A4B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 16, 2003
Reading Fair Brings Out The Beef
ANDY ANDREWS
Editor
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
First time proved the charm for
Rachael Stafford, winning su
preme champion dairy beef here
last week at the Reading Fair.
Rachael, 10, is the daughter of
Judy and Tony Stafford, Bern
ville. The Strausstown Elemen
tary fifth-grader, in her first year
of 4-H, selected the calf from the
Hetrick-Dale Farm in Bemville.
Rachael noted that “he liked
me more” than she did him, but
as a calf, the steer had some
champion qualities. She plans to
show at this week’s Kutztown
Fair.
Reserve champion went to Sta
cey Manbeck, 13, daughter of
Karen and Norm Manbeck, Wo
melsdorf. The dairy beef animal
was purchased from the Hicks
Farm in Sharltesville.
Stacey, during her third year
in dairy beef and six years in
Berks County 4-H, won for the
first time with “Anto.” She plans
to show at Kutztown Fair. Kristy
Dietrich, 18, daughter of Jim and
Donna Dietrich, Hamburg, won
grand champion beef at the fair.
Kristy, who is a freshman at
Penn State Berks Campus and is
studying animal sciences, exhibi
ted “Who,” an April 2002 calf
that is a crossbred Limousin/
Angus/Chianina/Maine Anjou.
U. S. Requests WTO Panel
To Resolve EU’s Position
On Bio-Tech Products
WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S.
Trade Representative Robert B.
Zoellick and Agriculture Secre
tary Ann M. Veneman recently
announced that the United States
is taking the next step in its
World Trade Organization chal
lenge to the European Union’s
(EU) illegal five-year moratorium
on approving agricultural bio
technology products by asking
the WTO for a dispute settlement
panel.
The United States, along with
Canada and Argentina, initiated
the case by requesting formal
WTO consultations in May. Can
ada and Argentina are likewise
requesting WTO panels to con
sider the EU moratorium.
“Delegations from the United
States, Canada and Argentina
consulted in June with EU offi
cials, but the EU indicated no
willingness to comply with its
WTO obligations by lifting the
groundless moratorium on bio
tech products,” said Zoellick.
“The EU’s stance leaves us no
choice but to proceed with the es
tablishment of a WTO dispute
settlement panel,” Zoellick sais. “
For five years, the EU has kept in
place a ban on biotech approvals
a ban which is unsupported even
by the EU’s own scientific stud
ies. This trade barrier harms
farmers and consumers around
the world by denying them the
benefits of productive, nutritious
and environmentally friendly bio
tech products.”
“We have been extremely pa
tient for almost five years,” said
Veneman. “We have had exhaus
tive discussions with the Europe
ans and it now is time to let the
dispute settlement process work.”
Cathy Levan holds Shel
by Rarick’s supreme cham
pion heifer at the Reading
Fair.
Kristy has exhibited a champi
on at the Reading Fair before.
The Tulpehocken High School
graduate plans to exhibit at
Kutztown Fair, Oley, Allentown,
Keystone International Livestock
Expo, and Farm Show.
Kristy won champion fitter, re
serve showman, and champion
middleweight at the fair.
Kevin Fuls, Richland, show
judge, noted the champion ani
mal was “outstanding,” he said.
“It’s thick and stout and is how a
show steer should look.”
Shelby Rarick won grand
champion heifer and reserve
market steer. Shelby, 11, daugh-
President Bush, in his May 21,
2003, Coast Guard Academy
Commencement Address, said
that “By widening the use of new
high-yield bio-crops and unleash
ing the power of markets, we can
dramatically increase agricultur
al productivity and feed more
people across the continent. Yet,
our partners in Europe are im
peding this effort. They have
blocked all new bio-crops because
of unfounded, unscientific fears.
This has caused many African
nations to avoid investing in bio
technologies, for fear their prod
ucts will be shut out of European
markets. European governments
should join - not hinder - the
great cause of ending hunger in
Africa.”
The first step in a WTO dis
pute, which the United States,
Canada and Argentina under
took in May, is to request consul
tations.
Other countries who expressed
support for the case by joining as
third parties to the consultations
included: Australia, Chile, Co
lombia, Mexico, New Zealand,
and Peru.
In addition, El Salvador, Hon
duras and Uruguay also support
ed the U.S. position at the public
announcement of the case and
have indicated their intent to join
as third parties.
Where, as in this case, the con
sultations do not resolve the dis
pute, the countries that requested
consultations may seek the for
mation of a dispute settlement
panel. Dispute settlement proce
dures, including appeal, typically
take about 18 months.
ter of Keni Anne, Fleetwood, is in
the sixth grade at Fleetwood
Middle School.
The champion lamb and goat
winner at the fair plans to show
at Kutztown, Allentown, Oley,
Keystone, and Farm Show.
Following is a list of show
placings:
READING FAIR
DAIRY BEEF SHOW
RESULTS
Light lightweights: 1. Kimberly Angstadt.
2. Kayla Naftzinger. 3. Calvin Naftzmger.
Medium lightweights: 1. Vanessa Man
beck. 2. Enc Hetrick. 3. Matt Hetnck.
Heavy lightweights: 1. Bnttm Treichler. 2.
Stacey Manbeck. 3. Brandon Younker.
Lightweight champion: Bnttm Treichler
Reserve lightweight champion: Stacey
Manbeck
Light middleweight: 1. lan Hetnck. 2. Eric
Younker. 3. Matt Hetrick.
Medium middleweight: 1. Stacey Man
beck. 2. Brett Treichler. 3. Jeffrey Angs
tadt.
Heavy middleweight; 1. Jeffrey Angstadt.
2. Bradley Younker. 3. Enc Hetnck.
Middleweight champion: Stacey Man
beck
Reserve middleweight champion: lan
Hetrick
Light heavyweight: 1. Lindsay Hetnck.
2.Lmdsay Hetnck. 3. Brett Treichler.
Medium heavyweight; 1. Vanessa Man
beck. 2. Amy Stafford. 3. Bnttni Treichler
Heavy heavyweight: 1. Rachael Stafford.
2 Rachael Kirkhoff. 3. Rachael Kirkhoff.
Heavyweight champion: Rachael Staff
ord.
Reserve heavyweight champion: Vanes
sa Manbeck.
GRAND CHAMPION
Rachael Stafford
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Stacey Manbeck
All photos by _ Kristy Dietrich, right, won grand champion market
Andy Andrews, editor steer late last week at the Reading Fair. At left is show
judge Kevin Fuls.
FARM TRANSITIONS NEED
LEADERSHIP
Recently I met with a dairy
farm family undergoing a farm
transition. The farm was passed
down through the mother’s side
of the family with three sons as
possible heirs to the operation.
Although her marital relation
ship ended in divorce, the mother
was able to successfully manage
the business end of the farm and
had accumulated adjoining land
to the original farmstead, grow
ing the acreage to about 700. At
age 57, she said she was ready to
begin the transition process of
this 225- cow dairy operation to
her son.
How did she get to this point?
I believe that it’s important to
look at some of the essential deci
sions that were made along the
way to arrive at this goal.
• Each son had the opportuni
ty to work on the farm and to
work for the operation or to
make alternative career choices.
No one was pressured to work on
the farm. The two older sons se
lected other careers one is a
teacher and the other is a pilot.
Alßrl
9
Rachael Stafford, right, won grand champion dairy
beef at the Reading Fair. Reserve went to Stacey Man
beck, left.
New Farmers,
ew Generation
Marion Bowlan
Pennsylvania
Farm Link
• The youngest son expressed
an interest in and commitment to
the dairy. He decided to attend
college and major in dairy busi
ness management, but came
home every weekend throughout
his college education to help with
the milking.
• When the youngest son
demonstrated his commitment to
the dairy, he was encouraged to
assume an active role in the busi
ness management decisions made
on the farm. He actively partici
pated in determining feed ra
tions, herd management, and
herd health and other farm busi
ness decisions.
• The mother and son are
moving into a business partner
ship with each member contrib
uting his/her share of the knowl
edge, assets, and experience.
What is also noteworthy is
what didn’t happen.
The other sons were advised of
the decisions made about the
farm, but their advice and con
sent in the farm transition pro
cess was not solicited. She said,
“They weren’t here helping with
the crops or the cows. They were
Mi
off doing their own thing. That’s
OKv My youngest son was here,
every weekend. He didn’t miss
any. I love all my sons, but the
youngest is the only one that’s
going to be involved in the deci
sions about transferring the
farm.”
Their plan is to transition the
farm assets through a limited lia
bility company. She will keep her
other sons informed of their deci
sions, but not involve them in the
details. Other family assets or
heirlooms will be given to these
sons.
Farm transition planning re
quires leadership from the senior
generation. Without it, families
face the danger of squabbling
over issues totally separate from
what is good for the farm busi
ness. Siblings can get entangled
in unending battles over equality
that can result in no one taking
over the farm.
Because of the desire to avoid
conflict, decision-making can be
delayed with the end result being
more conflict and less time and
opportunity for interested fami
ly members to take over the
farm. And the farm business de
cisions that need to be made to
ensure profitability for both
generations can be delayed or ne
glected in favor of more immedi
ate family concerns.
To learn more about farm
family business planning and
transfer, contact Pennsylvania
Farm Link at (717) 664-7077 or
attend our upcoming workshops
on value-added marketing on
Sept. 13 or our “Passing on the
Farm” workshops on Nov. 18
and 20, Dec. 16, or Jan. 20 and
27.
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