Strawberry Roundup

In 1956, the Club sponsored the 4-H Strawberry Contest.  This gave the Club members a chance to meet the young future farmers of Lancaster County.

Club history sheds light on the Club's Annual Strawberry Auction. It states that the auction "allows members of local 4H Clubs to market their produce with the first $100 going to the 4H student and additional money split 50/50, with half going to a 4-H leadership development fund to benefit all and half going to the 4-H student."

The most recent Roundup was reported by the Penn State Extension:

Two Lancaster County 4-H students won awards for their strawberries at the annual Strawberry Roundup, held June 2. The students’ berries sold for a total of $1,125.

At the 54th annual event, a collaboration between the Lancaster County 4-H program and the Rotary Club of Lancaster, Leah Brenneman of Manheim was awarded Grand Champion for her strawberries, which were sold to Andy Fletcher for $750.

Reserve Champion Gabrielle Anger of Marietta sold her strawberries for $375 to Tom Baum.

Money raised by the annual event — at which strawberries are usually displayed for Rotary members to bid on — goes to support 4-H programs and the Max Smith Scholarship Fund.

In nonpandemic years, 4-H growers and their families would normally attend a lunch and auction with Rotary members.

But because of COVID-19 restrictions, the Rotary members donated more than $1,500 to 4-H programs instead. The event is held at the Farm & Home Center on Arcadia Road.

As is tradition at the Strawberry Roundup, the 4-H students learned how to extract DNA from strawberries, and had their project books and strawberries judged.

The berries were judged by Penn State Extension fruit and vegetable educator Timothy Elkner, who explained this year’s strawberry-growing challenges to the students.

The students also made whipped cream to go with strawberry parfaits that were enjoyed during judging.

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