the Lancaster County Holstein
Show, a church history book,
many brochures for various
events, and a newsletter for the
Mastersonville 4-H Club. Eveiy
week, he types and lays out the
bulletin for Erisman’s Mennonite
Church where he is youth group
vice president.
At school Eric is a member of
the National Honor Society and on
the yearbook staff, a former band
and orchestra member, and a for
mer member of Student Council.
He likes business subjects ind
plans to pursue college Studics'in
accounting,
The one thing that Eric does not
excel in is sports, he said. And,
something that he can do well but
does not enjoy is working on the
farm.
“Milking is not my thing,” Eric
said.
Nonetheless he obediently gets
up two mornings a week to take his
turn that is divided up among his
three brothers, Dean, 19; Neil, 15:
and Troy, 10.
The four boys help their dad.
Nelson, with the family’s 115-acre
Manheim farm. They rent addi
tional land to raise about 40 acres
of alfalfa, 5 of mixed hay, 60 plus
of com, 13 of barley, and 8 acres of
beans.
With four sons in the family, the
tractor work is more appealing
than bam work and even Alma
likes to run a neighbor’s six-row
for some custom combining.
“You call that work?” asks Nel
son, who said he usually gets stuck
with the cows, which is die farm’s
prime emphasis. The 54 Holsteins
and the replacements that they
raise have herd averages 0f20,600
pounds with 788 fat and 666
protein.
As an ambassador for the 4-H
program, Eric visits schools and
clubs across the county to encour
age students to join local clubs.
Eric shows prospective 4-H’ers
the thick scrapbook (hat records
Eric shows his 10-year-old brother Troy the scrapbook he
uses to tell prospective 4-H’ers about the opportunities the
4-H program provides.
many memories Eric has of “It’s nerve-racking during the
involvement in clubs such as rab- critiquing, but it makes school
bit, cooking, air rifle, Seeing Eye speeches so much easier because
dog. and woodworking. most of the kids haven’t had much
“There are so many different exposure to public speaking.”
clubs and each one offers lots of Eric is president of the
memories that every kid can 12S-membcr Mastcrsonvillc 4-H
have,” he tells diem. Community Club. In addition to
It even makes school work farm work and his desktop pub
easier, according to Eric. It was in lishing business, Eric works part
4-H, that Eric participated in time as a cashier at Bomberger’s
speech contests. Store, Elm.
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