Cattle File Through Ring At Carbon County Fair DEANNA CUNFER Carbon Co. Correspondent PALMERTON (Carbon Co.) In a county not generally known for an abundance of cattle, either dairy or beef, the numbers to file through the ring at the Carbon County Fair recently was encour aging. Carbon County sits at the threshold of the Poconos and has its southern end nestled between Schuylkill, Lehigh and North ampton counties each having far more cattle numbers than Carbon. This year saw 39 dairy beef alone run through the sale ring at the Schuylkill County Fair. Six years ago two Carbon 4-H members started the dairy beef project tailored after the program used by Schuylkill County. That first year was all it took to spark the interest of other members to complete the fast growing popu lar project. The dairy beef project is a perfect introduction for members who may have thoughts of someday going on to complete the market steer project. The project involves the mem ber taking possession of a neu tered male dairy calf no beef crosses under the age of one week between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31 of the project year. The calf and member “grow” together in age, maturity and experience. The calf is raised to go into a feedlot and sold at weights between SOO and 700 pounds at the 4-H live stock sale that summer. Since some families are not ac tively involved with raising beef animals it is much safer for their children to start with a week old calf than a 500-pound beef calf. The confidence the child gains by working with a young calf such as in the dairy beef project will prepare them to someday move onto the market steer project. The project has grown over the past six years to the point where there were 13 dairy beef entered in the competition in Carbon County this year. The calves are purchased from dairies in Car bon, Schuylkill, Berks and North ampton counties. Wendall Landis, director of beef quality assurance (BQA) for the Pennsylvania Beef Council, recently judged the entries of the dairy beef show at the Carbon County Fair. Landis selected intermediate fitter Lee Shoenberger as his champion fitter with senior fitter Shanna Simmons taking the re serve champion fitter title. Sim mons went on to be named the champion showman with junior member Christiana Graver se lected as the reserve champion showman. Graver’s 651-pound Holstein, Oreo, was later named grand champion dairy beef of the show. The reserve champion title went to the 513-pound entry of Sim mons. Hometown Farmers’ Mar ket purchased Graver’s champi on at the 4-H livestock sale for $B5O with the reserve champion of Simmons selling to Gap View Farms, Lehighton, for the final bid of $BOO. Members completing the dairy beef project often move on to the market steer project. Such is the YODER’S Windmill Serviced? Let us repair or replace that old tired windmill Specializing in new windmill and tower installation We can also repair your old windmill to pump water again CALL FOR PRICING 717/532-4591 Send written inquiries to. 2006 Bedford Road Shippensburg, PA 17257 case in Carbon County. Justin Cunfer, 17, one of the two mem bers to start the dairy beef project six years ago, was Landis’ selec tion for champion fitter and champion showman of the mar ket steer competition. Reserve fitter honors went to Josh Kemmerer, 17, with Sim mons being named reserve cham pion showman. Both Cunfer and Kemmerer are seniors in the Le highton school district. Cunfer has started his own herd of breeding beef with one of his home-bred calves being named the champion market steer. Landis described the 1,316-pound Angus cross of Cunfer as being a stout and rug gedly-made steer with great depth and dimension. Moses, the champion market steer, sold to Chas. S. Snyder Inc., Tamaqua, for $1,425. Simmons then saw her 1,224-pound Carbon bred Limou sin steer rise to the reserve cham pion market steer spot. Simmons, a recent graduate of Lehighton High School, has started her freshman year at Bloomsburg University studying accounting. The reserve champion of Sim mons sold for $1,200 to Albright’s Mill, Kempton. In the 4-H breeding beef com petition, Cunfer was also named the champion fitter and champi on showman. In the Angus divi sion Cunfer’s junior heifer calf, NDF Blackbird Bridget 101, a Jan. 2001 GAR Commitment daughter, was named the cham pion heifer calf as well as taking first place in the bred and owned heifer class. His Jan. 2000 OCC Anchor 771 A daughter, Weaverland Scaara Chafie, took the champi on yearling heifer title and later moved on to the champion heifer spot of the 4-H and open breed ing competition. Reserve champi on heifer honors went to NDF Blackbird Bridget 101, the cham pion heifer calf. In the open beef breeding com petition Cunfer’s Angus junior bull calf, the March 2001 son of Twin Valley Precision El6l, NDF Precision Magnum 103, was named the grand champion bull calf and later the grand champi on beef bull of the show by Land is. Cunfer’s Nov. 2000 son of Keifer’s Fullback, NDF Prince Fullback 003, took the reserve bull championships of the show. Power Washing Painting - Sandblast Specializing In Fai Buildings, Fences, R Feed Mills, Etc. Aerial Equipment AMOS FI 5269 Paes Rd., New Holland, PA 171 717-354*9856 717*951*2527 Mai MAR K E T LEESPORT, BERKS COUNTY, PA 19533 (610) 926-1307 LIVESTOCK AUCTION EVERY ■ 1:00 P.M. LEESPORT Jf'l Farmers Market 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Flea Market 7:00 AM to ?? visit our website: www.leesportmarket.com In the first open dairy show of the newly-reorganized Carbon County Fair, Mike Swartley, herdsman in the bull production facility at Select Sires, selected the winter yearling heifer of Shelly Rex, Andreas, as his grand champion female of the Holstein show. Swartley described Den-Al Fred Brook, who was first named the junior champion female, as a long bodied heifer. As his reserve junior champion and reserve champion female he selected the fall heifer, Ruch Durham Casey, owned by Caitlyn Ruch, also of Andreas. The fair posted the following results. 4-H DAIRY BEEF FITTING AND SHOWMANSHIP Senior fitters- 1. Shanna Simmons. 2. Kerry Shoenberger. 3. Josh Kemmerer Senior showman: 1. Shanna Simmons. 2. Scott Cunfer. 3. Josh Kemmerer. Intermediate fitters; 1 Lee Shoenberger. 2 Nicholas Simmons. Intermediate showman-1 Nicholas Sim mons 2 Lee Shoenberger. 3 Rebecca Cunfer. Junior fitters. 1. Chnstiana Graver. 2 Luke Graver 3 Taylor Patterson. Junior showman: 1 Christiana Graver. 2 Luke Graver 3. Taylor Patterson. Champion fitter Lee Shoenberger. Reserve champion fitter Shanna Sim mons Champion showman; Shanna Simmons. Reserve champion showman; Chnstiana Graver 4-H DAIRY BEEF WEIGHT CLASSES Lightweight- 1. Lee Shoenberger 2 Kerry Shoenberger. Heavy lightweight: 1 Shanna Simmons. 2 Josh Kemmerer. 3. Nicholas Simmons Medium weight; 1. Luke Graver 2 Nich olas Simmons. 3. Shanna Simmons Light heavyweight: 1 Christiana Graver. 2. Taylor Patterson Heavyweight 1 Chnstiana Graver 2 Luke Graver. Champion dairy beef: Christiana Graver. Reserve champion dairy beef- Shanna Simmons. 4-H MARKET STEERS FITTINGS AND SHOWMANSHIP Senior fitters: 1 Justin Cunfer 2 Josh Kemmerer 3 Shanna Simmons Senior showman- 1 Justin Cunfer. 2 Shanna Simmons. 3 Josh Kemmerer Champion fitter Justin Cunfer Reserve champion fitter- Josh Kemmer er Champion showman- Justin Cunfer Reserve champion showman Shanna Simmons 4-H MARKET STEERS WEIGHT CLASSES Lightweight 1 Shanna Simmons Medium weight. 1 Justin Cunfer Heavyweight-1 Josh Kemmerer Champion market steer Justin Cunfer Reserve champion market steer Shanna Simmons 4-H BREEDING BEEF FITTING AND SHOWMANSHIP Senior fitter’ 1 Justin Gunter Senior showman. 1 Justin Cunfer (Turn to Page A 27) Christiana Graver with her grand champion dairy beef of the Carbon County Fair. Wendall Landis, Pennsylvania Beef Council, Judged the event. Graver was also named the reserve champion fitter of the dairy beef competition. Graver’s animal was purchased by Hometown Farmers’ Market for $B5O. Judge Wendell Landis holds ribbon after selecting the 1,316-pound home-bred entry of Justin Cunfer as the grand champion market steer at the Carbon County Fair. Chas. S. Snyder, Inc., Tamaqua, purchased the champion for $1,425. Cunfer was named the champion fitter and champion showman of the market steer and beef breed ing competitions. 557 ibilc
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