Berks County 4-H Club members brought goats, sheep, beef steer and a dairy cow to Fleetwood Encore for a visit with senior citizens and YMCA daycare children on July 13.
The children had a chance to see the animals up close. For many this was their first time face to face with a cow and a steer, an experience that was both exciting and intimidating for some. They also had an opportunity to pet sheep and feed a goat.
This was the second year that Dairy Beef 4-H Club leader Ellen Angstadt, Fleetwood, also assistant leader in the Berks Dairy Club, organized a visit to Fleeetwood Encore, located at the former Fleetwood Elementary School, 109 W. Vine St.
“It’s a community service for all of the clubs,” said Angstadt. “It helps bring the little ones into the farming, see what goes on at a farm. I hope the kids are all learning from this.”
The 4-H members taught the children lessons about the animals, such as the beef steer will be used for beef products and the dairy cow will produce milk.
“These animals here, this is where your food comes from, not just a bottle in the refrigerator or a piece of Styrofoam,” said Angstadt. “They like to see the animals, too. They like the up close and personal.”
Angstadt also hopes the 4-H Club members learn from the experience.
“How to interact with other people. How to talk. How to promote their industry they’re interested in,” she said.
Berks County 4-H Dairy Beef Club leader Travis Werley, a part-time Shoemakersville crop farmer who is also in charge of the agriculture lending department at Tompkins Vist Bank, explained that all of the visiting animals will be going to the local fairs, including Kutztown, Oley and Reading. The animals are being raised by the youth as 4-H projects. His son Jonathon, 12, is involved in the 4-H Dairy Beef Club and 4-H Goat Club.
“It teaches him a lot of responsibility of taking care of an animal and learning how to deal with competition, winning and losing. It’s also a financial (lesson). They have to buy the animal, pay for feed and pay for everything for the animal. Then in the end, they need to market their animal,” said Werley.
Werley said that the animals will be sold at the end of the Kutztown Fair. Different companies will sponsor the child and pay above what the market value is to help. A lot of that money will be used to invest in next year’s animal. Also, money will be set aside for college education and such. His son is 12 years old and the past three years he has had his own checking account.
“It prepares him for real life,” he said.
Werley hopes his son learns how to interact with people and how to educate the public with what he knows.
“We all have to be willing to step outside our comfort zone,” he said. “This may be a little outside his comfort zone but he needs to be able to learn how to handle that.”
What Werley particularly likes about being involved in 4-H is building relationships with the youth from across Berks County and watching them grown. He himself participated in 4-H during his youth and he enjoys the chance to watch his son and other Berks County youth learn from the program.
Terry Becker, Fleetwood Encore center manager, said inter-generational activities are always good.
“The seniors with the young kids, it’s just a nice mix. The kids are excited about it and the seniors are too. They go well together,” said Becker.
Becker said the 4-H Club visit gave seniors and children an opportunity to see and pet farm animals.
“It’s nice for kids that don’t get to see the animals. They don’t live on a farm. They have no idea how things work, how your food goes from this to your table,” said Becker.
Berks County 4-H Dairy Beef Club member Jacob Guldin, 16, Oley, showed off a 7-month-old Holstein beef steer. He lives on a crop farm, growing hay and corn, and they raise beef steer.
“I hope they learn about agriculture in the area and I hope they learn a little bit about the animals,” said the Oley Valley student.
Guldin likes making friends through 4-H and learning about raising animals with them.
“It’s just a fun time,” said Guldin. “I get to work with the animals. They have animals and I learn stuff from them and they learn stuff from me.”
According to “4-H in Pennsylvania” by Jerry H. Reyburn, posted on http://extension.psu.edu, “Pennsylvania State University 4-H Youth Division of Cooperative Extension is responsible for planning, organizing and supervising the work throughout the state. County extension agents supervise 4-H in the individual counties. An adult leader is chosen to supervise the 4-H activity. The local leaders guide the members and are the contact with the county Extension agent. Today one of the emphases 4-H puts into local club’s work is nutrition to improve individual health. Community development and citizenship programs teach young people how to work with adults to become useful citizens. Consumer Education Programs, opportunities for career exploration and providing for leisure education are components of the 4-H club experience. Other project involvement helps young people develop various manual skills and aid in the development of essential life skills.”
For more information about Berks County 4-H, visit http://extension.psu.edu/4-h/counties/berks.
