810-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 3, 2000 w Well-Written Essay Wins Adams 4-H’er A Calf * 14-year-old Steve Norris is looking forward to showing his new calf, Erkye, in 4-H this year. Steve is a first-year member and won the calf through the Adams County 4-H Dairy Club’s essay contest. JANET WILLIAMS Adams Co. Correspondent GETTYSBURG (Adams Co.) Who says dairy farm ers don’t need strong writing skills? Here’s a boy whose writing ability won him his first year 4-H project. The essay contest, coordi nated by the Adams County Dairy Club, does have an un usual prize, but it is the one that is most appropriate. For the past four years, members of the Adams Coun ty Dairy Calf Club have had the chance to enter the essay WHICH TWO ARE EXACTLY ALIKE? '■r* contest and win the prize of a newborn calf. Joy Hess, who helps coordi nate the contest, said it has been a really good experience so far. “Basically we started it be cause a lot of kids wanted ani mals to show and didn’t have the money to buy one,” she said. The contest is open only to first year members of the club, so they tend to be 8- or 9-year-olds, just starting out. To enter the contest, chil dren have to write a 350-word anod onv omi 33wsnv sKprnesc essay about what they will do to take care of the calf. They have to explain where it will live, what they will feed it, and also list the reasons why they think they should be the one to win. The calves tend to be about a month and a half old when they kids get them. Hess said they do the con test early in the year so that the winner can get a calf by the middle of April to make sure the calf is young enough for the youngster to handle easily. “That way the calf doesn’t get too far ahead of them,” she ex plained. Steve Norris, 14, of Emmits burg, Md., was the winner of the contest this year. His calf, Eryke, was born on March 7, which also happens to be Steve’s birthday. Steve doesn’t live on a farm, but he has spent a lot of his life on farms since his uncle owns Waybright Farms outside of Gettysburg. The young man has made arrangements to keep his calf at a neighbor’s about five miles away from his home. He goes there regularly to tend to the heifer. At this point, he working on getting her used to the halter so he can show her in August. The animals given as prizes in the contest have been do nated by local dairy farmers Larry Mummert of East Berlin and John Hess of Gettysburg. They were valued between $5OO and $BOO each. “They’re not fancy, elabo rate calves,” Hess said. “But they are something for the kids to get started.” Even children of active dairy farmers benefit from the pro gram, said Tina Wilkinson of Gettys Acres near Gettysburg. Her son, Lee, won the contest two years ago. Although she and her husband’s family are milking 210 cows, none of their calves could be used for 4-H. “We don’t show our cows because we don’t register them,” she said. She said the program really helps the kids think about more than just ‘wanting” a heifer. “It makes them really think about why they want a calf,” she said. TAC TOE , evei jre are enjoying ice cream sui jes ai milkshakes as the weather heats up outside. Remember that June is Dairy Month and celebrate by enjoying lots of cool treats made with real milk and dairy products. . *> K , , * \ ' sTA
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers