A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 22, 1998
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
ROCKSPRING (Centre Co.)
Ag Progress has become known
worldwide in the agricultural com
munity for its experiments.
Another experiment of sorts was
conducted Wednesday in a new
exhibit, the junior livestock exhib
ition area: the Youth Skillathon
and Lamb Show, a prelude to a
scheduled event competition at
next year’s Farm Show.
About 40 youth and 32 lambs
were judged in a complex competi
tion involving what the exhibitors
know about the industry, what they
have learned in raising a 4-H ani
mal, and how they present that ani
mal to the judge during the first
ever skillathon at Ag Progress.
In part, the contest was brought
to Ag Progress to expand the scope
of Pennsylvania’s showcase agri
cultural event to include more
family-related activities.
But an important reason is to
provide more focus on the exhibi
tors, to fulfill the 4-H goals of
“learning by doing.”
The contest was open to all 4-H
and FFA members with lamb pro
jects. The purpose: rate by a point
system three separate areas,
including a skillathon (which tests
a youth’s knowledge of lamb pro
duction), a live market show, and a
showmanship event
The winner, called the Out
standing Youth, was ranked by a
formula involving 50 points on the
skillathon, 35 points on the type
show, and 15 points for the show
manship portion of the contest.
There were four age categories,
including juniors (9-10 years of
age), intermediate 1 (11-12 years
of age), intermediate 2 (13 years),
and seniors (15 years and older).
The overall exhibitor in each
age category won a hefty $2OO sav
ings bond. The reserve took home
a $lOO savings bond. First place
premiums included, for the skil
lathon, $5O, $45 for second place,
and $4O for third.
The skillathon itself was the
most challenging aspect of the
overall contest. There were five
stations, which included a man
agement quiz, identifying equip
ment functions, a meats identifica
tion table, a feeds station, and a
quality assurance and medicine
and health table.
The prelude event, which will
provide practice for participants
and will help streamline the event
scheduled at the 1999 Farm Show,
is not completely new to Farm
Show, according to Keith Btyan,
(y, Halifax and Upper Dauphin 4-H Lives
tock Club member, at the meats Judging table at Aa
Progress. *
Contest At Ag Progress Focuses On Youth Knowledge
dairy and animal science instructor
at Penn State.
In fact, the Shepherd’s Contest
at the Farm Show is expanding to
incorporate the skillathon aspects,
according to Bryan. In addition,
the idea of a youth skillathon and
lamb show may be expanded to
include either swine or beef at
future Ag Progress Days.
Of the three species, having a
lamb contest at Ag Progress was
the easiest species to deal with
because of animal health concerns,
pens, and overall facilities, Bryan
noted.
Bryan is co-chair of the event,
along with Bill Henning, Penn
State meats specialist
Said Henning, “The program
was started by the state department
of agriculture’s Ethics Commit
tee,” he noted. It was begun to con
centrate more on the educational
aspects of a contest, not simply to
show a purchased-for-champion
lamb.
“I call it a ‘holistic’ approach" to
the whole idea of youth contests,"
he said. “The whole approach is to
tty to put the emphasis and the
rewards for other knowledge,
rather than just showing in the
. 1 . _ ♦»
rmg.
“The focus is on the kids,”
Bryan said. In the past, livestock
shows at Farm Show and other
fairs have provided “enough
opportunity to focus merely on the
animals.”
Chris Biddle, 11, Blair,
Lambchops 4-H Club mem
ber, examines an answer
sheet for equipment during
the skillathon.
First and second place Outstanding Youth at the Youth Skillathon and Lamb Show
with Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Samuel Hayes, front row. Front row, from
left, are the first place winners, Jason Levan, David Neagley, Jill Neiman, and William
Leib. Back row, from left, second place winners Jennifer Rudy, Jayson Harpster,
Cathryn Levan, and Heidi Svonavek.
V
Contestant? look over the feed samples at the skillathon at Ag Progress Days
Wednesday.
Quality assurance and health was another aspect of the contest at Ag Progress.
The program makes the overall
4-H project experience “more
rounded,” said Bryan.
It allows kids to learn to under
stand a little about “what they’re
raising, why they’re raising it, and
how they’re raising it,” he said.
Several state fairs already have
multi-species skillathons in place,
including the Ohio State Fair, and
state fairs in Kansas, Idaho, and
California.
The skillathon provided some of
the greatest challenge to the con
tests, especially the equipment
identification and feeds tables.
One question asked: What is the
protein percentage of (he sample
relative to alfalfa hay? Another
question; What is not included in
this sample: A. lodine. B. Iron. C.
Vitamin A. D. Lysine. E. Calcium.
On the equipment table, one tool
looked like a large metal heat-sink
clamp with some wires at the tip.
It’s an “elastrator” used to dock the
lambs and put a band On their tails,
according to Melanie Snyder, a
Penn State senior in ag business.
who assisted in the event
Melanie, 21, is the daughter of
Jack and Donna Snyder, Parkers.
She works on her own 100-head
Suffolk and Cheviot sheep-farm.
When asked what the equipment
was that looked like a large hole
puncher, Melanie had the answer
an ear punch to make room for an
car tag.
Judges for the event included
type judge, Penn State Shepherd
Dick Kuzemchak; Henning and
Bryan, sldllathon; and Samuel
Hayes, state secrctaiy of agricul
ture, showmanship judge.
Winners of the contest included
seniors, first place, William Leib,
Mechanicsburg and second, Heidi
Svonavck, Rockwgod.
fTurn to Page A 37)