NEWARK. Del.— Like any good business person, Chris Breeding, 14, gets a little cagey when hch talks about exactly how much profit he’s making on his vegetable garden and stand. But it is enough to put a third back into the farm, a third toward family va cations, and another third to split between Chris and his 11-year-old brother Steve. As a member of Statclinc 4-H club in Scaford, Chris began a ve getable gardenign project in 1989. Since then, it has grown from a 100 by 200 feel plot in 1989 to 2.5 acres planted this year. He’s had to enlist the help of his brother and his mother, Sue, and father, Ron. His garden was so prolific, Chris decided to set up a roadside stand Little Boys’ Produce Wa gon on Route 20 west of Scaford. His biggest sellers arc tomatoes, com, watermelons, and canta loupe. But he growns 10 addition al kinds of vegetables. Joy Sparks, University of Dela ware state 4-H program coordina tor, said it’s not unusual for kids to turn their 4-H projects into profit making enterprises. 4-H’er Parlays Project Into Profits ‘To listen to these kids talk about their profits and how they’re going to invest them, you’d think they’d been in business for years,” she said. “And they arc happy to share what they’ve learned with others.” Chris said he had the benefit of learning the ropes of an agricultur al business from his grandfather. But Chris will extend this know ledge to others later this month. Health Care Reform Debate ALBANY, N.Y. The stale’s leading .farm and rural advocacy group is urging members of the New York congressional delega tion to move the health care re form debate away from more government and toward making the individual more responsible. According to New York Farm Bureau President Charles E. Willc, “Making the individual the consumer instead of insurance companies will curb the exploding cost of health care.” Willc said the hallmark of Farm Bureau’s legislative position on health care reform is to create a He’ll be giving a demonstration The What, When, Where and Why of Vegetable Gardening at the Delaware Slate Fair as part of the Slate 4-H Demonstration competition. “Gardening and working at the produce wagon means pulling in long hours,” Chris said. “My typi cal day begins aroudn 6:30 a.m. and ends around 9:30 p.m. It’s se ven days a week for about eight mechanism where the individual takes charge of their own health care. “Wc believe lhat Congress should create medical savings ac counts for individual Americans. The establishment of medical sav ings accounts would allow indivi duals to set aside money in antici pation of future health care costs.” He said, “If the individual pays for his or her own medical bills, the medical costs will come down. They would directly buy their own catastrophic health insurance and directly pay their health care pro vider for everyday medical costs.” Family, COLLEGE PARK, Md. Three generations of the Markline- Wallimycr family of Madonna, Harford County, were named “4-H Family of the Year” during the Maryland 4-H Recognition Prog ram recently at the state fair grounds in Timonium. The Waltimycrs include John and Marta Waltimyer and son 8.J., 12 and daughter Kara, IS, in addi tion to grandparents Dorothy and Ben Marklinc. Also recently recognized was Dr. Richard R. Angus, who retired a year ago after more than 35 years of service to 4-H programs in both Minnesota and Maryland as a cooperative extension service pro fessional. Angus continues to work part-time at the Maryland 4-H Center as a volunteer. He is current O’Chief of the Maryland 4-H All Stars organization and is national president of Epsilon Sig ma Phi, the honorary fraternity for professional extension workers. 0t lll^ Three generations of the Markllne-Waltlmyer family of Madonna, Harford County, show off their plaque after being named 4-H Family of the Year during the Maryland 4-H recognition program. Seated, left to right, B.J. Waltimyer, 12; his grandmother, Dorothy Markline; and his grandfather, Ben Markline. Standing are B.J.’s parents, John and Marta Waltimyer. Not present was B.J.’s sister, Kara, 15. weeks.” The brothers share most of the load by each working an hour on and an hour off at the stand. That way they can each have a break. “Gardening is a lot of hard work, but it is fun,” he said. “It has taught me so many things.” Chris says he’s learned to plan ahead, to take liem to prepare the soil, and to keep on top of water ing and weeds throughout the sea- Needs Willc said lhal Farm Bureau would like lo sec farms and other small businesses get the same lax benefits already afforded lo the big corporations a 100 percent tax reduction for those who self finance their health insurance. He noted that farmers would also like lo see health care policy lhal pro motes personal wellness, fitness, and preventive care. To help those who cannot meet their own medical costs, Wille in dicated that Farm Bureau supports direct financial assistance to pay for their health care needs. As a Agent Honored By 4-H S f \ V , 'm "'“'it Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 23, 19&4-CS son. He’s also learned that quality and customer service will build re peat business. “1 found out that quality is im portant so I pick the vegetables fresh each day. If I have any left, I give people extra. 1 want them to come back.” His advice to other youthful en trepreneurs? Don’t give up. It’s hard at first, but you can overcome any difficulties. Shift Toward Reality means of making health care oper ate more cfificicntly,' the farm community supports a number of positions, including the following: development of legislation that will lead to a periodic review of regulations impacting the delivery of health care; privately funded optional health care delivery sys tems, such as health maintenance organizations; properly compen sating providers for treating Medi care and Medicaid patients; and efforts to improve the availability and delivery of health care in rural areas. his acceptance speech after being inducted Into the Mary land 4-H Hall of Fame. 0
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