A&Cjixistaf Farmlhtf, Saturday, Fabruaiy 7,1998
1
JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
SEVEN VALLEYS (York Co.)
Hold a 4-H beef show in York
County and one of the standard
pieces of “operating equipment”
that will be on hand will be leader
Walter Laird. The longtime 4-H
beef advisor will be helping move
gates, weigh in steers, giving
chase to the inevitable escapee
and pulling a practical joke every
chance he gets.
Laird, who has served as a lead
er of York County 4-H Beef Club
since at least 1970, is the group’s
Citation winqer for 1998. He was
honored with the club’s highest
honor during the annual awards
dinner, held January 31 at the Se
ven Valleys Fire Hall.
4 T never filled out those forms
so you wouldn’t do this,” quipped
Laird, accepting his award with
the characteristic good-humor that
has won him the friendship and
admiration of two generations of
beef exhibitors. His wife, Nellie,
noted later that she had first found
his name appearing in a beef club
program in 1970, though they
were uncertain as to the actual
year he had first signed on for 4-H
leadership.
Laird is a fourth-generation
farmer on the Dover area farm of
his mother’s family. He grew up
helping to milk the family’s dairy
herd. As a young man, he decided
he did not want to milk cows
every day and made the switch to
beef production. At one point,
Walter and Nellie Laird’s noted
Angus beef herd numbered over
100 head. They were longtime ex
hibitors at area and regional
shows. Today. Laird is semi-re
tired and the herd reduced to about
a dozen head, but he continues to
work with the 4-H beef club’s pro
jects. He continues as an active
leader with the Southcentral Penn
sylvania Cattlemen’s Association
and the Pennsylvania Angus As
sociation. Laird is also an avid
Belinda Myers recreated her award winning cake from the
PA Farm Show to benefit the York 4-H Beef Club. With Myers
are the trio which paid $125 for the beautiful pastry, from left
Gordon Shive, Robert Miller, and Harry Baughman.
Raising steers of Merit to meet the market demand were
York Beef Club members, from left, Beth Baer, Raymond
Stough, and Jay Rishel. The awards were presented by the
Southcentral Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association.
Beef Club Honors Laird
hunter, and made his second trip
to Africa for big game hunting last
fall.
Following the awarding of his
Citation plaque, Laird was
promptly called back to the pro
gram’s podium to conduct a spon
taneous auction of a cake baked
for the raising of funds for the beef
club. Rising to the occasion. Laird
dispatched two professional auc
tioneers in the audience, Blaine
Rentzel and Harry Baughman, to
spot bids while he auctioneered.
The combined efforts left the
audience in laughter and the beef
club’s treasury $125 richer.
Buyers of the cake, created and
donated by award-winning York
County baker Belinda Myers,
were Baughman, Gordon Shive
and Bob Miller. Their “syndicate”
bought the two-tiered Chocolate
Chamboard cake which Myers
had baked and decorated in a re
peat creation of her entry that won
top honors at the 1998 Farm
Show’s Hershey Chocolate cake
contest The cake created by the
Dallastown baking champion in
cluded a raspberry filling tucked
between chocolate layers, and was
decorated with delicate, hand
made, chocolate-latticework dia
monds. The Myers family are
longtime beef producers, as well
as members and supporters of the
4-H programs.
Several beef club members
were honored for outstanding ac
complishments during the 1997
4-H project year. Roll call awards
went to three veterans and four
rookies. Saluted for their first-year
roll call participation were sib
lings Hope Long, Kurt Long and
Tim Long and Jessica Harcourt.
Among the veterans in the roll call
responses, Tammi Grubb placed
first, Travis Reid was second and
Jen Flinchbaugh was third.
Southcentral Pennsylvania Cat
tlemen’s Association recognized
three beef club members with
Steer of Merit awards. This award
is based on the performance in
several criteria for market demand
of beef carcasses, including yield
and quality grades, average daily
gain and live conformation. Win-
Walter Laird, right, Is the York 4-H Beef Club’s 1998 Citation award winner. With
Laird Is his wife, Nellie, and Gordon Shlve, who made the presentation.
Recognized at the Beef Club awards dinner for their special York Fair accomplish
ments were, from left, Jamie Welsh, Cory Thompson, Tamml Grubb and Amy Sweit
zer.
Beef Club roll call honoroee were, from left, front, Kim Long and Kurt Long; and
rear, Tammi Grubb, Travla Reid, Jen Flinchbaugh and Hope Long.
tiers of the Steer of Merit awards recognition given at five-year in
were Beth Baer, Glenville, R. Jay crements. Ralph Dixon is a
Rishel and Raymond Stough. 30-year leader with the beef club.
Two leaders were honored for while Tim Livingston completed
service to the youth program, with his fifth year of 4-H leadership.