West Snyder FFA The second annual ACES (Agricultural Cooperation Es tablishes Success) Leadership Conference was held on Satur day, February 19 through Dairy Of Distinction Seeks Nice Looking Farms STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) Do you take pride in maintaining your dairy farm? Does your farm project an at tractive, wholesome image to consumers? If so, the Dairy of Distinction Program of Pennsyl vania, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont is looking for you. The Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program that oversees the Distinction pro gram was first started in 1983 in Pennsylvania. The Dairy of Dis tinction recognize the hard work and dedication of the farmers who maintain attractive farms. The purpose of the program is to instill a greater sense of confi dence in the wholesomeness of dairy products, thus increasing sales. Farms that apply are judged on the roadside appearance of budding, grounds, and sur roundings, since this is what our dairy product consumers ob serve as they drive by the farm. The cleanliness of the barn yard, feed areas, and manure management are all areas taken into consideration when a team of judges takes a look at your farm from the road. Your milk cooperative or handler will be contacted to approve your milk quality. Judging is conducted during the month of May. Award winners are announced during local June Dairy Month activi- • • Dairy of Distinction • 2000 Pennsylvania Application Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program Inc. • Awards will be based upon neatness, good maintenance, and other • factors that can be controlled by the farmer. Attractive background seen- • PURPOSE OF PROGRAM cry should not be weighted heavily in judging. All judging observations • should be made from a vehicle at one or more points on an adjacent • Attractive dairy farms give the consumer greater confidence in the wholesomeness of milk and stimulate milk public highway. If the farm is off the road, the judging will take place * sales which encourages public support for the dairy industry The award gives recognition to the dairy farmer for from the nearest lane. Judging should give equal consideration to old • maintaining a well-kept farmstead wood construction and new construction of metal or concrete block. J The award program may be used for subsequent advertising or pro- • ELIGIBILITY motion activities for dairy products or dairy farming. Farmers who • apply for the award agree that if selected they will cooperate with these • All Northeast dairy farms producing milk for sale are invited to submit an application for the award Dames promotion activities and make all reasonable efforts to maintain both * receiving the 10 highest scores in each of the 21 districts will receive an 18” x 24” Dairy of Distinction sign to the exterior and interior of heir properties in an acceptable manner. • be displayed in front of their farm HOW IS YOUR FARM SCORED? HOW THE APPLICATION WORKS The owner or operator of the dairy farm should sign the application • Your Name and send it to the Dairy of Distinction state secretary by April IS. • • Mailing Address. HOW THE JUDGING WORKS Judging teams will visit farms during the month of May. Farms will be • judged each year as the award is presented on an annual basis. Any • Cooperative or Handler (where you ship your milk, be specific), dairy failing to standards will be asked to remove • their signs. The Dairy of Distinction signs remain the property of the • committee, not the property of the dairy farmer. All farms must achieve • (Your Handlcr gonuejd t 0 □ p p roV c \om milk quality) a compliance score of 90 percent on their Dairy of Distinction score card. • Your cooperative or milk handler will be contacted to approve your milk • Location (driving directions for judging team) quality. 2 R ULES FOR THE DAIR Y OF DISTINCTION AWARD • 1) The Dairy of Distinction sign remains property of the Northeast • Dairy Farm Beautification Committee. • 2) The post and bracket shall be supplied by and maintained by the • County (where your farm is located) dairy farmer. It is suggested that a wood post 4’ x4’ x 12’ or iron pipe • 2’ x 12’ can be used. Posts or pipe should be installed and main- • I hereby apply to the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Committee to have my dairy scored in accordance laincd in true vertical position with 8’ above ground. Top of the • with the rules of the program for the purpose of obtaining a Dairy of Distinction sign to be displayed on my bracket should be lower than six inches from the top of the post. • premises (No producer will be charged for scoring or sign expense) 3) Signs shall be displayed in front of the dairy at roadside. An attractive • Dost or bracket, or other frame, shall be used to display the sign. No • more than three signs should be displayed from the sign frame or • post, and all shall be of a style, general size, and quality comparable ‘o damages' 0 " SiB "' SiB " Sh ° U ' d RetUm yOUr a PP lication h April 15 to: 4) Signs shall not be moved to other premises. New owners of a Dairy ✓ PENNSYLVANIA Michael O’Conner, 324 Henning Building, Dept, of of Distinction farm must apply to retain the sign Dairy and Animal Science, Penn State University, University Park, PA 5) Replacement of damaged signs is at the committees discretion. ' J 6) No producer shall be charged with scoring or sign expenses. IOOUZ 7) Judges’ decisions will be final. ✓ NEW YORK — Carol Keene-Ainsille, 3993 Jordonville Road, 8) Judging will take place between May Ist and May 31st. lordonville NY 13361 9) Farms awarded a Dairy of Distinction sign in previous years will be joraonviue, IN IIJ JOl 7 judged between April Ist and April 30th. If they do not qualify, ✓ NEW JERSEY Joy Ricker, 91 Bcemer Road, Sussex, NJ 07461 trssnr ISt and May 31St S ° l Cy ave VERMONT Elisa Clancy, Vermont Department of Agriculture, 16 l()) h Fa°rnw that do not requalify will return the sign to their regional State St., Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620-2901 Dairy of Distinction committee. Sunday, February 20 at the Mar riott Hotel in Harrisburg. The conference was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association of the FFA. Andy McClay, a former National FFA Officer, served as the Keynote speaker for the event. Andy motivated students to set their goals and work hard to achieve them. Del-Jame Farm near Hamburg In Berks County is a 1999 Dairy of Distinction winner. Since the program began in 1987 in Pennsylvania, more than 700 farms have been given this farm beautification award. Entries are now being received for the year 2000 program. Take time to enter your farm now. ties. To qualify for consideration, you must be actively daily farm ing and shipping milk. Applications are available for Pennsylvania dairy farms from Michael O’Conner, 324 Henning Building, Dept, of Dairy and Animal Science, Penn State Uni versity, University Park, PA 16802. Phone: (814) 863-3913. New York State applications are available from Carol Keene- Ainsille, 3993 Jordonville Road, West Snyder bhA members who attended the conference in cluded Melissa McWilliams, Charles Kessler, Kate Heeter, Jessica Walter, Phaedra Wray, Hannah Etzler, Heidi Good, Heather Hollenbach, Sandy Opdyke, and Daphne Wagner. Maria Trego, Pennsylvania FFA Jordonville, NY 13361. Phone: (315)858-2770. For New Jersey applications, contact Joy Ricker, 91 Beemer Road, Sussex, NJ 07461. Phone: (973)875-4803. For Vermont applications, send to Elisa Clancy, Vermont Department of Agriculture, 16 State Street, Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620-2901. Phone; (802) 828-3835. All applications must be com pleted and returned to your re Phone Number Farm and Home Section, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 25, 2000-Page spective state secretary by April 15, 2000. The Dairy of Distinction pro gram is financed in Pennsylva nia by dairy farmers through the American Dairy Association & Dairy Council Mid East and the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program in cooperation with many local agribusiness organ izations. The program is con ducted with advice and help from the Penn State Coopera tive Extension. APPLICATION Farm Name Date State Reporter and a graduate of the West Srtyder FFA Chap ter, also attended. While at the conference, stu dents learned their role as an FFA member, developed team building skills, and attended workshops on goal setting, time management, cooperation, and citizenship. This conlerence was designed to improve leadership skills and self-esteem of the indi vidual FFA member. Cedar Crest FFA The Cedar Crest FFA chapter has been identified as a national winner of the National FFA Or ganization’s 2000 Fall Commod ity Marketing Activity. The Commodity Marketing Activity (CMA) is a biannual activity that is conducted for a six week period in the spring and fall of each year. CMA integrates the classroom with real life experience, which helps students gain a practical knowledge of the business world. Teams create a model farm, which may consist of: corn, soybeans, wheat, soybean meal, cattle, hogs, cotton, orange juice, and sugar. Team members decide when to buy and sell these products to achieve the greatest economic gain. Orders are called to a com modity broker and the trade is recorded. Current prices and market conditions are utilized, however no money is exchanged. Each FFA chapter may have up to four teams consisting of an unlimited number of team mem bers. Winners are determined by combining the team’s trading and final exam scores. The team, from each participating state, with the highest combined total will be presented with the State Winner’s plaque. A cash award will be given to the team with the highest overall score in the nation. The commodity Marketing Group Activity is sponsored by the Stewart-Peterson Advisory Group, the Chicago Mercantile exchange, and Data Transmis sion Network Corporation as a special project of the National FFA Foundation, Inc. Locally, the Cedar Crest FFA’s teams placed first and second in the state. The first place team consisted of Tim Gettle, Erin Templin, Mike Sen senig, and Kendra Reist. The second place team consisted of Jason Shirk, Amanda Martin, and Missy Walborn. Recently the state FFA record book contest was held at Penn State University. Over 450 books were entered. The judges scored the books on accuracy, neatness, and completeness. Chet Bru baker from Cedar Crest won the Lebanon County Keystone Farm Credit award for the best record book in Lebanon County He will receive a savings bond for this achievement. The Cedar Crest medal winners were as follows: Chet Brubaker, Richard Roof, Billie Jo Atkins, Jason Shirk, Tim Gettle, Nate Artz, Jeremy Balsbaugh, Joel Krall, Amanda Waltermyer, Hanna Bom gardner, Jared Zimmerman, Dan Eberly, Sarah Krall, Beth Kreider, Hanna Bomgardner, Jared Zimmerman, Amanda Martin, Sarah Krall, Rachael Krall, Nikki Yate, Amanda Waltermyer, Joel Krall, Billie Jo Atkins, Jeremy Balsbaugh, and Erick Rheinheimer. ■ t & T|^ ■wa*. % 157
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers