BUlancastar Farmlno. Situ
Home tor the state dairy princess Is Green Meadow Farms, with 320 acres in Erie
County, which borders Ohio.
On The Farm With State Dairy Princess Nichole Meabon
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
WATTSBURG (Eric Co.)
Nichole Meabon is only 18 years
old, but she holds the enviable pos
ition of being the state spokesper
son for the dairy industry.
Optimistic and effervescent, the
Pennsylvania Dairy Princess also
has her feet firmly entrenched in
reality.
She knows firsthand of the
rewards and frustrations of dairy
fanning. She has been exposed to
the ravages of farm-related acci
dents, long hours of hard work, but
she is also a firm believer that
nothing is too difficult to over
come with strong family relation
ships and faith in God.
Her parents, Randy and Paula
Meabon, recently celebrated their
20th wedding anniversary. The
Meabon family live on Green
Meadow Farms in Wattsburg,
which has been in the family since
1944. Nichole’s parents purchased
the farm from her great grandpa
rents in 1976. The farm encompas
ses 320 acres, but with tented
ground, the Meabons farm 500
To promote mllkln tho classroom, Nichols goes Ashing.
The skit was Inspired by her Ashing jaunts with her grand
father. Instead of fish, she catches letters that stand for
nutrients found In milk.
7, 1998
acres and milk 110 cows.
Green Meadow Farms is the site
for many international and school
tours.
The herd was all Holsteins until
Nichole started 4-H and began
showing Jerseys because they
were easier to handle. Her younger
brother Bradley, who is 16, shows
Ayrs hires.
When Nichole was only eight
years old, she won a Holstein calf
through the Erie County 4-H
Extension. No doubt her commu
nication skills were evident at that
young age. Of all the entries,
Nichole gave the most convincing
argument on why she should be the
one to win the calf.
She named the calf. Limelight
Since then. Limelight has
freshened and had a heifer, then
twins heifers that freshen. The
offspring keeps multiplying and
Nichole now owns 16 animals.
Since her reign that began in
September when she was selected
from 29 other contestants, Nichole
said, “Getting to know people is a
highlight I like to travel, take
chances, and experience new
* ***•*!'
things.”
The responsibility of giving a
speech at the many appearances
doesn’t faze her. She said, “I usual
ly write speeches on the way,
while in the car. It’s a natural gift
and is easy for me.”
Because Erie County is so far
away from the state Farm Show
and held during vicious weather,
Nichole had never attended it
before this year. While there, she
was required to work in dairy
related events throughout the
whole week. Despite the publicity,
Nichole was surprised by the mas
sive size of the annual show.
“It was lots more to see and look
at than I imagined,” she said.
At the Farm Show, Nichole’s
main responsibility was helping at
the booth sponsored by Pennsylva
nia Dairy Promotion Services. She
helped operate the Wheel of For
tune and used Rosie the cow to
teach a lot of children about nutri
tional facts.
Both sets of her grandparents
live within 10 minutes of the Mea
bons’ farm. The extended family
has been really supportive of
Nichole’s role in the dairy
industry.
In fact, it was her grandpa that
influenced her to use a fishing skit
for pageant competition. Unlike
their many fishing jaunts, Nichole
doesn’t catch fish while on stage.
Instead, she catches letters that
represent the nutritional values of
milk.
Her grandfather has a milk haul
ing business and an uncle owns a
milk transporting business. The
day after her coronation, her uncle
created a banner proclaiming:
Congratulations, Nichole Meabon,
1997-98 Pa. State Dairy Princess.
The banner is still on the truck
and will remain there throughout
her reign, which ends in
September.
Nichole is a active at Beaver
Dam Mennonite Church, which is
also supportive of her dairy prin
cess role. The Sunday after the
pageant, the church bulletin board
was decorated with the words:
“Way to go, Nicki."
Having a dairy princess in the
family is nothing new to the Mea
bons. Both her dad’s sisters were
county dairy princesses and one
was a state alternate.
“I had no clue,” she said of the
shock of winning the state crown.
“I left everything in God’s hands
and thought whatever
happens ”
Unlike most contestants, the
state pageant was the first one that
she participated in because Erie
County did not hold a pageant
because they had no other conies-
(Turn to Pago BIS)
The Meabon family mllka 110 cows. From left are Nichole,
her mother Paula and dad Randy, and brother Brad.
Fish galore Is common when the Meabons go fishing.
Here Is Nichole’s grandpa, dad, and brother cleaning the
fish she helped catch.
Nichole’s mother Paula Is a 4-H dairy leader. In addition to
helping on the farm, she has an extensive cow collection in
the kitchen.
Homestead
Notes