A42-L«ncaster Fanning, Saturday, August 30, 1997
Schuylkill County
VERNON ACHENBACH, JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN
(Schuylkill Co.) The Schuy
lkill County Conservation District
presented is annual conservation
awards recently during a ceremony
that included recognition of the
national Envirothon team, from
Blue Mountain High School.
Each year the county district
recognizes individuals, groups and
area businesses who or that have
contributed to the improvement of
the environment The awards were
presented by Barron “Boots”
Hetherington, district chairman.
The volunteer of the year was
Barbara Leymeister-Jucker of
Schuulkill Haven for her contribu
tions to both the conservation dis
trict and Hawk Mountain Sanctu
ary environmental education
programs.
In addition she organized a clea
nup of the Landingville Marsh that
involved the state Department of
Environmental Protection and the
public. Tons of trash were
removed and access road gated to
thwart future dumping.
Leymeister-Jucker assists Peg
gy Hentz of the Red Creek Wild
life Center with rehabilitating
wildlife, as well as being involved
in local watershed associations.
She was most recently involved in
the installation of an Osprey hack
ing tower at the Landingville
Marsh.
The educator of the year was
Livestock Sale Sept. 4
ERIE (Erie Co.) —Interested in
filling your freezer with high qual
ity beef, lamb, or pork? Then
come on out to the annual 4-H and
FFA Livestock Sale on Thursday,
Sept 4.
The sale will be held in con
junction with the Waterford Fair,
and it will get under way promptly
at 6 p.m. with the sale of the grand
and reserve champion market
lambs, followed by the sale of the
balance of the market lambs.
The grand and reserve champ
ion market hogs will be sold next,
followed by the sale of the balance
of the market hogs. The sale will
close with the sale of the grand
and reserve market steers, fol
lowed by the sale of the balance of
the market steers.
According to John Rhea, 4-H
and FFA Livestock Sale Commit
tee chairman, all buyers at the sale
will receive excellent quality meat
and will be encouraging area
youth in a worthwhile educational
experience. The sale culminates
the long project year for the ap
proximately 65 4-H and FFA
members who participate. Many
of these young people selected
their feeder calves nearly a year
ago, and now these steers are
ready for market, having been
grain-fed throughout the past 10
months. Lambs and hogs were se
lected in the spring, and they’ve
also been carefully raised for mar
ket over the past several months.
In all. approximately 30 steers,
20 market lambs, and 40 market
hogs will be offered for sale on
Sept. 4. All hogs offered for sale
jg&asw™ "S'
Ray Gaston of the Schuylkill
Career and Technology Center,
Mar Lin. Now retired, according to
the conservation district Ray has
“... challenged students in his
program, both youth and adult
from throughout the county, with
an extensive horticulture program.
He has developed a program which
focuses on everything from flower
shop management to environmen
tal water quality control for
aquaculture.”
The professional of the year was
Steve Hower, formerly the wildlife
conservation officer for the Pen
nsylvania Game Commission and
now director of law enforcement
for the PGC Southeast Regional
Office. He was recognized for his
efforts to both educate the public
and enforce conservation laws.
The media conservation award
was presented to WNEP Channel
16, for their Pa. Outdoor Life tele
vision show.
The forest stewardship award
was presented to the Auburn Game
and Fish Association for its efforts
to improve the environment and
environmental education.
According to the conservation
district, “This group actively
involves young people in conser
vation measurers that they pursue.
This award is made in cooperation
with the DCNR-Bureau of Fore
stry and is in keeping with conser
vation district goals of promoting
wildlife habitat improvement”
The district’s Cooperator of the
Year award was presented to
will be judged at the Waterford
Fair on Monday afternoon. Sept.
1. Lambs will be judged on Tues
day evening. Sept 2, and the
steers will be judged on Wednes
day evening. Sept 3.
Auctioneers for the 1997 sale
will include Raleigh Chesley, of
Chesley Auctioneers, Noth East;
Doug Chesley, of Chesley Auc
tioneering, North East; Sherm
Allen of C. Sherman Allen, Auc
tioneer. and Associates, Conneaut
Lake; Ronnie Reed of Norvel
Reed and Sons, Sherman, N.Y.;
Jeff Bennett of the Union City
Livestock Auction, Union City;
and Gary Shidemantle, of Gary’s
Sales Service, Edinboro. These
auctioneers will sell all of the live
stock to the highest bidder. In ad
dition, one animal will be selected
for sale by a celebrity auctioneer.
Last year’s celebrity auctioneers
were instrumental in selling their
animals above the average market
price set at the Sale.
This year’s auction will also
feature the sale of a “charity” hog.
This market hog was donated as a
feeder pig to the 4-H progarm in
the spring by 4-H volunteer lead
ers Marty and John Kosiorek. The
proceeds from its sale will benefit
the Second Harvest Food Bank in
Erie. This hog is being raised by
members of the True Grit 4-H
Club. The charity hog will be sold
at the end of the hog sale order, at
approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sept.
4.
Contact the Erie County Co
operative Extension Office at
(814) 825-0900 for more informa
tion.
Presents Conservation Awards
From the left, “Porcupine” Pat McKinney, conservation district director for Schuy
klll County, congratulates representatives of the Auburn Game and Rish Association
for winning the county forest stewardship award. Association representatives
include, from the left, Gil Steffy, Lloyd Kerschner, and Kenneth Steffy.
Alvin, Craig and Larry Wetzel and
their families.
The award is selected from
among the 1,200 landowners in the
county who are cooperators with
the district
The award is based on the land
owner’s innovative applications of
several conservation practices that
help conserve soil and improve
water quality.
“The assistance provded to a
farmer by the Schuylkill Conser
vation District and (the USDA)
Natural Resources Conservation
Service is incorporated into a farm
conservation plan, which in the
case of Wetzel’s farms, serves as a
model to other farmers that soil
and water conservation practices
are cost effective and can be incor
porated into a successful farming
operation,” Hetherington said.
The Wetzels grow com, soy
beans, buckwheat, cabbage, sweet
com, and pumpkins on 400 acres.
The home farm consists of 83
acres.
The Wetzels contract with Agri-
Basics Soil Service of Shippens
burg provides them with soil tests
and management for insect disease
and weed control, so as to only
apply necessary fertilizers and
pesticides.
The farm is located along
Rt. 125 in Valley View.
Outstanding Holstein Junior Exhibitors
Receive Judi Collinsworth Awards
BRATTLEBORO. Vt. Five
outstanding Junior Holstein ex
hibitors have been recognized for,
their achievements with Judi'
Collinsworth Outstanding Junior
Exhibitor Memorial awards. The
award is intended to recognize
Junior Holstein exhibitors for their
efforts and interests in all aspects
of the Holstein industry.
Nicolas Buttars of Lewiston,
Utah was awarded the Judi
Collinsworth Outstanding Junior
Exhibitor Award at the Western
National Spring Show held in
Richmond, Utah. Nicolas is the
19-year-old son of Kent and
Robyn Buttars and is currently
attending Utah State University
where he is working toward his
degree in the dairy herdsman short
course.
Sarah Council comes from
Charleston. Akr. Sarah was recen-
CONSERVATION FARMER
WETZEL BROTHERS FARMS
PRESENTED BY THE
SCHUYLKILL CONSERVATION DISTRICT
From the left, Brad Stutzman with Agri-Basics Soil Ser
vice and Alvin Wetzel, one of the brothers who own the farm,
stand behind the farm sign announcing the farm’s honor
bestowed by the couhty Conservation District.
tly awarded Outstanding Junior
Exhibitor at the Southern Nation
al Spring Show in Springfield,
Mo. Sarah is the 17-year-old
daughter of Charles and Emily
Council and is going to be a senior
in the fall at County Line High
School. After high school Sarah
plans to attend a four-year univer
sity and major in animal science
with a concentration in reproduct
ive physiology.
Carrie Edsall from Pine
Island, N.Y. is the 20-year-old
daughter of Harry and Donna Ed
sall. Carrie was the winner of the
Judi Collinsworth Exhibitor
Award at the Eastern National
Spring Show in Syracuse, N.Y.
Carrie is currently attending Cor
nell University where she is study
ing animal science and plans on
graduating in 1998.
Reedsville, Wis. is the home of
1997
Amy Hagenow. Amy is the
18-year-old daughter of Carl and
Ruth Hagenow and the late
Kathryn Hagenow. Amy earned
the Judi Collins worth Outstanding
Junior Exhibitor Memorial Award
at the Mid-West National Spring
Show held in Jefferson, Wis. Amy
is currently attending die College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences
at UW-Madison where she is
majoring in dairy science and
agricultural journalism.
Anne Spreng from Bucyrus,
Ohio was awarded the Outstand
ing Junior Exhibitor Award at the
Mid-East National Spring Show
in Columbus, Ohio. Anne is the
daughter of John and Suzann
Spreng and is currently majoring
in economics management and
minoring in accounting at Ohio
Wesleyan University.