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Bis-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 14, 1998
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) Not only has state govern
ment recently passed a law recog
nizing aquaculture as agriculture
for the first time, but the 1999 Pen
nsylvania State Farm Show is to
feature its first aquaculture
competition.
Along with the rest of the major
commodity promotion organiza
tions, the Pennslvania Aquaculture
Association has for several years
supported and manned a food
booth in conjunction with the Pen
nsylvania Farm Show.
The sale of just-baked, fresh fish
fillet sandwiches with the option of
trout, tilapia, catfish or hybrid
striped bass has added greatly to
the hearty smorgasbord of
Pennsylvania-raised foods offered
the visiting general public through
the Pennsylvania Food Court area
of the Farm Show.
The vision for the 1999 Farm
Show includes more fish.
A display aquarium with
student-raised tilapia swimming
around; a seafood counler-like dis
play with freshly dressed fish on
ice on display; filleting demonstra
tions by aquaculture students.
The seafood counter display and
fish cooking demonstrations are to
be in the Food Pantry area of the
Farm Show. The Food Pantiy is an
area where established Pennsylva
nia Food manufacturers chips,
pretzels, candy, etc. are allow
ed to set up displays and demon
strations, frequently providing
taste-testing samples.
There are other new aspects to
the vision of the 1999 Farm
Show such as its first art
show but the aquaculture com
petitions can be construed as a sign
of the acceptance and strength of
the aquaculture industry in the
state, and as a subject in the
classroom.
The newly established Aquacul
ture Department of the Pennsylva
nia State Farm Show has a compet
ition targeted toward high school
students involved in school aqua
cultural projects.
The general rules, point system
and premiums are listed in the offi
cial 1998 Farm Show premium
booklet, available through the
Farm Show office in Harrisburg.
Those interested in entering
should immediately call Charles
Itle, at (717) 787-2905; or show
chairman Brent Blauch at (717)
Grange Announces 1999-2000 Officers
The 1999-2000 Pennsylvania State Grange slate of officers are, from the left seated,
William Steel, master; Linda Strong, ceres; Janet Fishovitz, flora; Debra Campbell,
pomona; and Betsy Huber overseer. In the second row, from the left, are Nettie Kauff
man, executive committee; Mary Ann Buckley, lady assistant steward; Jean Holla
baugh, chaplain; Susan Tau, lecturer; Anna May Nauss, treasurer; and Robert Moore,
gatekeeper. In the back row, from the left, Floyd Buffington, assistant steward; Stan
Gruber executive committee; Lee Pressler, executive committee; Sandy Witmer, sec
retary; Dean Miller, steward; and John Master, executive committee.
Farm Show Welcomes Aquaculture Students
266-4577,
According to the general rules,
the purpose of the exhibit/
competition is, ”... to support the
educational programs in aquacul
ture and promote consumer inter
est in farm-raised fish products.”
There are five classes of com
petition planned Class 1 is live
fish; Class 2 is fiesh killed and
cleaned fish; Class 3 is freshly
dressed fish in combination; Class
4 is a filleting demonstration; and
Class 5 is a rate of gain contest
Exhibition and demonstration
arc prominent themes in the
competition.
As a general rule, exhibitors are
to focus on freshness, preparation,
and aquatic husbandry. Entries
also ate to include displays of fish
raised by students.
The classes are to be judged on
fish quality, freshness, and
presentation.
For now, its first year, only tila
pia grown in Pennsylvania by the
exhibitor teams may be repre
sented, and may only include tila
pia which were hatched in 1998. A
team can consist of two or more
students.
According to the rules, eligibili
ty is ”... open to high school stu
dents formed as teams from
schools which cany an aquacul
ture project of the specie being
exhibited, under the supervision of
the Penn State University Agricul
tural Extension Service, or of a
Pennsylvania vocational agricul
tural instructor.
Eligibility is only for those stu
dents who participate in the care of
the fish entered for exhibit
In order to enter, there are two
steps to follow.
The first step is registration and
identification.
Teams have to submit an entry
form containing the identity of the
school; teams members; advisor,
the numbers, types and sizes of
fish; and any other information as
may be required, according to the
class of competition.
The second step is to get the fish
to the Farm Show.
Depending on the classes
selected for the entry submission,
there are some special
considerations.
For the live fish competition
(Class 1), 10 live fish are to be
delivered to the Farm Show Com
plex in Harrisburg between noon
and 6 p.m., on Jan. 8 or Jan. 9, by
appointment
The live fish are to remain sca
led in a transit container for at least
four hours. The fish arc to be
judged upon arrival.
No fish showing signs of conta
gious or infectious disease, or
external parasites will be allowed
entry to the show.
Fish consigned for processing
during or immediately following
the show must not be treated with
any drugs or biologies (consider
ing labeled withdrawal limits)
prior to slaughter.
The live fish class is limited to
15 different entries.
Of the 10 fish comprising an
entry, one of them is to be selected
for live display in the Pennsylvania
Food Pantry, during Farm Show
week.
The rest of the live fish, after
live judging, can be used for the
Class 4 filleting demonstration, or
sold directly to the Pa. Aquacul
ture Association, which is to fillet,
cook and sell the fish at its stand in
the Pennsylvania Food Court.
For Class 2 entries, the fresh fish
must be delivered during the same
hours cited for live fish. Entries are
to remain sealed on ice in new,
leak-proof, commercially accept
able transit containers (no submit
ting entries in reused containers).
Class 3 entries are called, “Fresh
dressed combination."
What that means is that the fish
arc fresh and they have been
cleaned and made ready for cook
ing, according to one of three dif
ferent ways commonly displayed
in commercial seafood cases
gillcd and eviscerated (means
entrails removed and body cavity
clean, and the red gills removed
from the head, but the head still on,
and the skin and fins still on);
beheaded and eviscerated; and
skinned and boneless fillets.
(Of course, depending upon the
species and its. proposed use, there
are other variations of display case
readiness. However, this is a con
test that has to remain less compli
cated than real life, and it involves
one species.)
The first place winner is to be on
display in the Food pantry, and the
remaining fish are to be entered in
the food court booth or used for
cooking demonstrations.
In Class 4, the filleting demon
stration, those who exhibit entries
in cither Class 1 or Class 2 can par
ticipate by filleting nine of their
entries into skinless/boncless
fillets.
Class 5 is for rate of gain, and
through the competition, awards
are to be offered for all Class 1 and
Class 2 entries which have shown
above average weight gain during
the 14 weeks immediately prior to
the show.
Due to the newness of the com
petition, it appears possible that
the rate of gain contest may not be
practical this year. It involves
Win Some ‘Dough’
(NAPS) —By sharing the
secret of a successful bake sale,
non-profit organizations can win
themselves a lot of dough.
It’s part of the Betty Crocker
Bake Sale Competition, a con
test for charitable organizations
and schools, set up to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of cake
mix.
Bake sales have been a tasty
way to raise money for genera
tions of Americans. Now, some
groups, such as little league,
hospitals, churches and the like,
may be able to get even more
bread for their cakes. The grand
prize winner will get $5,000.
Another 20 runner-up prizes of
$l,OOO each will also be award
ed.
Layer cake mix first made its
way into American homes for
testing in 1948 followed by
national distribution. Over the
years, Betty Crocker mixes have
changed to reflect the preference
of customers, with the newest
change combining the Betty
Crocker and Hershey’s brands.
As part of its anniversary cele
bration, Be(ty Crocker, America’s
best-selling brand of dessert
mixes, now has America’s
favorite chocolate, Hershey’s in
all 34 chocolate dessert mixes,
including Super Moist layer
cake.
To enter the contest, non
profit groups must submit four
bake sale recipes, at least one of
which must use Betty Crocker
Super Moist Devil’s Food Cake
Mix made with Hershey’s cocoa
plus tips for a successful bake
sale table.
A winning recipe may be
something like this Betty
Crocker 50th Anniversary recipe
'br Chocolate Ganache Cake.
Berks Society 3
Berks Farm Women Society 3
has been busy. In August, mem
bers toured a tractor plant and a
cheese factory.
In September, members held a
white elephant sale with the pro
ceeds going to the Juvenile Diab
identifying through tagging, a
group of fish that have had weights
verified before the start of the
14-week period by an county agri
culture extension agent, or a
school agriculture instructor.
The contest and the planned dis
plays are expected to attract
interest.
Across the state, there are a
number of school aquaculture pro
jects involving the raising of tilapi
a. As awareness of the Farm Show
aquaculture competition increases,
participation is expected to follow.
Chocolate Ganache Cake
package Betty Crocker
Super Moist devil’s food cake
mix
1 tub Betty Crocker Rich &
Creamy chocolate ready-to
spread frosting
1/3 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 cup Hershey’s semi-sweet
chocolate chips
Hershey’s Skor or Heath
English toffee bits, if desired
Heat oven to 350°. Prepare,
bake and cook cake mix in two 8-
or 9-inch round pans as directed
on package.
Brush crumbs off cake. Place
1 layer, top side down, on plate.
Spread 1/3 cup frosting almost
to edge. Place other layer, top
side up, on frosted layer. Frost
side with thin coat first to seal
crumbs; then frost side and top,
spreading top smooth and flat.
Heat whipping cream in 1-
quart saucepan over medium
heat until hot (do not boil).
Remove from heat; stir in choco
late chips until melted and
smooth. Let stand 5 minutes.
Pour carefully onto top center of
frosted cake; spread to edge,
allowing some to drizzle down
side. Garnish with toffee bits.
Refrigerate uncovered about 1
hour or until chocolate is set.
Refrigerate any remaining cake.
The bake sale must be held
between September 15, 1998
and February 15, 1999. Entries
must be postmarked by
February 15, 1999. They will be
judged on taste, appearance,
originality and creativity of the
recipes; table presentation; and
originality and viability of the
tips.
Mail entries to: Betty
Crocker’s 50th Anniversary
Bake Sale Competition, 245
Eighth Avenue, Suite 236, New
York, NY 10011.
For complete rules, call 1-
800-446-1898, or visit the web
site: www.BettyCrocker.com
etes Association.
On October 14, members cele
brated Farm Women’s Day by vis
iting a com maze and taking a h«y.
ride, and eating at the Washington
Inn. On Oct. 27, members listened
to ghost stories told by fellow
members.