82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 6,2001 Hoover Family Begins Farm Show Career Brenden, Aaron, Brad, and Audrey join Myra, a Farm Show veteran from last year. The Holstein will return this year to compete as a 4-year-old. MICHELLE RANCK Lancaster Farming Staff LEBANON (Lebanon Co.) Farm Show. The gathering of throngs of people, agricultural and agribusiness displays, good food, bad weather, and, of course, myriads of livestock com petitions. The Hoover family is excited to be a part of it. Last year Brad, 16, and Aaron, 14, spent the full week with their three animals at the show. This coming year Brenden, 12, will raise that number to four as he brings this year’s 4-H heifer, “Inkie,” to compete. They have been 4-H members since they were eight, giving them the nec essary fitting and showmanship knowledge. Even though dairy farming runs in the Hoover family tree from Reid, the attraction to the show ring may come from Diane, who showed Ayrshires almost Reid, Diane, Brenden, 12; Audrey, 9; Brad, 16;. and Aaron, 14, operate a Lebanon County dairy farm. This year the family purchased their biggest Christmas tree yet, according to Diane. every year along with most of her family. Last year was the first year the Hoover boys competed in Harrisburg. “We thought they were told enough. It is something they’re doing and we don’t have tcj.be there all the time,” said DUne. “There were other young kids from the county with their cattle, and they had them together! so they could help each other.” “They’re big enough that me could still run the farm and pot be there,” said Reid. “Tley showed they could take cars of things and be responsible.” Along with Reid’s brother, the family crops 500 acres of corn, alfalfa, and soybeans. Reid grew up on the farih, which has been in the family since 1963. After moving away for a short time, Reid brought his family back to the home farm, where they have lived for 14 years. The Farm Show, according to Reid, is a unique public relations opportunity. “There are a lot of people there that aren’t farmers, and We wanted the boys to keep things clean and neat, to be po lite.” “It’s your advertising, your image,” said Diane. Four-year-old Holstein, Myra, stationed on the end of a row, had her own public relations campaign as she had a lot of pic tures taken of her, according to Brad. Even though last year marked the Hoovers’ inaugural year at the Farm Show, packing was not an insurmountable challenge be cause they had helped friends the previous year, “so we knew what to pack,” said Aaron. Brad also gained experience this year in Madison, Wis., at the World Dairy Expo expertise he’s eager to test in Harrisburg. Brad was able to spend a week in Madison fitting cows, an educa tional experience he hopes to translate to his own animals this year. Sister Audrey, 9, may also be headed for the show ring in fu ture years. She exhibited a calf when she was seven. “We’re not sure who showed whom,” said Diane. Besides helping to feed the calves, Audrey takes care of the family’s 16 chickens. Calf feeding rotates among Hoover siblings according to football and basketball seasons, and who is playing what sport, according to Diane. The animals the Hoovers showed at the Farm Show were homebred. Reid, who is especial ly interested in the breeding as pect of dairy farming, enjoys the challenge of breeding for a quali ty calf. “We like seeing if we can breed something that can com pete with the others,” said Diane. “We enjoy milking cows, but breeding just adds flavor and a challenge,” said Reid. “Genetics is interesting to me, to see how you can improve.” The show ring adds interest to dairy farming for the younger generation, according to Reid. “As parents, we like to see that,” he said, noting the decrease in the number of farmers and the increase in the average age of fanners. “Showing teaches preparation and work, if you’re first or last,” said Reid. “You have to be dedi cated and willing to work hard. You just can’t go up there and not prepare for it. You have to work with them before the Farm Show. It teaches responsibility, not just on the farm, but in any thing.” “Showing teaches winning and losing graciously,” said Diane. Besides taking advantage of the array of famous Farm Show food, the Hoovers enjoyed meet ing a lot of new people and learn ing more about fitting during their week at the show. One unforgettable experience, said Aaron, came in the middle of the night, when the brothers were abruptly awakened by a horse as it put a ■ large hoof through their plastic show box, leaving a large hole which still remains. “I was sleeping right on the other side,” said Aaron. A typical day at the Farm Show includes clipping the ani mals, which takes the most time, according to Brad, at 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. before the crowds arrive. Lines begin to form even in the early morning hours as exhibitors hurry to wash their animals dur ing the quieter time of the day. Keeping the animals clean, said Brad, also keeps the Hoovers busy during the week. The Hoovers transport the Brenden and Audrey, along with help from Aaron, take care of feeding the farm’s calves. The Hoovers milk 130 registered Hoisteins. load of food, clothing, beds, sleeping bags, fitting equipment, plus food and bedding for the an imals needed for the week away from home. Even with all this material, however, exhibitors may not use a stall or the aisles for storage space. Exhibitors are assigned specific spots in the barn, but may request to be next to another exhibitor. “For their first year showing we had really good weather,” said Diane, who is crossing her fingers for a repeat this year, de spite the long track record of a snowy Farm Show week. “Large amounts of snow would make it dificult to get feed up there.” Diane not only provided the ani- mals but also her boys with ample supplies of food during the week. “There’s a lot of preparation before you get there,” said Brad. The family puts their heifers on a special ration of protein to grow the animals out, plus hay to fill them out. “Or we work the weight off of them,” said Aaron. This extra time and attention to the Farm Show animals is freely given. “They (the Hoover family) would say I baby them,” said Brad. “I probably spend more time with the show cows than the other cows.” The Farm Show provides ex hibitors with a bag of peanut hulls upon arrival. The family takes their own straw, hay, and silage mix to supplement the hulls for bedding. They will also place a call to the veterinarian to make sure their animals have the proper vaccinations and shots before making the trip. Since schoolwork and regular farm work takes up much of their time, the Hoovers look to Christmas vacation as the key time of preparation. “Each time we take them out we practice setting them,” said Aaron. He is looking forward to the gaining more show ring expe rience. Seeing other top cows and comparing them to his own amimals is one aspect of the show that Brad is looking for ward to. Brad and Aaron learned first hand about the difficulty of mov ing their animals through the crowds, “especially when you have one that’s flighty,” said Aaron. Even though preparation may take large amounts of time and thought, the Farm Show experi ence is worth the trouble, say the Hoovers. “It’s not all work,” said Brad. “We also had a lot of fun.”
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