Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, October 15, 1994, Image 58

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    Bi 8-Uncaster Fanning, Saturday, October 15, 1994
Mowrys Bring Capon Club To Bedford County Youth
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD, (Bedford Co).
A love for kids and the knowledge
that the local poultry business is
dying out while a demand for
chicken is increasing led Gail and
Gerald Mowry of Imler to start the
Bedford County Capon Club.
Kicking off in 1993, the club
has 22 members ranging in age
from five to 17.
“Even those little kids can carry
a bucket of water or grain to their
birds,” Gerald smiles. “It’s lots of
fun to watch them get enthused.”
The venture also brought
chickens back to the Bedford
County Fair after many years’
absence. “Think about it,” Gail
says. “I can just barely remember
the last time chickens were a part
of the fair.”
Each of the club members
enters two capons. A sale is then
held in late September with each
of the members bringing the
dressed capons. Sale goers are
treated to sandwiches, linger
foods, and cake.
“Last year, we had a tremen
dous turnout,” Gail admits. “But,
we were a little disappointed this
year.” She adds that the first year
invitations were done personally
while, this year, they relied on
handprinted invitations to local
physicians, restaurants, and farm
related businesses.
“I think the person-to-person
must work the best,” she conclud
ed. “It’s what we’ll go back to next
year.”
Gerald also thinks they may try
becoming a part of the Bedford
County 4-H. “They have far reach
ing contacts that we just don’t
have,” he points out. “Our only
problem was the young age of
some of our chicken farmers, but
the local 4-H doesn’t see that as a
problem.”
Apple And Cheese Festival
(Continued from Page B 17)
report on apples for school, so she
was gathering all the information
she could.
Another first-time visitor from
the Williamsport area, Diane
Bnnser, remarked that the festival
was “nice.” She especially
enjoyed the tour of the apple
orchards.
From one idea, the size of an
apple seed, grew an entire festival
that the whole state can be proud
Greenhouse
Seminar Set
WILKES-BARRE (Luzerne
Co.) The Northeast Green
house Seminar will be held Wed
nesday, November 9 at the Lu
zerne County Community College
Conference Center in Nanticoke.
The day’s program will begin with
registration at 9 a.m. and will con
clude at 3:15 p.m.
Highlighting this year’s pro
gram are Rick Malack, plant in
spector, PDA, “Worker Protection
Standards”; Lloyd Traven, Peace
Tree Farm, Kintnersville, “Peace
Tree Tales”; Steve Luscian, E.C.
Geiger, Inc., Harleysville, “Mara
thon and Other New Products”;
Dr. Michael Orzolek, Penn State
range from 5 to 17 years of
age.
Even with this year’s low atten
dance, the 52 dressed capons
brought a total of $1,252.82. All of
the money will be returned to the
club members who will use a por
tion of it to purchase birds for next
year’s flock.
“It will get easier,” Gerald
assumes. “The first year, we had to
raise the money for chicks without
any cash flow. We'had hoagie
sales and stuffed advertisements in
the local newspaper in order to get
started.
“And, we copied some of our
ideas from the Cambria County
Club.”
It was Cambria County who
first gave Gerald and Gail the idea.
“We were dressing their birds
and just kept asking questions,”
Gail says. “Gerald remembered
his grandfather getting him started
with farm animals when he was a
kid and we-wanted to do the same
for our grandchildren. It just grew
from there.”
“It started from just a very
simple committee. People wanti
ng things to be better in our town.
We’ve been able to treat it as a
business. I’m not sure that it’s a
business...it’s life, you know,
taking food things and working
with them and doing the best you
can and trying to create a positive
feeling. Not just for Canton, but
for the people who are here,” said
Stiner.
University, “Growing Systems”;
and Eric Leavitt, Leavitt’s Nur
sery, Lehighton, “How We do It.”
To see what’s new in the indus
try, be sure and visit the commer
cial exhibitors who will have dis
plays set up exhibiting their com
pany’s products.
The deadline to register is Octo-
ber 31. The cost for the day is $l2
per person, which includes coffee
and donuts and lunch. For more
information and/or a registration
form, contact the Luzerne County
Cooperative Extension office at
(717) 825-1701.
Pesticide applicator credits will
be available.
MILK. IT DOES A BODY GOOD.
MIDDLE ATLANTIC MILK MARKETING ASSOCIATION, INC.
Club members of the Bedford County Capon Club started by Gerald and Bail
Mowry pose for a picture. They are Brandon Carson, Michael Berkey, Albert Corle,
Megan Gayman, Susie Zimmerman, Corinne Berkey, Zachery Corle, Nathan Clay
comb, Trevor Guyer, and Kirstin Guyer. Row Two: Michelle Toth, Cassie Imes, Sam
Zimmerman, Jan Gayman, and Joshua Corle. Row three: Aaron Corle, Joel Corle,
Corey Imes, Brian Toth, Jeremy Berkey, Stephan Feather, Jeremy Corle, Bobby
Wolfe, Christine Zimmerman.
TheMowrys also see a future
for some of the kids with the pro
cessing business. “It’s a good
business and one that no one is
going into,” says Gail. “It’s hard
work and not many people want to
do it. But, at the same time, there
is a growing demand for poultry
and someone has to process it.”
“It’s also a good farm project
for today’s kids who are growing
up on less acreage than we did.
You can raise a flock of chickens
on a little bit of land compared to
beef cattle or even sheep.”
Diane Myers, a friend of the
Mowrys’, does all of the caponiz
ing prior to the kids picking up
their chicks
This ye.arls grand champion
was Brandon Carson who sold a
ten-pound-eight-ounce; and a ten
pound-two-ounce bird.
Joel Corle was reserve champ
with a ten-pound-four ounce, and
a ten-pound bird.
Bordon Diehl, a sales rep for
Thomas Chevrolet, was top buyer.
.<tg v the raw fleece, theee “Ewe S.A. Gale” demonstrate the process to get
Marino wool into a beautiful finished product. They were part of the educational
emphasis at KILE. In the photo from left are: Win! Labrscque, Butler County; Candace
Burke, Armstrong County; Debbie Kendall, Jefferson County; Bea Blose, Armstrong
County; and Marie Frew, Indiana County.
Stanley Claycomb, local auctioneer, volunteered his
time for the annual September capon sale held at the Bed
ford Grange Hall. Here, a young capon member holds up
her bird as Stanley urges the audience to bid a higher
price.