m Happenings
Agricultural Center Awards
$15,000 In Scholarship
GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The
Montgomery County Agricultural
Center awarded $15,000 in schol
arships to 12 Montgomery County
4-H’ers, during presentations made
at the agricultural center’s annual
meeting recently by President
Robert Pack Sr.
Six $2,000 scholarships were
awarded to new recipients, while
six $5OO scholarships were pre
sented to previous winners of agri
cultural center scholarships. Win
ners of the $2,000 scholarships are
Michele Balser, Alana Burdette,
Ruth Corazza Greeves, Carl Hol
land, Kelly Savage, and Katherine
Segal. Winners of the $5OO schol
arships are Robert Balser, Laurie
Kelly, Valerie Murray, Jonathan
Rippeon, Katherine Sherwood,
and Tricia Stabler.
Michele Balser, the daughter of
Bart and Pat Balser of Gaithers
burg, is a freshman at Mont
gomery Community College
where she is studying child devel
opment. A 1994 graduate of Dam
ascus High School, Balser has
been a member of the County Line
4-H Club, the Goshen 4-H Club,
the Montgomery County 4-H
Dairy Goat Club, the Montgomery
County 4-H Senior Council, the
4-H Theater Company, and the
Montgomery County 4-H Beef
Club. She has held many leader
ship positions in each of these
clubs, as well as served as presi
dent of the Damascus High School
FFA Chapter.
A senior at Damascus High
School, Alana Burdette is the
daughter of E. Allan and Mary
Burdette of Boyds. She is the
Montgomery County Farm Bu
reau Queen and has served as the
Maryland Angus Queen. She is a
member of the Montgomery
County 4-H Beef Club and the
Montgomery County 4-H Senior
Council, and carries major pro
jects in beef steers and heifers,
demonstrations, baking, and horti
culture. She is interested in pursu
ing a career in agricultural law.
Ruth Corazza Greeves of
Clarksburg, the daughter of
August and Jean Corazza, is a
sophomore at Montgomery Col
lege pursuing a degree in early
childhood education. She has been
a member of the Clarksburg Cre
ations 4-H Club and has been
inducted into the Maryland 4-H
All Stars. As a Montgomery
County 4-H’er, she has carried
projects in child care, baby-sitting,
community service, safety, junior
leadership, and arts and crafts. She
is a 1992 .graduate of Damascus
High School.
Carl Holland, a junior at
Delaware Valley College major
ing in agriculture business, is the
son of Carl and Lynn Holland of
Clarksburg. A 1992 graduate of
Damascus High School, Holland
has been active in the Mont
gomery County 4-H Beef Club
and the Montgomery County 4-H
Senior Council', carrying projects
in beef steers and heifers, commu
nity awareness and teen awareness
programs.
The daughter of H. Wayne and
Cindee Savage of Knoxville, Kelli
Savage is a senior at Brunswick
High School. A member of the
Montgomery County Holstein 4-H
Club and the Brunswick FFA
Chapter, Savage has been a State
Record Book Winner, has exhibit
ed the 4-H Supreme Champion at
the Montgomery County Agricul
tural Fair, and has been a State
Dairy Judging winner. She has
carried projects in daily cow and
calf junior leadership, dairy judg
ing, dairy bowl, photography, and
vegetables. She is planning on
pursuing a degree in dairy science.
The daughter of Harold and
Lois Segal of Silver Spring,
Katherine Segal is the reigning
Montgomery County Agricultural
Fair Queen and a senior at Mont
gomery Blair High School. She Is
a member of the Fairland 4-H
Club, as well as the Montgomery
County 4-H senior Council. She
has carried projects in consumer
education, food and nutrition, pub
lic speaking, and fashion revue.
She plans on pursuing a degree in
elementary education.'
Robert Balser, the son of Bart
and Patricia Balser of Gaithers
burg, is a junior at Southeastern
Oklahoma State University. He
has been a member of the Goshen
4-H Club, Montgomery County
4-H Senior Council, Montgomery
County 4-H Beef Club, the Dam
ascus Small Engines Club, and the
Gaithersburg Chapter of Fdttire
Farmers of America. He was the
1992 Montgomery County. Agri
cultural Fair King, and was a 4-H
Ambassador to Great Britain.
After attending the National Insti
tute for Cooperative Education
this past year, Balser was selected
to be an instructor for the 1994
session.
A junior at Towson State Uni
versity where she is majoring in
mass communications, Laurie
Kelly is the daughter of Fred and
Barbara Kelly of Gaithersburg.
She has been a member of the
Montgomery Village 4-H Club
and the Montgomery County 4-H
Theater Group. A 1992 graduate
of Gaithersburg High School, she
is a radio announcer for Towson
University’s AM station and a
national communications coordi
nator for residential life traveling
to various colleges learning new
ideas for residence hall life.
Valerie Murray, a junior at
James Madison University, is the
daughter of Kevin and Annette
Murray of Gaithersburg. A 1992
graduate of Damascus High
School, Murray has been a mem
ber of the Clover Clan 4-H Club
and the Montgomery County 4-H
Senior Council. She was the 1992
Montgomery County Agricultural
Fair Queen. Currently, she is a
member of the yearbook staff, the
ski club, the graduation club, and
the Catholic Campus Ministry.
She is pursuing a degree in
accounting.
The son of David and Betsy
Rippeon of Gaithersburg, Jon
athan Rippeon is a junior at Vir
ginia Tech majoring in business
management. He has been a mem
ber of the Montgomery County
4-H Club, the Montgomery Coun
ty 4-H Senior Council, the Mont
gomery County 4-H Sheep and
Swine Club, and the Quail Valley
4-H Club. He is a member of the
Sigma Nu Fraternity at Virginia
Tech, and participates in intramur
al sports.
A senior at George Mason Uni
versity majoring in public admin
istration with a minor in econom
ics, Katherine Sherwood is the
daughter of Douglas and Gertrude
Sherwood. She is a 1991 graduate
of Gaithersburg High School.
Sherwood has been a member of
the Clover Clan, the Montgomery
County 4-H Beef Club, the Mont
gomery County 4-H Rabbit Club,
and the Montgomery County 4-H
Senior Council, holding elected
positions in each club. She was the
1989 Maryland state representa
tive to the 4-H National Congress
for Safety Record Book, and a for
mer Montgomery County Farm
Bureau princess and Montgomery
County Agricultural Fair princess.
This past summer, Sherwood
served as an intern in the agricul
tural center office. Currently, she
is a member of the George Mason
•University’s varsity women’s
lacrosse team.
A sophomore at Delaware Val
ley College and a 1993 graduate of
Damascus High School, Tricia
Stabler is the daughter of Drew
and Pat Stabler. The 1993 Mont
gomery County Agricultural Fair
Queen, Stabler has been a member
of the Montgomery County 4-H
Beef Club, the Clover Clan, the
Montgomery County 4-H Senior
Council, and the Damascus Com
munity Livestock Club. Stabler
attended the National 4-H Confer
ence during 1993, where she
received second place in the
nation for her illustrated talk. She
is majoring in animal science.
For information about volun
teering at the Montgomery County
Agricultural Center, call (301)
926-3100.
IFYE To Sweden
Hello from Sweden! Things are
going very well and I only have 1
month until I’ll be back home in
Adams County.
I’d like to share with you some
observations on how the Swedish
culture is different. These are a
few things that I’ve noticed in the
past three months;
1. Always remove your shoes
as soon as you enter a building.
Even in the first through sixth
grade at school, the students
remove their shoes.
2. You greet someone with
“Hej” (pronounced Hay). You
leave with "Hej, Hej” or “Hej dd”
(hay doe).
3. When eating, place the fork
in left hand. Hold it like a piece of
chalk with the prongs down. Place
the knife in the right hand, held the
same way or like a pencil. Switch
hands if you’re right-handed.
4. Use a big spoon or table
spoon for cereal, soup, and some
desserts. Use a very small spoon
for most desserts and with coffee
or tea. Our “teaspoon” doesn’t
exist in Sweden.
5. You are thought to be “crazy”
or “weird” if you don’t drink cof
fee. I drink tea and I’m looked at
strange every time! Swedish coffee
is very strong and they call Ameri
can coffee “brown water”!
6. Milk and their “special”
breakfast milks come in 1 liter
cardboard containers. You have to
buy 4 to 6 liters every 2 or 3 days,
depending on the size of the family.
7. Gasoline prices are about $4
per gallon. You actually pay about
$1 per liter. (4 liter=l gallon)
8. Swedish children have it
very easy (go to school, watch
TV). You may only have to help if
you live on a farm. Your parents
can’t punish you (physically or by
grounding or other means).
9. Driving age is 18, but you can
practice with a parent at age 16.
10. The legal age for drinking
alcohol is 18. At age 20 you can
buy alcohol over the counter.
11. Every male must spend one
year serving in the military.
I have also experienced some
traditions while I’ve been here.
The few I’ll mention are tradition
al for a certain part of the country.
1. Moving porridge—A thick,
white rice dish served with sugar,
cinnamon, and milk. A friend
makes this for someone who has
moved to a new apartment or house.
It is also served at Christmas.
2. “Birthday Bash”—That’s
what I call it. A large group of
friends arrive at the birthday per-
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Novwnbar 26, 1994-817
son’s house at strange hours of the
night. Most common is 5 a.m., so
people can go to work afterwards.
You awaken a birthday “girl” with
rifle shots, one per 10 years; the
birthday “boys” with one each
year. This is only done on the “Big
0ne5”—30,40,50... After the per
son rises and comes to the door,
you sing a traditional song and
move into the house. The birthday
person then makes coffee and
sometimes sandwiches for every
one. In the evening, they usually
have a party too.
3. Sur Strdming—sour herring.
It is the worst smelling fish I have
ever come in contact with. I
couldn’t try it along with many
Swedes. It’s usually eaten in the
summer.
That is some of what I’ve seen.
The Swedes aren’t that different
from Americans. I’ll soon be mov
ing to the southern part of Swe
den —different landscape and lan
guage. Until next time, lacki.
Open Horse Show Results
The Sequoia Riders 4-H Club
recently held its annual open show.
The show consisted of four divi
sions: walk-trot, English, hunter,
western and gaming. The results
were as follows;
Grooming It Showmanship: Ist Sama
ra Shuster-Edelson; 2nd Lisa Baer; 3rd
Becky Preiss. Walk-Trot Equitation: Ist
Kara Gundel, 2nd Linda Mammon, 3rd Carrie
Firman. Walk-Trot Pleasure: Ist Kara Gun-
Volunteers Make
Compost Happen
COLLEGEVILLE (Montgom
ery Co.) On Saturday, Nov. 5, a
group of volunteers transformed a
grassy area behind the Upper
Dublin Township building (801
Loch Alsh Avenue) into the coun
ty’s third compost demonstration
park.
The park, built by newly trained
Master Composters, shows work
ing examples of compost bins you
can make or buy. The Master
Composters filled the bins with
yard materials such as leaves and
grass and will manage the compost
piles so that the public can see
composting the action. Anyone
interesed in learning about hack
yard composting is encouraged to
visit the park.
The park offers a self-guided
tour of compost bins and the com
post process. Next to each demon
stration bin are signs which
explain how to build the bins. A
mailbox marked “Information”
holds fliers about bin construction
and a brochure on the how-to’s of
composting. *
The Master Composter training
and park construction were organ
ized by the Recycling Education
Program of Montgomery County
FFA
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—For the
28th consecutive year, the Nation
al FFA Foundation has set a record
level of support for FFA and agri
cultural education programs. At
the 67th National FFA Conven
tion, Ron Davis announced that a
total of $5,857,000 was raised in
1994 to support projects and pro
grams for FFA and agricultural
education, a 7.5 percent increase
from 1993. A crowd of more than
32,000 FFA members and guests
cheered the announcement.
Davis serves as the 1994 FFA
Foundation Sponsors’ Board
chairman, and is president and
chief executive officer of
Biggs/Gilmore Communications.
Davis sees the contributions of the
more than 1,000 Foundation spon-
del, 2nd Unde Hammon, 3rd Tine Wright
Welk-Trot Egg A Spoon: let Kara Qundel,
2nd Tina Wright, 3rd Linda Hamtnon. Dollar
Bareback: let Laura Knighton, 2nd Lori
Mohr. All Day Plaaeure: lei Lota Metzler,
2nd Michelle Frande, 3rd Joyce Kauffman.
Wee tern Equitation: let Becky Preiee, 2nd
Samara Shuetar-Edeleon, 3rd Lota Metzler.
Engliah Equitation; let Michelle frande,
2nd Laura Knighton, 3rd Tya Gantz. Green
Pleeeure: Ist Kyle Kettering. Pony Plee
sura: let Tye Gantz, 2nd Nikki Gundel, 3rd
Jen Talbot. Hunter Under Saddle: let
Michelle Frande, 2nd Tye Gantz, 3rd Diane
Barton. Weetem Pleeeure; let Joyce Kauff
man, 2nd Becky Preiss, 3rd Samara Shue
ter-Edalson. Break A Out: let Lora Metzler,
2nd Lori Mohr, 3rd Katie Rich. Engliah Plea
sure: Ist Tye Gantz, 2nd Michelle Frands,
3rd Nikki Qundel. Ladles’ Pleasure: Ist
Joyce Kauffman, 2nd Becky Preiss, 3rd
Michelle Frands. Men'e Pleasure: Ist Dan
Talbot, 2nd Kyle Kettering. 4-H Pleasure:
Ist Lora Metzler, 2nd Dan Talbot, 3rd Kart
Moyer. Bareback Equitation: Ist Samara
Shusler-Edelson, 2nd Lora Metzler, 3rd Tye
Gantz. Egg A Spoon; Ist Lori Mohr, 2nd
Lora Metzler, 3rd Kelly McQulggan. Road
Hack: Ist Joyce Kauffman, 2nd Lora Met-
Bwr »' Rk>: Ist
Lori Mohr, 2nd Holly Hess, 3rd Jeremy Shel
ley. Pole Bonding: Ist Lori Mohr, 2nd Jere
my Shelley. Raised Keyhole: Ist Lori Mohr,
2nd Jeremy Shelley, 3rd Holly Hess. Hunter
Over Fences: Ist Laura Knighton. 2nd
Jeannle Mltman, 3rd Katie Rich. Equitation
Over Fences: Ist Jeannie Mltman, 2nd
Laura Knighton, 3rd Tye Gantz. Hunter
Mack: Ist Jeannie Mltman, 2nd Tve Gantz
3rd Laura Knighton.
Hunter Championship: Jeannle Mltman.
Reserve Hunter Tye Qantz. Western Cham
pionship; Samara Shuster-Edelson. Reserve
Western: Becky Prelss. English Champi
onship: Tye Qantz. Reserve English: Nikki
Gundel. Gaming Championship; Lori Mohr.
Reserve Gaming: Jeremy Shelley Walk-Trot
Championship: Kara Gundel. Reserve
Champion’ Linda Hammon.
To receive information regarding
Sequoia Riders or next year's show, please
call Karen or Kim at (717) 665-2534.
Cooperative Extension. This prog
ram promotes backyard compost
ing as well as larger scale compost
ing for landscapers, farmers, and
other commercial recyclers.
Partial funding for the construc
tion of the park was provided by a
generous grant from the Mont
gomery County Commissioners,
in addition, local merchants
donated construction supplies for
the park.
Two other compost parks have
been built in other parts of the
county, one in Schwenksville
behind the headquarters of the Per
kiomen Valley Watershed Associ
ation (Route 73, across from Pen
nypacker Mills Park) and the other
in front of the New Hanover
Township building (Route 663 just
north of Swamp Pike). Both are
open to the public and offer the
same information.
If you would like to be sent a
brochure on home composting
and/or plans for building your own
compost bin, write to the Recy
cling Education Program, Mont
gomery County Cooperative
Extension, 1015 Bridge Road,
Suite H, Collegeville, PA
19426-1179.
Happenings
sors as an investment in the future.
“American agriculture counts on
the FFA to provide the leaders of
tomorrow. For that reason alone,
those of us who work in this indus
try can make no wiser expenditure
than to support this fine organiza
tion,” he said.
Davis introduced the 1995 FFA
Foundation Sponsors’ Board
chairman, H. D. “Harry” Cleberg,
who is president and chief execu
tive officer of Farmland Industries,
Inc. Cleberg announced the 1995
Foundation theme, “FFA —Invest-
ing in Tomorrow’s Leaders.”
Since 1944, the National FFA
Foundation has provided more
than $57 million to FFA members
for awards, scholarships and
achievement programs.