812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 3, 2000
Gable Named Dairy Woman
Berneta is one of only a few women who own and
manage their own dairy operation.
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
NEW ENTERPRISE (Bed
ford Co.) “I just can’t imag
ine they picked an ordinary
person like me for the World
Dairy Expo “Dairy Woman of
the Year" award.”
But it’s easy to see why Ber
neta (Snider) Gable is such a
worthy candidate for the
award as she stand in her well
kept barn surrounded by an
outstanding herd of Guern
seys, sprinkled with a few Hol
steins and Jerseys.
Although she will not re
ceive the actual award until
October, Berneta has been in
formed that she is indeed the
winner.
"I don’t know how they
picked me,” Berneta said. “1
nave some very good friends
who nominated me. They
didn't even tell me; they just
wrote letters and followed all
the proper procedures and the
next thing I knew, I was notE
fied that I had won."
"It is indeed an honor. Al
ready I can teel the effects,"
she said. "I have been invited
to go on an agricultural trip to
China this fall. I don't know it
I can make it. but I'm sure
going to try ”
Berncla was born with
farming running through her
veins. The Snider farm, which
she now owns, was home
steaded by her family in 1892.
making her a fifth generation
farming Snider. Her uncle
Obie Snider won the World
Expo Man’s title a few years
ago
Often relerred to as "Snid
er's Golden Guernsey Home
stead Farm,” Berneta and her
two brothers and two sisters
were active in 4-H from the
time they could lead a cow by
the halter.
By the time she was college
age. Berneta decided to pur
sue a teaching career and stud
ied health and physical educa
tion.
It was a career that went no
further than her degree, and
she returned to New Enter
prise to pursue her true love of
farming on the family farm.
Berneta and her husband.
Brad, a surveyor with the
Pennsylvania Game Commis
sion. have raised two children,
Aaron and Kendy. Aaron is
now working on the farm with
his mom. Kendy, a sophomore
at Northern Bedford County
High School, has always been
involved in 4-H and dairy
cows.
Aaron and Kendy, as well
as a host of nieces and neph
ews who were all furnished
cows by Berneta, have won
numerous outstanding awards
at both local fairs and the
Pennsylvania State Farm
Show.
Snider/Gable cows have
brought home championship
Guernsey Pennsylvania State
Farm Show awards nine times
since 1990. The proudest mo
ment, however, was when
Aaron and his cow, “Georgie,”
took home the Grand Champi
on award at the World Expo in
Madison, Wisconsin.
“I think nothing will ever
mean quite as much to Aaron
again,” said Berneta.Berneta
had to have two knee replace
ments recently brought about
from years of jumping off a
farm tractor or wagon.
Helping to keep it a first
class farm is “Tweet.” Berne
ta’s brother, who handles most
Dairy Princess Inspired To
Learn More About Dairy
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Lori Connelly
Pennsylvania Dairy Princess
Dairy Month Special Columnist
Never have I learned so
much and, at the same time,
felt I’ve had so much to learn.
All nineteen years of my life
1 have spent among dairy cat
tle and the activities that come
along with them. Eight months
ago. I felt I knew what made
this industry tick and what it
took for a single glass ot milk
to find its way to my breaklast
table.
But. on September 26. I was
thrown into a world where
I was forced to acknowledge
the deficiency of my experi
ence and knowledge. I was
given the most humbling of op
portunities.
Since my crowning, I have
encountered people from near
ly all facets of our industry.
Each person I’ve met has left
something to take with me
after I pass down my crown. A
piece of information, an idea,
and. most often, a feeling of
admiration is left imprinted in
my mind as those I encounter
share with me something from
their own personal niche in the
Of The Year
of the field work on the 300
acres they farm raising all the
feed for their 140 muk cows
and 100 head of youngstock.
The totally registered herd
is artificially bred. However,
they do raise five or six bulls
a year to sell and keep one
for clean-up purposes.
A nephew also helps out
on the farm. “And, I couldn’t
do it without my husband
Brad,” Berneta said. “He is
wonderful. When he is not
working away, he is always
here to help.”
The animals are what
makes Berneta fond of farm
ing. She scratches an ear, rubs
a nose, or gives a gentle back
rub as she passes her prize
winning animals.
“You have to take care of
them,” she said. “It’s the only
way they will produce.”
Keeping up with the nu
merous changes in farming
has been a constant chal
lenge. “You have to learn the
market. At one time, Guern
sey milk was in great demand
because of the richness.
That’s not really the case any
more.”
Berneta also realizes the
value of a computer on the
farm and is learning in the
Erecious spare time that she
as mostly being taught by
daughter, Kendy.
She realizes most farmers
today are poor marketers and
is alarmed at the misconcepts
many get about farming.
“Few realize the hard work
that goes into producing the
nation’s food,” she said.
Meanwhile, she is proud to
be a farmer and, although she
can’t understand why she was
chosen, Berneta will be proud
to accept her award.
industry. This admiration is de
rived from the realization that
their expertise is not just
gained, but earned through
years of experience.
Perhaps this realization is
true of all industries and all
walks of life. Maybe some
times we each need to realize
that no matter how old we are
or how long we have been
doing what we do, we will
never know as much as we
thought we did. That’s the
beauty of knowledge. It never
ends. We can never know too
much, and we can never run
out of things to learn.
It’s been said that the great
est leaders never rest on their
accomplishments. Why should
our industry rest on its accom
plishments? There is so much
that we do not know. Twenty
years ago. who would have
thought that the world’s larg
est cosmetics companies
would be demanding our
products incorporate into
their own? Or that milk could
contribute to the fight of can
cer?
Of all of the lessons and
facts I've learned this year,
the most important thing I’ve
learned has been something
that I’ve always known. Our
industry is overflowing with
bright, inspirational people
who love what they do and
love sharing it with others.
Thank you to everyone
who has given me something
to look back on when this
year is over. You have each
helped make my year rich.
But, most importantly, thank
you for giving me the desire
to learn.
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