86-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, June 2,2001 Jennings Crowned Bradford Dairy Princess CAROLYN N. MOYER Bradford Co. Correspondent East Smithfleld (Bradford Co.) Sara Lynn Jennings, Troy, was crowned Bradford County Dairy Princess at a pageant recently. The daughter of Nancy Scott Jennings and the late Ronald Lynn Jennings, the newly crowned princess is studying ac counting at Elmira Business In stitute. She also loves to help on her grandfather’s farm and served as the 2000 Bradford County Alternate Dairy Princess. Named Alternate Dairy Prin cess was Raya Shores, Hom brook. She is the daughter of Glenn and Patty Shores and at tends North Rome Christian School, where she’ll graduate in 2003. Shores loves sports and works on her family’s Holstein dairy. Judges Lisa Oriscol, Canton; Craig Williams, Wellsboro; and Connie Teel, Meshoppin selected the new princess. Each contestant participated in a daylong dairy festival, which included a parade and dairy promotion activities. At the pag eant, each had to present a skit and answer an impromptu ques tion. Jennings enlisted the help of the audience as she recreated a scene from “This is your Life,” as she touted the benefits of milk and listed many dairy products. “You can have a dairy great life too,” said Miss Jennings, “and remember, milk is the one in 2001!” True to her passion for sports, Shores used a basketball theme for her skit. She showed how missing her morning milk made her tired and listless even causing her to miss practice. The next morning, however, she was Sara Lynn Jennings, seated, is crowned Bradford County Dairy Princess after a daylong dairy festival and pageant recently. Raya Shores is Alternate Bradford County Dairy Princess. Alight, nine dairy maids wtlf help promote milk in Bradford County. From left, are Courtney Kline, Sierra Slater, Abbie Kuhlman, Timmerie Fletcher, Jenny Storch, Renee Shores, Tiffany Spencer, Elizabeth Spencer, and Marlesa Coolbaugh. in top form and ready to run extra laps since she started her morning with a tall glass of milk. Helping the dairy promotion duo this year are nine dairy maids. Marlesa Coolbaugh, Can ton; Timmerie Fletcher, Ridge bury; Courtney Kline, Troy; Abbie Kuhlman, Rome; Renee Shores, Hornbrook; Sierra Slater, Rome; Elizabeth Spencer, Troy; Tiffany Spencer, Troy; and Jenny Storch, Troy, will each help promote milk in Bradford County throughout the year. Special guests attending the 38th annual pageant included 14 former Bradford County dairy princesses and several former al ternates. As 2000 Dairy Princess Sa- mantha Barrett joined the ranks of the former dairy princesses, she delivered a farewell speech in rhyme, recalling the skit that started her on her journey one year ago. “One year ago, Milky Mouse debuted in my pageant skit. Many performances later, my costume has tattered a bit. You might remember that Milky Mouse always talked in thyme? So, I’ve adopted her style as I ap pear as your princess for the last time... “Representing our dairy in dustry has been my absolute pleasure. The people, the memo ries, I’ll always treasure.” Alternate Dairy Princess for 2000, Corissa Coolbaugh, also thanked the crowd for many great memories and cheered on the new promotion team. “To think back, you have a lot of memories. Some are sad, some are happy, and you wish it could go on forever,” she said. Shannon Braman, age 10, holds the Century Award presented to the Braman family farm in the Bedford Valley. Tom Braman holds Shania, age 5, while Cassie, age 8, leans on her mom Karen, on the right. The 200-acre Braman dairy farm was purchased by Tom’s great-great-grandfather in 1900 for $4,500. Tom kept the farm in the family when he became its owner in 1992. Braman Farm Gets Century Award LINDA WILLIAMS Bedford Co. Correspondent BEDFORD (Bedford Co.) Tom Braman of US Route 220 in Bedford Valley is proud of his farm’s newly acquired century old award. He likes farming and he is happy to be part of the Braman chain who has owned this pictur esque farm with its hills, wood lands, and lush green pastures. The Braman farm has 200 acres. Eighty are tillable and the rest is in pasture and woodlands. He rents an additional 175 acres. The valley farm is a perfect setting for his 66 head of milking Holstein, 30 calves, heifers and a few beef cattle which are a 4-H project for Shannon, his 10-year-old daughter. “The best part of farming is that I get to see my kids every day,” Tom said. His wife, Karen, is a bookkeeper and computer guru for the Bedford County Li brary. She helps on the farm with the milking chores and keeps the large farmhouse in running order. Two other daughters, Cassie, 8, and Shania, 5, do whatever they can to help with the farm chores. The girls all have pig projects for 4-H. “I feed chop,” said Shania. Cassie and Shannon tie cows, feed, and throw down hay. When Karen goes to work, it is Tom who puts the girls on the school bus and is there waiting when the bus returns at the end of the day. In the summer, he keeps the girls while doing his farm work. “Where I am, so are they,” he said. “If I go to town, they go along. If I am doing chores, they are usually right there helping me.” Tom’s 92-year-old uncle and his 71-year-old dad also live on the farm. Dad helps on a regular basis and his uncle rides the four wheeler to feed the beef cattle. “It keeps everyone busy and gives them a reason to get up in the morning,” Tom explained. The farm was bought by his great-great-grandfather in Au gust of 1900 for a purchase price of $4,500. His dad leased the farm from his Uncle Herb from 1976 until 1992 when Tom be came the new owner. Tom’s advice for having a suc cessful farm is stay out of debt. “You read a lot about debt man agement,” he said. “Staying out of debt is the best way to manage it. When we want something, we save up for it!” Tom and Karen keep all of the farm records on the computer which makes it easier to track in come and expenses. The Bramans raise 100 acres of corn and 20 acres of small grain a year. The balance of the farmland is in hay. With Karen working, they find it more benefi cial not to have a garden but do raise their own sweet com. A “jack of all trades”, type, Tom does all of his own construc tion work and maintenance work on the machinery. “And I’m pretty good with the animals,” he admitted. “I’ve learned to do a lot because doing it yourself is the best way to make a profit.” The woodlands are used by Tom’s brothers who have bought and run a pinemill in Bedford. A lot of the wood comes from the Braman farm. During the winter months, Tom helps out with the mill and in the spring, his broth ers lend a hand with the field work. “I don’t have any real secrets for good farming,” Tom admits. “I do have a lot of general knowl edge and am always willing to learn. I learn something new every day. We are proud to be a farm family.” And despite all the work, Tom still finds time for a hobby. He owns and rides a Harley David son. “When I need a break, I get out on my Harley,” he grins.
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