Dairy Team Prepares To Meet National Challenge GAIL STROCK Mifflin Co. Correspondent LEWISTOWN (Mifflin Co.) —What’s in a name? Plenty! Especially when the ti tle of the competition is The 1995 Pennsylvania 4-H Achievement Days Dairy Cattle Judging Con test and Dairy Quiz Bowl. As teams of teens from all over Pennsylvania converged at Penn State the end of July to place eight classes of cattle and give three sets of oral reasons, judges assessed them on placement and rationale. But in a' title studded with words such as cattle, contest, and quiz, one word should not be overlook ed achievement Through exceptional judging and reasoning, the Mifflin County Dairy Judging Team outdistanced the competition with 1,432 points to achieve first-place status, quali fying them for competition during the North American International Livestock Show in Louisville, Ky. In talking with team members Mi chael Yoder, Andy Reed, Mat thew Kline, and Michael Kline, one soon discovers that pride in personal achievement and growth garners more points than'any judge could ever bestow. Sue and Bill Sellers milk SO head of registered Holstein just outside of Belleville. Andrew Reed is the son of James O. and Mary Reed of Reedsville. They milk 32 registered Holsteins on their Reed Gap Farm. Mike and Matthew Kline are sons of Russell and Deb Kline of McVeytown. They raise registered Holstein heifers on their Vem Lee Farm. Paul and Sherryl Yoder are the parents of Michael and Michelle Yoder. They milk 70 registered Holsteins on their Paul-Sher Farm near Belleville. Brad Yoder is the ty’s Junior Judging Team took first place. Team members are, from left, Brad Yoder, Michelle Yoder, and Rachel Sellers. Looking toward the Junior Eastern National judging competition in Kentucky at the North American Internation al Livestock Show are, top, coach Sue Sellers and team members, from left, Matthew Kline, Michael Yoder, Michael Kline, and Andy Reed. In Individual competition, Mike Kline qualified for competition at the World Dairy Expo in Madi son, Wls. son of Lee and Joanne Yoder of Lewistown. They milk 70 head of Holstein three times a day on Ridge Point Farm. “I learned that you might not be successful the first time, like in giving reasons, but not to give up,” said 19-year-old Matthew IGine. “I try to do my best while still enjoying it.” Teammate Andy Reed entered the field of judging as a challenge. “I decided to see how good I could do in competition. I’ve been to two competitions. It makes you want to be competitive, but also you accept you don’t always have to be first.” Voted the quiet one of the team, Andy had, moments earlier, taken open and youth show grand champion honors with his junior 2-year-old. “I learned to work toward a goal and not give up,” said Matt’s bro ther, Mike Kline. “My goal is to do my best while enjoying myself. I’ve had a problem with never be lieving in myself. But I learned that by working toward a goal, it’s possible.” To prove his point, Mike placed second with 493 points in the senior division, qualifying him for competition at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. at the end of September. “I felt it was an accomplish ment to be there (at state competi tion). It was one of my goals. I feel fortunate to go to Madison,” he re flects. Mike began judging as an 11-year-old. Seventeen-year-old Michael Yoder entered judging as a 10-year-old and is in his seventh year of competition. “I learned public speaking skills, how to make eye contact. You meet lots of people at judging school. I would recommend that if anyone has a chance to be on a team, go for it!” . “Being on the judging team opened me up for the future,” said Matt Kline. “If you’re on the farm all the time, you don’t realize what’s out there." As for the future, most said they’d be keeping their hands in agriculture, although maybe not necessarily in full-time farming. Michael Yoder plans to attend Messiah College, possibly in com munications. Matthew Kline plans to stay involved in agriculture or farming after college. Andy Reed plans to attend an agricultural col lege and use what’s learned in farming or in an ag-related busi ness. Mike Kline said being on the judging team helped strengthen his interest in cattle. He plans to apply his further agricultural col lege education to the missionary field. But for now, these four youth credit several people for their suc cess their parents, dairy club leaders, former judging coaches, and current Dairy Judging Team coach Sue Sellers of Belleville. “Sue has given us a lot,” said Matthew. “We wouldn’t have achieved what we did without her.” “She always gave us a pep talk and said, ‘Look at the possibili ties!’,” Mike Kline said. “She didn’t try to change us,” Andy said. “She lets us go with our own style. She helps us.” “She doesn’t push us,” Michael Yoder said. “She lets us know when and where we can improve, and says to do your best.” While the Mifflin County 4-H Judging Team is quick to credit their coach, Sue Sellers is just as quick to credit the kids them selves. ‘They have a lot of drive and really work to improve them selves. They worked on their own a lot. I gave them books to study on their own,” Sue said, adding that several practices had to be cancelled this past winter because of snow. “It takes a lot of commit ment they all work on the farm, are in sports and church activities. All the kids are family oriented. I know Michael (Yoder) drills Mi chelle (his sister on the Junior Judging Team) out in the bam. They’re a great bunch of kids to work with. “4-H meant a lot to me. I got a lot out of it through showing and judging. I met a lot of people. I just wanted them to have the op portunity and chance to do it too. There are so many kids out there. I want to help them get all they can out of 4-H.” Raised in Blair County, Sue be longed to several 4-H judging teams throughout the ’7os, includ ing a 1976 team that went into na tional competition in Columbus, Ohio. After her 4-H years, she be gan her 18-year coaching career by co-coaching the Blair County team. Under her leadership, the 1991 Blair County team went to Louisville, and several individuals over the years went to Madison. In 1992, while still coaching the Blair County team. Sue was asked to coach the State Judging team. When Sue. her husband Bill, and two daughters Rachel and Kristi, moved to Mifflin County in 1993, Sue said she’d give it all up both coaching-and 4-H work. “But she saw the kids and saw the potential and couldn’t give up on it,” Bill said. At that same time, two other factors came into play. According to Sue, 4-H Dairy Club Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 26, 1995-03 leader Darv Yoder said he’d taken the club as far as he could in teaching “cow basics.” but he wanted more for the kids, and Sue and Bill’s daughter Rachel was becoming more active in the Dairy Club, too. Sue’s commitment to coaching has paid off with Mifflin County’s Junior Judging Team too. Brad Yoder, Michelle Yoder, and Ra chel Sellers, as a team, also placed first at the state competition. Indi- Reuben Dourte, 9, drives the Clydesdale cart. Association Sponsors Clinic MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.) The Pennsylvania Draft Horse and Mule Association will be sponsor ing a clinic at Windward Farms, home of Donald and Janice Ruhl, on Saturday, Sept. 16. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., the pro gram will feature outstanding in structors who will share their ex pertise on subjects, including: farm/horse liability insurance, Pennsylvania equine legislation update,' equine nutrition, foaling, common and emerging viruses, show manners, conformation, and Utilized Fruit Production Down Last Year HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Pennsylvania’s 1994 utilized production of the six major fruit crops totaled 291,100 tons, down 23 percent from 1993. The value for these six fruit crops was 62.2 million dollars, down 24 percent from last year. Pennsylvania’s 1994 utilized apple production totaled 400 mil lion pounds, down 25 percent from 1993. Total value of produc tion was 41.4 million dollars. The 1994 peach crop was vir tually lost due to the severe winter weather in early 1994. Utilized pear production was 5,700 tons, up 4 percent from last year. Value of utilized production was 2.2 million dollars. Utilized production of sweet cherries was 900 tons in 1994, compared to 1,100 tons in 1993. Total value of die utilized produc- MILK. IT DOES A BODY GOOD. vidually. Brad and Rachel placed in the top 10. Sue is hoping to raise enough money to take the Junior Team to Louisville, too. Tm just thrilled for the kids. Their parents and my husband de serve a lot of credit for running them around and getting them to meetings, which takes them away from milking at home.” Sue said, with a laugh, regarding coaching, ‘The pay’s not great, but the re wards are terrific!” a time for hands-on hitching and driving. The clinic is free to all members of the association. A $lO fee will be charged to nonmembers. A dinner will be served at 6 p.m. at a cost of $lO. For a bro chure or additional information, write or call either Donald E. Ruhl, 299 Meadow Lane, Man heim, PA 17545 at (717) 665-5286 or Luke E. Bruckhart, 1063 Shelly Road, Manheim, PA 17545 at (ZJ7) 665-5198. tion was 1.66 million dollars. Utilized tait cherry production totaled 9 million pounds, down 17 percent from the 1993 crop. The value of the crop was 2.39 million dollars. Grape production, at 80,000 tons, was up 48 percent from 1993. Value of production was 14.6 million dollars. The final U.S. utilized produc tion total for the leading non citrus fruit crops for 1994 was 17.2 million tons, up 4 percent from 1993. The total value of utilized production was 6.16 bil lion dollars, up slightly from last year. U.S. utilized production figures for 1994 are as follows: apples, 11.2 billion pounds; peaches, 2.35 billion pounds; pears, 1.05 million tons, a record high; sweet cherries, 192,810 tons; tart cherries, 279.9 million pounds; and grapes, 5.87 million tons.
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