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.