Farringtons’ Gift Beefs Lancaster 4-H Livestock Program
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
ELM (Lancaster Co.) There
is a new program for members of
the Red Rose 4-H Beef Club. It’s
called the Polled Hereford Great
Opportunity program.
In it’s essence, the program is a
chain letter in reverse Polled
Hereford female animals have
been given to club members with
the promise from the recipient to
give one of the offspring to a new
member of the club, or contribute
the money from the sale of one of
the offspring iijlo a club fund.
It’s a program with the real
potential to continue for genera
tions the teaching of lessons in
values.
It’s not a written word, recita
tion contest, or admonition about
what is belter to do. Instead, the
program has at its heart the only
thing that truly leaches values a
demonstration of those values.
Some background is needed.
John and Helen Farrington
moved to Lancaster County 27
years ago, having been forced to
sell their mountain-top, Poconos
area farm to the government.
The Farringtons took the man
date and found and moved to their
current 250-acre Lower Hopewell
Farm.
It is located near the northern
border of Lancaster County, along
the lower reaches of Hammer
Creek before it swells into Speed
well Lake, a small Pa. Fish Com
mission impoundment at the agen
cy’s regional office in Elm.
The farm property is rolling and
wooded and for years a Fishing
club has leased private rights to the
Hammer Creek from the
Farringtons.
Between the lake and the farm,
Lancaster County in recent years
purchased floodplain to incorpo
rate into us park system.
The soils are heavy with red
sandstone and the area is a pocket
of historic rurality though
assaulted by some strip develop
ment (roadfront farmland subdi
vided and sold as building lots),
some of the old stone homes and
tall, thick-trunked trees continue to
characterize the iron mining and
smelting and forging that built the
local economy.
The Farringtons started dairy
farming, but due to illness, John
said he sold off the herd and
replaced them with black cattle.
The cow-calf operation grew to
about 30 cows. After another
health-related incident, the black
cattle were sold.
But the couple’s two daughters,
both involved in FFA and one a
former member of the beef club,
had seen Polled Herefords at the
state Farm Show and wanted
those. So the Farringtons bought
Polled Herefords.
The Farringtons are also horse
enthusiasts and have had horses.
Helen has been a 4-H leader in the
horse club for years. The farm now
focuses on boarding them. The
have 25 boarders currently and 41
stalls.
The farm has pastures and
excercise areas, and for those
desiring to trail ride their boarded
horse, there is Pa. Game Commis
sion land nearby.
(Actual wild game on the lands
is scarce for many reasons, espe
cially from constant pressure from
nonhunting recreationists and
highway mortality, but those with
horses should avoid riding during
deer season.)
There are many trails on the
state game land tract old log-
Six female Polled Herefords, six 4-H beef club members
and two generous adults form the coreof Red Rose 4-H Beef
Club Polled Hereford Great Opportunity Program. John and
Helen Farrington, owners of Lower Hopewell Farm, stand
with six members of the club, recipients of Polled Herefords
ging roads and others created
through use that are used by
mountain bike riders almost year
round, and horse riders seasonally.
According to John, there really
isn’t room on the farm for their
Polled Hereford cattle, which
includes an unusually gentle bull
that has been running with the
cows and heifers. (A purebred bull
they bought from Rep. Shelia Mill
er, R-Berks County, he’s for sale.)
The cattle are also extra work,
and John and Helen don’t have the
extra time.
So, instead of selling the cattle
outright and pocketing the money,
the Farringtons decided to offer six
of the cows and their calves to
members of the Red Rose 4-H
Beef Club.
On Monday evening, Chester
Hughes, Lancaster County exten
sion livestock agent, and six mem-
Solanco Fair Selects Colored Breed Champions
(Continued from Pago A 29)
JER3EY
JR CALF; I.Barbara Richardson
INTERMEDIATE CALF; I.MaHtsa Wore
SUMMER YEARLING: I.Marc WaUftnyar;
2.Malissa Wars
JR YEARLING: I.Erica Lloyd; 2.Malista
Wartz
JUNIOR CHAMPION; Erica Lloyd, junior
yearling
RESERVE JR CHAMP' Marc Walnmyer,
summer yearling
344-'YEAR-OLD; 1 .Erica Lloyd
AGED COW I.Erica Lloyd: 2.Enca Lloyd
SENIOR CHAMPION: Erica Lloyd, aged cow
RESERVE SR CHAMPION; Erica Lloyd.
3-year-old
AYRSHIRE
JR CALF: 1 .Warren SchmucK; 2.Karcn Ham
bnck; S.Steven Findley
INTERMEDIATE CALF' I.Craig Nolan;
2.Henry & Karen Hambnck; S.Mathew
Kemper
SENIOR CALF: I.Rob Wentworth; Z.Karen
Hambnck
SUMMER YEARLING 1 Bonnie Wentworth
JUNIOR YEARLING: I.Rebecca Nolan;
2 Brad Waltlmyer, S.Warren Schmuck
INTERMEDIATE YEARLING. I.Kevin Nolan
SENIOR YEARLING I.Karen Hambnck;
2.Brad Walnmyer
JUNIOR CHAMPION. Rebecca Nolan, Junior
yearling
RESERVE JR CHAMP: Bonnie Wentworth,
summer yearling
DRY COWS: 1 .Karen Hambrick; 2,Kenneth
Findlay; S.Kenneth Findley
2-YR-OLD: t.Brad Waltimyer; 2.Rebecca
Nolan; S.Karen Hambrick
3&4-YEAR-OLD; I.Rob Wentworth; 2.Brad
Waltimyer: 3.Kenneth A Kathryn Findley
5-YEAR-OLD; I.Rob & Bonnie Wentworth;
bers of the Red Rose 4-H Beef
Club and their parents met at die
farm.
The Farringtons had contacted
Hughes earlier and Hughes had
contacted members of the beef
club to see which members would
be interested in accepting the,
responsibility of raising and caring
for the animals for a least a year.
The members who accepted the
invitation included Hope Long,
daughter of Sam and Vicky Long,
New Providence; Jill Hoffines,
daughter of Robert and Linda Hof
fines, Marietta: John and Jessica
Schmidt, son and daughter of Peter
and Laurie Schmidt, Drumore;
John Hess, son of Robert and Deb
Hess, Mt. Joy, and John Boyer, son
of Donnie and Karen Boyer, of
Elizabethtown.
The generosity of the Farring-
2Jamss Findley: S.Karen Hambnck
SENIOR CHAMPION: Rob & Bonnie Went
worth, aged cow
RESERVE SR CHAMP; Rob Wentworth,
4-yeer-old
GRAND CHAMPION: Rob 4 Bonnie
Wentworth
RESERVE GRAND CHAMP: Rob Wentworth
JR DIV. CHAMP; Brad Wallimysr
RESERVE JR DIV. CHAMP; Brad Waltlmyer
From the loft, Robert Wentworth holds the halter of the reserve grand v jmpton
Ayrshire of the Solanco Fair, while Bonnie Wentworth holds the halter of her grand
champion. Also shown Is Judge Donald Gable.
to be used as project animals. In the front, from the left are
Hope Long, John Schmidt and Jessica Schmidt. In the back
row, from the left, are Jill Hoffines, John Hess and John
Boyer.
tons speaks to their values
they’d rather help start a program
that could continue to give, than
pocket cash from the animals.
Hughes said that-the six mem
bers had to understand that they
were agreeing to keep the animal at
least one year and give an animal,
preferably the first calf bred, to the
4-H club.
The decision to give that first
animal to a new club member, or
sell the animal and donate the pro
ceeds from the sale into the 4-H
program so all members would
benefit, would be up to the mem
ber who received the gift.
For the initial giving, the mem
bers each drew a number out of a
hat to determine their order for
selection. They were given pedi
grees. as was available, and time to
look over the animals.
One heifer had yet to calve, the
PREMIER EXHIBITOR: Jiame* Findlay
family
PREMIER BREEDER: Rob 4 Bonnie
Wentworth
GET OF SIRE: I.Karon Hambrick
BEST THREE: I.Rob 4 Bonnie Wantworth,
2Jamet Findley family; 3.Nolan family
DAIRY HERD: I.Wentworth*: 2.Nolani;
S.Findleys
others calved. Two of those calves
were male, and the Farringtons’
daughters wanted to keep the bull
calves. It was decided that those
who selected a cow with a bull calf
would keep the calf with the cow
until the calf was weaned, and then
return the calf to the farm.
As far as paying for the health
testing of the animals, the club has
offered to pay for that. In fact,
Hughes offered that any additional
costs, such as getting official
registration papers, would be
borne by the club or individual
receiving the animal.
Hughes said he was excited
about program and praised the Far
ringtons, adding that what they did
was exceptional and very
worthwhile.
John and Helen Farrington
meanwhile just smiled at watching
the youth select the animals.
PRODUCE OF DAM; I.Ndant; Z.Hambnck
DAM. DAUGHTER: 1 .Wentworth*; 2.Ham
brickt; S.Hatnbnck*
SHOWMANSHIP
SENIOR AGES (13. older)- I.Craig Nolan,
2 Erica Lloyd; S.Kavin Nolan
JUNIOR AGES (12, younger): I.Brad Walti
myar: 2.Jacob Hu then; 3.Rebecca Nolan