A4O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 5,2001
Lehman Earns
Top Awards
Heather Lehman of Mechanicsburg received a surprise
award at the Poultry Science banquet. Professor and poul
try department head, Robert Elkin, presented Heather
with the 2001 Bryce Jordan Student Leadership Award of
fered by the College of Ag Sciences. Earlier in the year,
Heather received the Outstanding Student of the Year
Award at the International Poultry Exposition in Atlanta,
Ga. After graduation, Heather will work as a research biol
ogist for Merck.
Photo by Gail Strock, Mifflin Co. correspondent
Fundraiser Supports
(Continued from Page A 1)
“It’s our responsibility to
impact policies,” he said.
Proceeds from the fund
raising dinner are used to sup
port state legislative candidates
of both major political parties in
future elections. The FARMER
committee reviews each candi
date’s voting record, perform
ance, and evaluates stance
regarding support of agriculture
legislative.
Farmers are urged to give
input on endorsement as plans
will soon be formulated for sup
port, according to Marlene
Reese, board chairman.
FARMER takes a bipartisan
approach by alternating be
tween Democratic and Republi
can officials as speakers for the
annual dinner, which is its main
fund-raising event.
This year, Pennsylvania Au
ditor General Robert P. Casey
Jr., as the featured speaker, ex
pressed his gratitude for PFB’s
caring response to the illness
and death of his dad, former
Governor Robert Casey Sr., who
passed away last May.
Casey recounted his father’s
support to agriculture through
passing legislation on farmland
preservation, drought payments,
animal health issues, student
loans and forgiveness programs,
and the Nutrient Management
Act.
Although his dad’s strong
effort for local tax reform did
not turn out well, Casey said, “It
was the right thing to do.”
Casey urged the audience to
do the right thing and have faith
in God, life, people, and a posi
tive outlook in order to live suc
cessful lives.
As an elected official facing a
race for state governorship next
year, Casey said that he seeks
advice from farmers on ag
issues. He said that he supports
farmers and their right to farm
and to take advantage of tech
nological opportunities.
A quote by Thomas Jefferson
in 1821 continues to be thought
provoking and true, Casey said:
“When we direct from Wash
ington when to sow and when to
reap, we will soon need bread.”
According to Casey, farmers
are the best people to determine
legislation that affects them.
“Agriculture will be a major
player in Pennsylvania’s
future,” Casey said. It is his
desire to see profit margins kept
high and a challenge to target
dollars to agriculture for overall
economical development strat
egy-
His father’s and grandfather’s
life, Casey said, are examples of
lives lived quietly and trium
phantly. They did their work,
paid taxes, raised children, and
lived a life of fulfillment.
“We must do more to enable
more families to attain lives of
fulfillment,” Casey said. “Our
job and obligation as legislators
is to create an environment
where families can succeed,
grow, and stay in Pennsylva
nia.”
(continued from Page A 1)
of the industry from the egg
to packaging to control the
quality of our product,” Perdue
said.
Today, Perdue sees $2.5 bil
lion in sales with 20 operating
plants in 13 states.
“Our goals are people (safety
and retention), products, and
profitability,” Perdue said.
Perdue operates wellness centers
for employees as an early inter
vention program.
Perdue listed and explained
five issues affecting today’s
poultry industry consolida
tion, globalization, food safety,
environmental issues, and pro
viding value-added food to re
spond to the consumer’s needs.
Perdue said his company is
looking for students with a
strong work ethic and good
teamwork skills and who are
caring and willing to learn.
Dirk Wise, left, Penn State Poultry Science Club adviser, Joins the club’s new officers.
Second from the left is Nick Gardner, Ag Student Council representative; Tracy
Lindgren, vice president; Karen Groner, secretary/treasurer; and Josh Elliott, presi
dent.
New Trustees
BRATTLEBORO, Vt.
David Pierson, chairman of the
Holstein Foundation board, has
announced that Calvin Coving
ton, CEO of Southeast Milk,
Inc., and Tom Morris, registered
Holstein sales manager and auc
tioneer and publisher of Cattle
Connection, have been elected
unanimously to serve as mem
bers of the Holstein Foundation
board. They will assume their
new responsibilities at the June
28 meeting of the Holstein
Foundation board in Cedar
Rapids, lowa.
Prior to his current position as
CEO of Southeast Milk, Inc.,
At the annual statewide FARMER fund-raising dinner,
Pennsylvania Auditor General Robert Casey Jr., center, is
welcomed by Carl Shaffer, vice president, left, and Guy
Donaldson, president of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
Jim Perdue, left, president of Perdue Farms in Salisbury,
Md., was feature speaker at the Penn State Poultry Sci
ence Club Awards banquet at the Nittany Lion Inn in State
College. Michael Levengood, a Perdue Complex manager,
met also with poultry science students.
Elected To Holstein Board
Covington served as executive
secretary and chief executive of
ficer of American Jersey Cattle
Association-National All-Jersey
Inc. In addition to his board ser
vice with the Holstein Founda
tion, Covington is also a director
of National Dairy Shrine, a di
rector of Ocala/Marion County
Chamber of Commerce, and a
director. Advantage Dairy
Group.
Morris is a registered Holstein
sales manager and auctioneer.
During the past 20 years, the
Morris organization has man
aged several hundred Holstein
sales across America, as well as
in Canada and Europe. The
World Classic at the World
Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.
has been under their manage*
ment for more than a dozen
years and they have been se
lected to conduct their seventh
National Holstein Convention
Sale next year in Atlantic City,
N.J.
Other members of the board
include David Pierson, chair
man; Richard Chichester, vice
chairman; Maurice Mix, secre
tary; Bonnie Ayars; Henry
Beneke; Don Berg; Richard
Cotta; Dr. David Dickson; Kelly
Eich; William T. Graham; Dr.
David Morrow; Donald Seipt;
Barbara Spoon; and Elmo Wen
dorf Jr.
Producers
Attend
School
ITHACA, N.Y. The Cor
nell Swine School, held on
March 22 and 23, featured
knowledgeable speakers on pork
industry issues and concerns of
pork producers. Approximately
60 people attended the two-day
event.
In addition, trade show exhib
itors provided the participants
with information on the prod
ucts and services they have
available to pork producers.