812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 30, 2002
Charles and Lois Hess. Her
mother grew up as a member of
the 4-H sewing club and served
as a leader for 10 years before
Lori was bom. But Lori is the
first family member to show cat
tle at local, county, district, and
state levels.
“When I first joined 4-H, I
wanted to be able to pick out my
own cow whenever I looked out
the window and saw the cows
grazing in the meadow,” Lori
said of her decision to raise
Brown Swiss.
Her mother and dad classify
Brown Swiss as pets.
“Holsteins don’t get pampered
like them (Brown Swiss),”
Charles said. But he concedes
Ribbons and trophies go hand-in-hand with this achiev- 88
ing 4-H’er, who received the bounty’s superior “The calves won’t drink from a
achievement award recently. bucket. an d you really need to
Lori Hess holds Jatina, a 4-year-old Brown Swiss, center. Her mother Lois holds Jill,
Lori’s first 4-H animal, and her dad Charlie with Gail, a 3-year-old.
Lori chose Brown Swiss because she wanted to be able to look out of the window and
be able to pick her cows out of the herd grazing on the hillside.
‘Hustle’ Describes Superior 4-H’er
(Continued from Page B 2)
work with them to keep them
alive. But the cows are more per
sonable than Holsteins,” Hess ex
plained.
Hie 153-acre farm in the
southern end of Lancaster Coun
ty has been in Lori’s father’s side
of the family since 1915. Several
generations have always lived in
the rambling farmhouse, which
houses three generations. He re
members 23 family members reg
ularly sat at the table when he
was growing up.
He remembers butchering in
the farmhouse basement and his
mother baking 500 fastnachs to
take to Central Market.
“That was when a trolley came
through here, and she carried
cheese and butter on the trolley
to sell at the market,” Charles
said.
Charles and his wife pur
chased the farm one year before
Lori was born. His sister contin
ues to help with the daily milking
and care of 50 Holsteins, and
Lori has added eight Brown
Swiss and one Red and White to
the string.
Lori is an FFA member at
Penn Manor High School where
she explores an independent
study program. For research, she
grows plants and vegetables in
greenhouses and compares the
growth in different types of soils.
Lori is a member of the Na
tional Honor Society, orchestra
for school and county, and the
school musical.
Lori displays her senior high school project, which
highlights her 4-H dairy beef project. When she presented
her project before school teachers judging the project, it
was the first time that many of them became aware of the
work that went into the project.
This is her first year as a dairy
ambassador with the Lancaster
County Dairy Princess Promo
tion Services.
She plans to attend the Nation
al 4-H Congress this month.
Next summer, Lori plans to ac
company the American Music
Abroad program to play the vio
lin. She explained that partici
pants need to be invited by their
music directors.
“We’ll play in the old cathe
drals,” Lori said in anticipation
of the sound that will resonate in
the centuries-old churches.
She also serves as a docent for
Conestoga Historical Society, and
has been the clerk at the 4-H auc
tion.
Lori said that she has had out
standing club leaders in 4-H.
“I couldn’t have done it with
out my family either,” Lori said.
Her Aunt Mary has served as the
cow washer, her dad as trucker
for the shows, and her mom as
chauffeur.
Lori likes working with the
cows but doesn’t enjoy fieldwork.
She hopes to return to the family
farm after earning a teaching de
gree from Millersville University.
Lori heard that she was accepted
at-Millersville on the day of this
interview.
One thing she knows for cer
tain, she said, “I’ll definitely stay
in 4-H. I can’t get out. It’s such a
big part of my life. It’s offered me
a world of opportunity.”