812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 27, 2001
Poultry Ambassador Does More Than Crack Eggs
LOU ANN GOOD
Food And Family
Features Editor
DENVER (Lancaster Co.)
Why is a 17-year-old Rebecca
Highley—with no farming roots —
named the Lancaster County
Poultry Ambassador?
Rebecca might not have farm
family roots, but she certainly has
more hands-on agriculture in
volvement than most students.
She works on two neighboring
dairy farms—which means milk
ing cows and baling hay. And she
raises a Brown Swiss heifer.
Of course, milking cows has
nothing to do with chickens, tur
keys, or eggs. But Rebecca is also
immersed in poultry knowlege.
This year she joined the FFA
poultry judging team. After
hours of studying stacks of in
formation on eggs and the poul
try industry, Rebecca and her
teammates (Brandon Gingrich,
Dan Fox, and Sarah Nolt) placed
first in the state and headed for
national competition in Louis
ville, Kentucky on Tuesday.
(However, no results were avail
able by presstime).
Today Rebecca is quite versed
in explaining such subjects as the
interior and exterior of eggs, cul
ling, broilers, and laying hens.
“I have a good memory if I
want to use it,” Rebecca said of
her ability to retain scientific de
tails related to eggs and poultry.
Another plus is that Rebecca
wants to be a teacher. As the
poultry ambassador, she is re
quired to present programs
through the Ag in the Classroom
program.
“I’m really looking forward to
that. 1 have some ideas on some
things 1 might do,” Rebecca said.
She especially is eager to don the
chicken outfit she’s been offered
Rebecca, her mom, Patty, and a sister, Rachel, check
out FFA literature.
Grants Available For Agricultural, Rural Youth Organizations
HARRISBURG (Dauphin “We continually need to de- ing grants to 4-H and FFA or- grants to qualifying projects. Or- For more information about
Co.) State Agriculture Secre- velop innovative educational ganuations and vocational agri- ganizations can apply for the program or to receive an ap
tary Sam Hayes recently an- programs to provide our youth cultural programs, to fund matching grants of up to plication, contact the Depart
nounced that grants through the with the tools they need to sue- educational projects, seminarsm JP -311 * 8 3 P °f Agriculture’s Bureau of
department’s Agriculture and ceed and to keep our agriculture and field trips that increase t 0„. ’ .l. j mUSt -707% 101 ev ®?P™ ei *f
... „ ~ .. postmarked by Nov. 15. 787-3181 or visit the department
Rural Youth Grant Program are industry strong, Hayes said awareness of agricultural and A 13 . me mber Agricultural on the Web through the PA
available to foster educational Our Agriculture and Rural rural issues. and £ ura j Youth Grant Advi- Power Port at www.state.pa.us
projects and activities for Penn- Youth Grant Program helps us A total of $lOO,OOO is avail- S ory Committee will review the or directly at www.pda.sta
sylvania’s youth. accomplish this goal by award- able for direct and matching applications. te.pa.us.
Poultry Ambassador Rebecca Highley serves Savory
Eggs and provides the recipe to readers.
and looks forward to hamming—
or is that “clucking it up” a bit.
“Farming is a good fit for her,”
Patty Highley said of her daugh
ter. “She’s always been a hard
worker and she never minded
getting dirty, unlike her two sis
ters.”
Patty, her husband Robert,
and two other daughters are a bit
amazed at how quickly and thor
oughly Rebecca immersed herself
into the farming industry.
Although Rebecca was bom
with a love for the outdoors, dirt,
and work, it wasn’t until she
chose an ag science class in ninth
grade at Garden Spot High
School that involvement in farm
ing-related activities became a
part of her life. She was so in
trigued by the subject matter, im
pressed by the ag teachers (Rob
ert Lauffer and Cliff Day) that
she joined FFA.
“I love FFA. It opened so
many doors for me. I wouldn’t be
the same without it,” she said.
In FFA she needed a super
vised ag experience project. She
applied for a job on a dairy farm.
She was the first girl hired to
milk cows. During the summer
she worked seven-hour days six
days a week.
“I like working on a farm be
cause every day is different.
Some days, you get kicked by a
cow and the next day she’s nice
to you. Some days there’s hay to
bale every day is different
that’s what I love about it,” Re
becca said.
Rebecca is now a senior, vice
' I Yi'Ai
In addition to competing nationally in poultry judging,
Rebecca raises a Brown Swiss heifer, and milks cows on
two farms.
president of her FFA chapter
with about 100 members, and still
milking cows.
She also plays on the school
volleyball and softball teams, is a
member of school band, jazz
band, orchestra, chorus, and
marching band.
Scheduling conflicts are com
mon in the fall, but Rebecca said
her teachers are very understand
ing and compromise their re
quirements to allow her to partic
ipate in so many activities at the
same time.
With so many activities, Re
becca makes a startling confes
sion. She said, “I’m a
nator. I end up studying lots of
late nights and Sunday after
noons.”
At Pine Grove Mennonite
Church, Rebecca is active in the
youth group and participated in
a mission trip work camp to
Puerto Rico.
“It was called ‘The Hole’
where we went. People lived in
houses that looked like a hut that
a kid could build. But the people
are so kind, gentle, and open,”
Rebecca said.
She even got to practice speak
ing Spanish, which she had stud
ied three years in high school.
After high school graduation,
Rebecca wants to study ag educa
tion at Penn State.
She said that by becoming en
trenched in farming activities,
she has more appreciation and
respect for farmers than ever.
She plans to portray that mes
sage while encouraging others to
use more poultry products. While
most ambassadors learn to make
the perfect omelet, Rebecca sees
her role encompassing more than
cracking eggs. Nonetheless, she
hopes readers will enjoy this fam
ily recipe.
Va cup butter
2 cups grated American cheese
Va pound chipped ham
1 dozen eggs, beaten
Cream mixture:
Va teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce
VA teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup light cream
1 teaspoon salt
Va teaspoon pepper
• Spread cheese and ham on
bottom of 9x13-inch pan.
• Dot with butter.
• Pour half the cream mixture
over the cheese and butter.
• Add beaten eggs
• Pour remaining cream mix
ture over the eggs.
Bake at 30-35 minutes in 350
degrees. Savory eggs are finished
when the mixture is stable and
set.
Savory Eggs