Rotary Member Pays $255 For Prize-Winning Berries
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Ten years of weeding, picking,
and hoping culminated in a grand
finale for Jimmy Mullen, Wake
field, on Wednesday.
In his final year of 4-H before
heading off to college, Jimmy
picked the most luscious, picture
perfect berries to capture first
place in the annual 4-H Strawberry
Roundup at the Farm and Home
Center, Lancaster.
The prize-winning two-quarts
of berries topped $255 when auc
tioned at The Lancaster Rotary
Club dinner following the
competition.
Timothy Peters of Warfel Con
struction Company paid the hefty
price as an investment to encour
age young people in business
endeavors. And, he said, “Because
I’m hungry and in a charitable
mood."
After Peters claimed the berries,
he said that he was counting on his
wife to bake him a strawberry pie.
Jimmy was ecstatic. He credits
his win to “lots of TLC (tender lov
ing care),” and with the roundup
coinciding with peak picking time
in the berry patch.
Jimmy arose at sa.m. to pick the
Red Chief berry variety.
“Normally, I’m up much earlier
to milk cows,” the 18-ycar-old said
of his job at Shady Birch Farms,
Tanglcwood.
“I think this is a great way to end
my last 4-H year before heading
off to Alfred State in New York,"
Jimmy said. He plans to study ani
mal science and dairy herdsman
ship.
A graduate of Solanco High
School and the FFA, Jimmy has a
plethora of ribbons for his many
4-H and FFA projects. He consid
ers his most rewarding achieve
ments were placing first in public
speaking during state competition
in 1995 and in raising the champ
ion berries.
This year, first-time exhibitors’
judging was separate from those
with more experience.
First place in the first year’s
exhibitors division went to Dawn
Winters, Manheim. Samuel Alt
doerffer, Lancaster, paid $l5O for
them.
Second place in the senior divi
sion went to Kenton Bucher, Man
heim. His older brother showed the
grand champion berries several
years ago. Kenton’s younger
brother Kristofer showed the
second-place berries in the first
year exhibitor’s division this year.
Each of the Buchers care for SO
plants in the strawberry patch.
The most difficult job, accord
ing to the brothers, was to keep the
birds from eating the berries before
they were ripe few picking.
Kenton’s berries sold for $ll5
to Rodney and Tracy Host, Lan
caster. Kristopher’s berries were
purchased few $65 by D.L. Peters
Construction (no relation to
The annuel Strawberry Roundup sponsored by The Lancaster Rotary climaxed
Jimmy Mullen’s 10th and final year when his grand champion berries sold for $255.
High bidder was Timothy Peters. Kenton Bucher’s reserve champion berries sold for
$ll5 to Rodney and Tracy Horst. From left are Kenton Bucher, Timothy Peters, Auc
tioneer Harold Keller, and Jimmy Mullen.
Timothy Peters). between $45 and $lOO to eight members need to wait Wo years
This year, auctioneer Harold first-time 4-H members and 11 befo^ l encour-
Kellcr had help from his son in veterans entering the annual rcw ° . '
enticing higher bids from Rotary roundup on June 9. a B e ‘**
Club members. Other than the top Berry patches do not produce
winning berries. Rotary paid berries the first year so that 4-H well-kcp