810-Lancaster Farming. Friday, January 7,1994
Father-Son Bonding Happens At Old Oley Farm
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
OLEY (Berks Co.) William
Willits 111 shares more than the
same name with his father Wil
liam Willits 11. The 12-year-old,
nicknamed Sandy, and his father
spend many hours in the sheep
barn.
“I learned about lambing before
I was walking,” Sandy joked as he
told about sleeping in the bam with
his dad during lambing season.
The Willits, who live on a
25-acrc farm in Oley, raise 50
Dorscts. Seven of the home bred
Dorseus will ride in the Willits’
newly purchased truck for Pen
nsylvania Farm Show competition
that begins this week.
“We had to get a bigger truck to
pull the trailer,” the elder Willits
said.
As faihcr and son discuss Farm
Show preparations, excitement
edges their voices.
“I hope we can wash the sheep at
home before we go,” Sandy said.
The farm is set up with a big
blow dryer for livestock, but the
Willits don’t like to expose the
sheep to water unless the outside
weather is 30 to 45 degrees.
It’s been much to cold, at least
when this article was written. So
the Willns will need to wail their
turn at the Farm Show Complex
where water and dryers are avail
able for exhibitors.
The Willits use Ivory Snow and
No Tears shampoo around the face
to prevent irritated the eyes.
The elder Willits is the leader
for about 30 members of the Berks
County 4-H Sheep Club.
Having a father for a 4-H leader
has us advantages, according to
Sandy.
“I don’t miss any of the shows
because he reminds me,” he said.
Because Willits is a leader, he
usually takes two to three weeks
vacation from his job as a compu
ter program to attend 4-H
activities.
The lambing pens are ready for
the lambing season that is expected
this week. It may require the elder
Willits to skip some of the Farm
Show activity and stay home to
check on ewes. If not, Lavery, San
dy’s stepmom, is in charge. She
said that she doesn’t lose any sleep
Sandy, William 11, and Lavery review the rules for the
Junior Shepherds Contest In which Sandy was selected to
compete.
It -
when she is in charge because she
believes in letting Mother Nature
take her course.
She does check the flock before
bedtime and dries the newly-born
lambs in the morning.
The main concern is to make
sure the ewe is a good mother and
does not reject the lamb.
The Willits had no birthing
deaths last year. They attribute the
high birth rate to well-fed sheep
that gel plenty of minerals.
When fair and Farm Show sea
son arrives, Sandy cheers about
three things;
• Going to the shows
• Getting out of school
• Getting prize money.
This year, Sandy has another
achievement to celebrate. He has
been one of the 20 junior 4-H’ers
selected to participate in the Junior
Shepherds Contest.
Judging is based on a one hour
blocking contest, wool judging,
equipment identification, sheep
judging, feed identification, and a
20-question quiz.
In addition to the state Farm
Show, the Willits’ fair circuit
includes Reading, Oley, Kutz
town, and Allentown.
“My best show ever was the
Oley Fair this year,” Sandy said.
There, he showed the grand
champion ewe and was named
champion fitter.
In addition to breeding sheep,
Sandy raises some market lambs
that he keeps in shape by running
them back and forth on a platform
built outside the bam.
Sheep names are chosen by how
a sheep acts or appears. Included in
the entourage of sheep are names
such as Zip and Zap, Bottle Babies,
Mikey and Harold, and Zeus.
Some sheep become a bit
spoiled and Sandy admits to
becoming too attached to a few
when it comes to selling the market
lambs. “But some of the others.
I’m glad to be rid of,” Sandy said.
He rinds it frustrating when a
sheep refuses to cooperate during a
show.
“You can do good in a show,
and then you make one mistake
because of a bad day from an ani
mal,” Sandy said.
One lamb follow Lavery around
the yard as she worked in the flow-
This gang standing In front of the Wllllts* barn is eager for Farm Show competition.
From left, Jane Renner (Sandy’s mother), Sandy, William 11, and Lavery.
These are some of the 50 Dorsets the Wllllts raise on their farm in Berks County. Wl
Ham Wiilits 111, nicknamed Sandy, and his father spend a lot of time In the sheep barn.
er beds, but the iamb needed to be
curtailed when she began eating
more than grass.
Sandy's mother, Jane Renner,
lives nearby and often helps with
transportation to shows and other
details.
Sandy is a seventh grader at the
Oley Middle School. Next sum
mer, Sandy will participate as a
People-to-People Ambassador for
a three-week educational trip to
Australia and New Zealand. About
20 students from Berks County
will participate in the program that
is slanted toward science educa
tion and includes a marine biology
dive. Students are selected from
interest and achievement in
science.
Sandy is hoping to survey sheep
and cattle ranching during his trip
to Australia and New Zealand,
where sheep numbers are profuse.
Prize money from Farm Show
standings will go toward the $BOO
needed for his New Zealand and
Australian trip.
Sandy enjoys playing football,
basketball, and baseball.
“I like to be active outside, but I
also like to read,” he said.
Sandy’s dad said that he thinks
sheep raising offers a great oppor
tunity for father and son to be
together. He was raised on a Ches
ter County beef farm and received
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
animal science and ag education.
He works as a computer manager
and yearns to be in agriculture.
That’s why he started raising sheep
about 20 years ago. At first, he
started with crossbreeds, then
switched to Dorsets because they
can be bred twice annually and out
of season.
The family lives on the 1850
Old Olcy Farm that has been in
Lavery’s family since 1952. It’s a
picture-perfect farm with a spa
cious stone house. Sheep graze
among the tall, whispering pine
trees and split rail fences line the
property.
A miniature donkey named
Max, a pony named Paso Fino, two
steers, a dog, and several cats take
up animal residency in the bam.
Sandy is raising the steers for
another 4-H project
The father and son are especial
ly happy to attend the Farm Show
this year because they missed it
last year when the elder Willits
was hospitalized.