Lancaster 4-H Assistants Toil, Learn And Earn LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Fanning Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Energy, laughter, and accom plishment abound at the Farm and Home Center, headquarters for four summer assistants and full time 4-H assistant Lori Little at the Lancaster Penn State Extension office. “We have an excellent core. We could not ask for better assistants,” said Dr. John Schwartz, director of Lancaster Extension. Summer assistants fill multi purposes. The growing season coupled with many 4-H events brings an extra heavy load to extension personnel. Summer assistants help with the extra duties and allow extension agents to do a better job for people in the county. It’s also a way of giving county students an opportunity to see what a career in extension would be like. Of prime importance is Lori Little, full-time 4-H assistant whose job extends beyond the summer months. She was hired in January of this year. Since the appointment of Dr. Zoann Parker, former 4-H exten sion agent, to state agriculture deputy secretary, Lori has assumed many of Parker’s previ ous duties. Duties include heading the embryology school program, working with horse, livestock and dairy programs, organizing the 4-H fair, fundraising, honor roll scholarships, and achievement night. "The staff and the summer assis tants are incredible in helping with everything,” Lori said of the work overload. She considers her duties similar to that of teacher, for which she received certification through Delaware Valley College, where she majored in ag education. Led took a heavy class load to graduate in 3'/a years. After a stint as summer 4-H assistants Kandl Mullen, Wendali Landis, Eric Houston, and Ross Wlker spread enthusiasm about the 4-H program. Because Loci grew up showing horses when she was eight yean old through 4-H Broken Bits and Boots and Saddles clubs, and com peted in horse judging and hippol ogy contests, she was familiar with the 4-H program. As an FFA stu dent at Manheim Central High School, Lori also showed sheep and steers. Summer assistant Kandi Mullen played a vital role in overseeing general 4-H program activities and events. After 10 years as a 4-H’er involved in sewing, foods, public speaking, strawberry club, archery team (went to state competition), and dairy club, Kandi wasn’t ready to leave the 4-H program. When a job opened up last summer to work as an 4-H assistant, Kandi eagerly took advantage of the opportunity. She liked it so well that she returned this year between college terms. She said, "Four-H did a lot fa* me. I learned leadership and com munication skills stuff that I haven’t even picked up in college although I’ll be starting my junior year. Even though it (summer assistant) is a paid position, you can return a lot to the program.” At Lock Haven University, Kandi is studying to be teacher. She would like to teach American history to 10th or 11th graders, but said, “Just to be in a classroom would make me happy.” She taught a two-week class in Philadelphia this past spring, which clinched her decision to work with innef-city kids. Since Kandi lives in rural area of Peach Bottom, people are some? times surprised by her choice, but Kandi said, “I like to do things out of the ordinary. I like the change. Although many people view inner city kids as different from us, they aren’t” In coordinating 4-H activities, Kandi said that the best part was to After returning from a 4-H event, Lori Little, center, Eric Houston, right, and Wendall Landis unload supplies. actually go out and work with kids in both leadership and chaperone roles. “Sometimes it was frustrating not to be able to do things withodt approval, which is required on a number of levels. As a 4-H’er, I didn’t need to deal with that. But the supervisors and,everyone I worked with were wonderful. I enjoyed everything that I got to do.” Eric Houston worked with the urban 4-H program and assisted Nancy Wiker, extension agent Unlike the other assistants, Eric record books, took a survey, had not been involved in the 4-H answered questions, and gave indi program growing up. vidual help to members. “Four-H is fantastic program. It - This was a big responsibility gets a lot of kids involved in activi, ,:'<sjpoc, the hogelnb has 101 mem ties that benefit their future. Espe- bets; the shecpclub has. 93 mem dally for inner city children, 4-H bets, and the beef club hah 25 gives a window into a world that members, they don’t know about Eric said, “I learned about farm- .It was really interesting to see ing and things I never knew before, different ideas at farms §fid get to All around me, people were work- know the kids better,” he said, in* with livestock and stuff. Iff* to sec the stuff I alwayi ' In his job working with kids, did from the other side. And, I saw Eric made up projects, games, morc of what goes on behind the taught food and plant activities, scenes like getting ready for the “I taught them to say soil not dirt Wendall . siid. when we were planting. That’s one * Wendall is studying animal set tiling I learned while giving les- J Penn State wberehe is half sons. I made sure that whatever I way throu 8 h year. He did with the kids was fun. 4-H is to °k off last’ ftll to follow the not school.” barest in the west. A sophomore at Penn State Uni versity Park, Eric is a political sci ence major and plans to attend law school. A Warwick High School graduate, Eric now plays on Penn State’s men’s varsity volleyball team and had helped with the democratic campaign in fall. When he isn’t in college, Eric lives with Mike and Kathy Keeney of Lidtz. “Eric is an excellent role model. He relates well with kids and does a super job,” Schwartz said. Wendall Landis, son of Abe and Dotde Landis of Manheim, work ed as the livestock summer assis tant with extension agent'Chet Hughes. As a 4-H member for eight years, Wendall had showed sheep and hogs and was also part of both the champion state livestock team and the meats judging team. This summer, he had a taste of what it’s like from the other side. He worked with the livestock and meat judging programs. He attended 4-H Stale Days as a chaperone. One of his main responsibilities was to visit each member in beef, sheep, and swine club. He checked “Although I never showed cattle in 4-H, now I am most interested in cattle. Next year. I’d like to work on an Angus ranch in the West Eventually he’d like to work for extension and live in the West and raise cattle and crops. Ross Wiker worked with inter grated pest management and horti culture programs giving technical assistance to Dr. Timothy Elkner. He found his work fascinating. He especially liked the variety of out door work combined with working in a professional office, where he entered information derived from the studies into the computer. Wik er helped set up a series of insect traps, monitored, and reported insect counts for die produce auc tions and the university. This information provides a great edu cational tool for fanners in county, according to Schwartz. A sophomore at Penn State Berks Campus in ag business man agement, Ross is the son of the family and consumer sciences extension agent Nancy Wiker and her husband Robert of Lititz. He applied for the position because he was looking for s h® that would give him more insight into the agriculture world. He was not disappointed. Dinners at the Wiker household often includes scientific information on com var ieties and how pesticides affect plants and weeds.
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