812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 22, 2002
Pennsylvania Ayrshire Princess Deals With The Worst , Best
(Continued from Page B 2)
additional silo, built onto the
bam, and added a larger milking
parlor.
The family farm is surrounded
by mountainous peaks and is
within a mile of the popular rec
reational man-built Raystown
Lake.
“I guess the lake is necessary
because recreation is a big part of
the economy, but it has brought
nothing but aggravation for us,”
Keith said.
While transporting equipment
from farm to farm, Keith said he
has been spit on, hollered at,
swore at, and cut off the road by
drivers of recreational vehicles
who think they own the road.
Keith said it’s difficult to sur
vive as a small family farm, but is
reluctant to expand. He believes
that larger farms lend to a “sur
plus.”
The farm enables them to
carry on the tradition of not only
raising produce for themselves
but for others. They raise and
freeze 100 quarts of com for
themselves and another 100 for
church and Grange usage. The
com is boiled over a propane
burner. Wire baskets filled with
Cherry Picking Season Opens
(Continued from Page B 2)
are planted from 8-15 feet apart,
depending on the root stock.
Trees are planted on the top of
a hill which protects them from
frost. This often exposes them to
heavy winds that blow them over
and require restaking. Each year,
about the first week of April, 200
colonies of bees arc brought in for
pollination.
Cherries on the east and south
sides ripen from 5 to 10 days
earlier than those facing the
The cherry harvest is ahead by about 10 days this year. Cherries are plentiful, flavor
ful, and larger than usual. Allan Carr, left, Middletown, said it took him only 1 Vz hours to
pick these cherries. Richard Haas of Cherry Hill Orchards weighs them.
At the pageant, Jennifer Holchin, center back, crowns Pennsylvania Ayrshire Prin
cess Jodi Keith flanked by Alternates Amanda Brandt, Huntingdon County, left, and
Mary Pencil, Fayette County.
north.
Variables that haunt orchard
growers include winter freeze,
spring frost, insects, disease, deer,
bird, hail, rain at harvest, and
competition.
“We grow enough for the birds
and people,” Haas said of the
useless and endless methods used
to deter birds.
Deer damage can be extensive.
Woodland edges the orchards
and deer love to strip the trees of
all leaves and blossoms. Recently
the orchard invested $lO,OOO in
placing an invisible fence around
the orchard and purchasing two
Siberian Huskies to patrol the
area at night.
Recently Haas turned the or
chards over to his son Tom Haas.
Cherry Hill Orchards Outlet is
located at Long Lane on Martic
ville Road, Lancaster. Hours are
7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday
through Friday, and Saturday 7
a.m.-4 p.m. The orchards are
closed Sunday. For more inform
ation, call (717) 872-9311.
Chester County Dairy
Royalty To Be Crowned
CHESTER SPRINGS
(Chester Co.) Chester
County ranks fifth in the state
of Pennsylvania for milk pro
duction. This year the new
Chester County dairy princess
and five dairy ambassadors
will be promoting milk to
those living in this area.
The Chester County Dairy
Princess Pageant will be Sun
day, June 30, at 2:30 p.m. at
the Chester Springs Creamery
overlooking the Milky Way
Farm of Chester Springs. The
public is invited to attend.
Preparing for her new role
as Chester County dairy prin
cess is 19-year-old Elizabeth
Young, known to her friends
as Betsy. She is the daughter
of Charles and Debra Young
of West Grove. She works on
the family owned “Pure AYR
Farm” with a milking herd
size of 95 Ayrshire and Brown
Swiss milked twice daily. In
her free time, Betsy enjoys
reading, drawing, and paint
ing.
Serving as dairy ambassa
dors this year are five young
women who will be assisting
Betsy in her duties visiting
schools, stores, farm functions,
various civic groups and at
tending training seminars. Re
becca Oian, known to family
and friends as Becky, is the
16-year-old daughter of Rob
and Sharon Nolan of Coch
ranville.
Having three older brothers,
Becky has learned to handle
herself in most situations and
it has given her the stamina
she needs to work with the
family’s “Dreamnol“ herd of
35 Ayrshire and Holsteins. She
* *
We Love Oar
The Cream Of The Crop
the blanched com is set in the
farm’s spring to cool before being
cut off the cob.
The farm spring also supplies
water to half the town of Entri
ken.
A junior at Huntingdon Area
School, Jodi participates in girls’
soccer, track and field, FFA,
band, chorus, and Key Club. She
is active in both county and dairy
club 4-H. She is active in Grange,
church youth group activities,
and enjoys movies and meeting
new people.
Jodi is considering attending a
technical school to study radiolo
gy-
During the summer months,
Jodi earns money babysitting.
In addition to her duties as
Ayrshire Princess, Jodi is also an
ambassador for the dairy princess
promotional program in Hunt
ingdon County.
Jodi is eager to promote Ayr
shires and wants people to call
her if they want an Ayrshire prin
cess to help with events. Call
(814) 658-3232 or e-mail farmer
girl—34+Ahotmail.com
attends Octorara Area High
School, where she will enter
her senior year this fall.
Patricia Harrop, or Irish, is
the 14-year-old daughter of
Bruce and Betsy Harrop of
Exton. Irish helps on her par
ents’ farm where mostly Hol
stein, three Jerseys, and an
Ayrshire are milked. She also
cares for her own four dairy
cows. She attends Downing
town Area School and will
enter grade nine.
Christy Guest is the
16-year-old daughter of Stan
and Cathy Guest of Potts
town. This active teen is a
member of the dairy 4-H club
and shows her own dairy ani
mals, which are part of the
family’s 160-head dairy. She
attends Owen J. Roberts High
School and will enter her jun
ior year this fall.
Becky Bailey is the
15-year-old daughter of Bay
nard and Jane Bailey of West
Chester. She attends Union
ville Area High School. Along
with the Holstein cows, a
unique breed of cows grace the
Bailey meadows. The name,
Lineback, helps to identify
their characteristics. Becky
shows her dairy cows at die
various 4-H and dairy events.
Abby Hedrick, Pottstown, is
the 16-year-old daughter of
Ruth and Jon Hedrick. She
helps to care for the Ayrshire
and Holstein dairy cows of a
local farmer, where her own
four dairy animals are boused
when she is not showing them
at 4-H shdws. Abby attends
Owen J. Roberts High School
and will be entering 11th
gra<|e.
lx -rJ
1