* BMancastar Farming, Saturday, August 23.1997
German Vet Student Practices In Belleville
Bodo’s mentor and friend, Dr. Guttroff (right) helped
Bodo turn textbook learning In to practical experience.
GAIL STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
RFT.TFVn.TF. (Mifflin Co.)
Performing surgery on twisted
stomachs. Checking cows for
pregnancy again and again. Spay
iong and neutering cats and dogs.
Bodo Heusmann of Germany ex
pected to do these things during
his practicum through the Big
Valley Animal Hospital near
Reedsville, Mifflin County.
He never thought, though, he’d
be making hay the Amish way,
raising a barn, visiting the
2,000-cow Mason-Dixon farm,
and meeting an assortment ot
“some very clever and some very
stupid farm dogs!”
Bodo stepped onto American
soil in April of this year. After
four an a half years as a veterinary
student in Germany, he was ready
for some hands-on experience. He
knew he’s be in the United States
for six weeks and that he’s enjoy
Thelma Lafferty Always Has
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.)
Great-grandmother Thelma Laf
ferty, began entering the Bedford
Fair competition about 10 years
ago.
“I can’t remember exactly.” she
says. “But, I know I never entered
that I didn’t win a “best of show.”
While she began with her prize
winning quilts, Thelma has
expanded her entries to include
wall hangings and various items in
the culinary arts department
At the 1997 fair, she had a total
of nine ribbons, two best of show,
five blues and two reds.
Her entries included a wall
hanging, crib quilt embroidered
quilt cinnamon pickles, sugar
cookies, raisin bar cookies, and
her two best of shows, a “Japanese
Fruit Pic," and “Everything
Cookies.”
“I wasn’t going to enter any
baked goods this year,” she says,
“but, Mr. L. (her husband) thought
I should. He told me that if no one
enters there wouldn’t be a fair.”
Thelma is also in agreement
with the idea of selling the baked
fjOME
the hospitality of J. Loren and
Wanda Yoder of Belleville. What
he didn’t know was that his stay
would extend to three months, and
that he’d still not want to leave!
“I have learned a lot,” Bodo
says in his strong northern Ger
man accent “You have a lot of
twisted stomachs around here be
cause of the way you feed the
cows. We have ’structure,” longer
fiber in the cow feed in Germany.
“It’s also interesting how you
try to achieve sterility in a bam be
fore operating. In Germany, it de
pends on the person. Some think it
takes too much time and you can’t
achieve it Here, no antibiotics af
ter major surgery is a sign of clean
work.
I’ve also learned how to man
age a practice. No one tells you
how to do that in school.”
Bodo worked with Dr. Anthony
Potorti, owner of the Big Valley
Animal Hospital, and Dr. Robert
Guttroff.
JAPANESE FRUIT PIE
2 sticks of butter (melted)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon vinegar
Mix together and put in two
regular deep pie shell crusts. Bake
at 325 for 45 minutes.
EVERYTHING COOKIES
IVi cups low-fat granola
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup walnut halves
Vi cup peanut butter
VA cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
% teaspoon salt
‘A cup packed dark-brown
sugar
l A cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter,
cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Reminiscing about veterinary experiences, from left, are Wanda Yoder, Bodo Heus
mann of Germany, J. Loren Yoder, and Dr. Guthoft.
“Doctors Potorti and Guttroff
work well together. The practice is
very organized and professional
They’re very friendly with their
clients and very open with in
formation. You don’t see people
doing this in Germany. Potorti and
Guttroff just tell the client what
they know and let them take part
in the decisions.”
Doctor Potorti began practicing
in Big Valley nine years ago. Doc
tor Guttroff joined him four years
ago and speaks for both of diem.
“We’ve really enjoyed Bodo’s
company and help. He’s had a
good experience here. The transi
tion from books to practical know
ledge is sometimes difficult.
We’ve seen him grow and mature
with experience.”
goods to help the 4-H. That way
nothing goes to waste.
Below are the recipes which
won her the “best of show” rib
bons this year.
Preheat oven to 375. Toss
together the granola, raisins, oats,
chocoalte chips, walnut halves
and peanut butter chips in a large
bowl until well combined.
Sift together the flour, baking
soda, baking powder and salt into
a small bowl; stir with a whisk to
combine the ingredients well.
Place the brown sugar and gra
nulated sugar in a food processor
(or use the large bowl and electric
beater). Whirl to combine. With
the processor running, add butter,
a few pieces at a time, whirling
until smooth and creamy. Add the
eggs and vanilla. Whirl until
incorporated, scraping down the
side of the bowl as needed. Add
the flour mixture. Pulse with on
and-off motion until just
combined.
Scrape mixture from the food
processor into the bowl that con
tains the chocolate chip mixture;
stir to combine the ingredients
well.
Shape the dough into 2-inch
Bodo’s connection to Central
Pennsylvania began with his brot
her’s 1988 visit to the Yoder farm.
Bodo was raised on an average
size 95-cow German dairy farm.
His brother now Sums the home
farm. Bodo knew he wanted to
stay in touch with farmers, so he
decided to become a veterinarian.
His pracdcum in America was J.
Loren’s idea. J. Loren presented
the idea to Dr. Potorti before con
tacting Bodo.
“We really hate to see him go,”
says Wanda. “Our experience (of
sharing our home with new
friends from other countries)
keeps getting better each time!”
When Bodo returns to Ger
many. he will take with him a
Daphne Marthouse print, a Swiss
A Best Of
balls; place the dough 2 inches
apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in preheated 375 oven for
12 to IS mintues or until light
brown.
Thelma Laffery with her Amlah boy wallhanging which
won her a blue ribbon and a display of her 1997 ribbons.
She has a chest full of ribbons won at the Bedford Fair and
other competitions over the past 10 years.
hoof knife, a good halter from
Peachey’s Harness Shop, some
whoopie pies, and Big Rod gum,
and some very special memories.
‘1 made hay at Ezra Hostetler’s.
They used a track exactly like the
one hanging in our bam at home.
Now I know how to use it!
“The Amish were really im
pressed that I could read from
their German Bible, too. Even
though they speak a southern dia
lect. we both read the same Bible.'
Bodo also took some copies of
Lancaster Farming back to his
brother in Germany. Later on,
though, he hopes to surprise him
with a special issue.
“Maybe this article will make
front page,” Bodo said with a
laugh-
Show
Cool the cookies on the baking
sheets on a wire rack until fun
enough to lift spatula. Transfer the
cookies with a metal spatula to i
wire rack to cool completely.