86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 22, 2003 ‘Talker 9 Uses Her Talent To Promote Dairy Industry LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor WATERFORD (Erie Co.) Although she lives in the north west corner of the state, Ashley Lynn Chapman travels hundreds of miles championing the use of dairy products. As the Erie County and Penn sylvania alternate dairy princess, Ashley said that she has always been known as a “talker.” Lucki ly for the dairy industry, Ashley is using that talent to spread the truth about milk, cows, and the dairy industry. Before being se lected as state alternate dairy princess, Ashley had been a for mer county alternate and a dairy maid for two years. “It’s rewarding to share my wealth of dairy knowledge,” Ash ley said in her role as dairy prin cess. “Wearing a crown really opens doors of opportunities for me to speak. People pay more at tention because I’m wearing a crown.” “The dairy industry puts food on my table just like yours,” she tells them. She is concerned that many people especially children do not know where food comes from. They think it comes from grocery stores. “It never ceases to amaze me how little most people know “It’s really neat representing the dairy industry be cause it’s something my dad is really passionate about,” said Ashley Chapman, who is both Erie County and State Alternate Dairy Princess. She stands with her dad in front of one of his milk hauling trucks. Ashley helps out with cows and calves at her grandpar ents’ and at her uncles’ farms. about cows,” Ashley said. “So many kids think chocolate milk comes from brown cows.” She has another reason for basking in the role of dairy prin cess. “It’s really neat representing the dairy industry because it’s something my dad is really pas sionate about,” she said. Her dad Mike Chapman owns and operates a milk hauling com pany and lives on his parents’ dairy farm on Chapman Road. On the same road, two uncles and a cousin also have dairy farms. Although Ashley helps on the dairy farms of both her grand parents and of her uncles’, she doesn’t live on a farm. Her par ents are divorced, and Ashley lives with her mother Lori Pen nock. Ashley has a brother Craig a year younger than she. In addition to being known as the dairy princess, Ashley is also called, “the quote person.” “I write quotes that I hear and my friends send me in a book,” Ashley said.. One of her favorite quotes is from Mary Kay Ash: “Aerodyna mically the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly. But the bumblebee doesn’t know that. He goes on flying anyway and doesn’t think about the impossible.” “Follow your heart,” Ashley tells others. She did. “Being dairy princess has opened so many doors for me.” One of those was serving as emcee during opening ceremo nies at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, where she introduced the commodity queens in front of 10,000 people. “That was the largest group that I ever spoke in front of,” she said. She has two horses and partici pates in the 4-H Horse Club, en joys riding, barrel racing, and other games. So she especially was pleased to sit in the gover nor’s box at the Farm Show to watch the rodeo. “I’ve been riding horses since I was six or seven years old she said. My great grandfather gave me my first horse (which had been his) so it’s really old but re ally special,” she said. As a senior at Fort Leßoeuf High School, Ashley misses a lot of classes to promote the dairy in dustry in other parts of the state. “My friends call me a part-time student,” she said. Nonetheless, Ashley is a mem ber of the National Honor Socie ty, a 4-year member of the volley ball team, and has served for years as a wrestling and track statistician. She is a class council member, a three-year member of Erie County’s Relay for Life, 4-H ambassador, 4-H winter weekend counselor, a middle school men tor, and a participant in the Pennsylvania Council of Cooper atives Summer Institute. Although she doesn’t show an imals, she attends the Waterford Community Fair every day it’s open to help her brother Craig who is a year younger than she and shows dairy animals. Ashley had planned to attend Penn State College of Commu nications after high school gradu ation. But her role as dairy prin cess has given her exposure to so many different facets of the ag community, and she is consid ering switching to Penn State’s College of Agriculture. “It’s such an honor to work with so many great girls (other county dairy princesses). “Every single girl is so nice, and on an other day could easily have won (a state position),” she said. “Life has been good to me,” she said. Here is one of her favorite reci pes using lots of dairy products. Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo 6 boneless chicken breasts, cubed 6 tablespoons butter, divided 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 pound fettuccini pasta 1 onion, diced 2 tablespoons garlic 8-ounce package sliced mush rooms With so many different relatives living along the same road, the younger generation often gathers at Ashley’s grandparents’ home. Pennsylvania State Alternate Ashley Chapman loves to talk, and said that her role enables her many opportuni ties to share her wealth of knowledge about the dairy in dustry with those from non-farm backgrounds. l A cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon salt V i teaspoon ground white pep per 3 cups milk 1 cup half-and-half V* cup grated Parmesan cheese 8 ounces shredded Colby-Mon terey. Jack cheese 3 roma plum tomatoes, diced Vi cup sour cream In a large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken, 2 table spoons butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove At the state pageant, Ashley poses with her dad Mike Chapman, mom Lori Pennock, and brother Craig. from skillet and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Saute onion, 2 tablespoons garlic, and mush rooms until onions are transpar ent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and half-and-half, stirring until smooth and creamy. Stir in cheeses; stir until cheese is melt ed. Stir in chicken mixture, toma toes, and sour cream. Serve over cooked fettuccini. Serves 8.
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