A36-Lancaster Firming, Saturday, Novambar 11, 2000
Pennsylvania Extension 4-H Agents Receive Communication Awards
(Continued from Pag* At)
tional audiences in existing 4-H
opportunities, to strengthen col
laborations with the Juvenile
Detention Center, and the cre
ation of new marketing tools in
support of 4-H programming
earned her the award.
The Blue Ribbon Award was
presented to Melissa Whetzel, 4-
H Coordinator, Greene County,
who was recognized for her out
standing program development
in adult in teen leadership,
school enrichment program
ming, and life skill development
through animal science curricu
lums. This award is given to an
agent with three to seven years
of 4-H and youth development
programming experience.
The Clover Award was pre
sented to Becky Miller, a volun
teer 4-H leader from Lancaster
County. The Clover Award rec
ognizes an individual who is not
a member of the association, but
who is making significant con
tributions to the 4-H and youth
development program at the
county, regional, and state
levels. Becky Miller was honored
for her efforts as a key leader in
the Lancaster County 4-H horse
program, 4-H Leader’s Advisory
Council, and 4-H Development
Fund Board.
The Distinguished Service
Award was presented posthu
mously to William Hosier, Mon
tour County and was accepted
by his wife, Heidi in recognition
of his contributions to 4-H pro
gramming. Bill had been a 4-H
Agent in Huntingdon and
Mercer Counties.
Jan Scholl, state specialist in
4-H Family Living and Curricu
lum Development was recog
nized for 25 Years of Service to
the 4-H youth development pro
gram.
Helaine Brown, Montgomery
County 4-H Agent, received the
Search for Excellence in Teen
Programming Award. Helaine’s
Teen Parent Conference is de
signed to empower teens to
make healthy decisions regard
ing themselves and their babies.
Youth who participated in the
By Bill Henning
Penn State
After investigating companies
involved in the Business-to-
Business (B2B) electronic meat
market. Cattle Buyers Weekly
concluded that there is consider
able variety and that, in fact,
there may be a place for several
entities serving different parts of
the market.
According to CBW editor
Steve Kay, the companies that
will succeed are the ones with
the strongest technical platform
and the ability to adapt them to
the specific needs of customers.
Sellers will be attracted to on
line trading with low transaction
fees, which could save the indus
try millions of dollars annually.
One such company, Food-
USA.com, announced it had
achieved $lO million in closed
transactions only 46 days after
the launch of the company’s on
line meat and poultry exchange.
Food USA.com has attracted
over 1,000 registrants to its neu
tral bid/ask exchange, averaging
conference learned how to
budget and manage money, how
to use car seats properly, the
dangers of smoking during preg
nancy, and important safety in
formation to prevent poisoning
and crib accidents.
The state Natural Resour
ces/Environmental Stewardship
Award was presented to Helaine
Brown, Montgomery County.
She assisted, a 4-H volunteer
leader with the Ambler 4-H club
through a series of environmen
tal biology and wildlife 4-H proj
ects as the club collaborated
with other natural resource
agencies both in and out of
Montgomery County.
The state award for Search
for Excellence in Teen Program
ming Team Award was pre
sented to 4-H Agents; Liesel
Dreisbach, Phyllis Laufer, and
Paul Shealer. The team has de
signed a 4-H Camp Counselor
Training for teens. Teens
learned about youth develop
ment, risk management, and
health emergencies.
The state award for Excel
lence in Teamwork was pre
sented to Extension Agents;
Susan Taylor, Cindy Arblaster,
Brack Barr, Joann Logan, Carol
Schurman, Cynthia Searight,
Melissa Whetzel, Jean Bash,
Robert Stout, and Cindy Javor.
The team designed “Farming
Mooooooving Through Time,”
the theme of the 1999 Southwest
Regional 4-H Camp. The camp
educational programming fea
tured workshops related to the
theme in addition to campfire
evening programs. The program
initiated collaborations with Ex
tension specialists, master gar
deners, and local farmers. By
the end of the week, campers
were exposed to many different
aspects of agriculture of the past
and present.
The Pennsylvania Association
of Extension 4-H Agents awards
and recognition program en
courages its members and others
involved with 4-H and youth de
velopment programming to
strive for excellence in program
development and delivery.
daily product postings of over
$l5 million. Food USA.com,
founded in 1999 in Madison,
WI, has a “strategic partner
ship” with the American Meat
Institute.
Major packers such as IBP
and Excel have indicated an in
terest in on-line trading of meat
products. Con Agra has devel
oped software to help buyers
determine the type of cuts to
purchase and “comparison
shop.”
Electronic marketing also
seems to be catching on in the
cattle business. EMerge recently
announced the purchase of auc
tion markets in Texas and Ken
tucky.
The Texas purchase was of a
market selling 180,000 feeder
cattle annually which developed
a “preconditioning” program
and offered cattle sorted by load
with a maximum 75-pound vari
ation.
At a recent Beef Quality As
surance meeting, it was reported
that one large feed yard in the
PAE4-HA newly elected officers, from left, back, Clndie Searight, treasurer, Beaver
Co., Fred Rudy, president elect, Dauphin Co., Norma Lash, past president, Fulton Co.
Front, Phil Hoy, president, University Park, Katina Showman, vice president, Lancaster
Co. and Judy McCrone, secretary, Delaware Co.
PAE4-HA State Award winners, from left, back, Carol Schurman, Indiana Co., Katina
Showman, Lancaster Co., Jan School, University Park, Nancy Kadwill, Montgomery Co.,
!?. e a i? e Bro * n > Montgomery Co., Susan Taylor, Allegheny Co. and Pamela Paletta,
Washington Co. Front, Fred Rudy, Dauphin Co., Martha Gregory, Lebanon Co. and Liesel
Oreisbach, Leigh Co.
After Visit, American Farm Bureau President
Seeks Help For N. Y. Growers
suSSf effort ers discussed the need for P ublic
tional attention to the devastat- su PP° rt of local farmers b y P ur ‘
weaJSrSd ch^ingiocalfreshfruitand veg
low commodity prices, New The need for federal assist-
York Farm Bureau, the state’s * fa? Z J™ rc L
, , \r j ance for our growers who are
largest general farm advocacy often exclude tfrom direct as
organization, hosted American sistance was discussed as well
Farm Bureau Federation Presi- “““
dent Bob Stallman on a tour of fresult of this visit, Stallman
western New York. "‘“i*
Western New York is a major preconditions
center for apple production in t 0 determine the
the country .At a pressconfer- f h blem nation .
Williamson, N.Y., later in the Q ureau nee d s to examine to cor
day, county Farm Bureau lead- rect thjs problem> j am ca i, ing a
meeting via conference call to
discuss the apple situation and
outlook in greater detail,” said
Stallman.
In recent years, disaster relief
activities have not been coordi
nated to pass along assistance to
those who need it most. The ma
jority of federal disaster relief
fluids have been designed for
“program crops,” such as
wheat, soybeans and corn grain,
none of which are major crops in
New York State. New York is
the nation’s second leading state
for apple production, with apple
Texas panhandle has reduced its
workforce by half after purchas
ing the sorted, preconditioned
calves.
There were fewer problems
with health, the cattle did not
need to be treated on arrival,
fewer cattle were in the sick
pens, there was less sorting and,
because of the uniformity, the
number of rations was reduced
from 12 to four. The office man
ager was reported as resigning
as there wasn’t much there for
her to do.
crops being the state’s largest
cash crop. Adequate relief funds
are needed in order to keep the
apple producers in business here
in New York.
“It truly was an honor to have
President Stallman visiting here
in New York,” said John W.
Lincoln, New York Farm
Bureau president. “With the
challenges that fanners in this
state are dealing with every day,
from severe weather to low com
modity prices to unwarranted
raids from the INS, having Pres
ident Stallman view these chal
lenges first hand is invaluable.
The evidence of President Stall
man’s support can be seen in his
investigating the needs of apple
growers in New York and
around the country, directly
after touring farms in our state.”
The visit included stops at
several farms and a meeting
with growers from around the
region. President Stallman also
participated in the ribbon cut
ting ceremony for the Western
New York Resource Center, Ba
tavia, N.Y., and attended the
Ontario County Farm Bureau
Annual meeting that evening.