Family on the Farm

Farming proves to be much work, needing many hands. On Wurzbach Farms, we are a family affair. My grandparents, Norm and Joan Wurzbach, aka Moo and Pop, live in their own home on Highland Lane. About 100 yards down the road is where I live with my mom, dad, and sisters, Sadie and Abby. On my father's side of the family, there are a total of fourteen grandchildren. Out of the fourteen, twelve of us have shown cattle. In this blog, I will talk about the importance of family in our small operation.

My father grew up in Glenolden, PA, outside of Philadelphia with his parents and four siblings. When my grandfather retired from PECO, he decided he wanted to move into the country and start a farm. He, Moo, and my dad moved to the Old Swope Farm in Brogue, PA and started with just three cows. They decided to begin with Highland Cattle, a breed of cattle from the Highlands of Scotland. Highlands are known for their docility, easy calving, and great pasture maintainers. From three cows, their herd grew to as many as 40 Highlands at one time. Right now, we have ten Highlands, but I hope to grow the operation soon. As time went on, my aunts and uncles began having children. My grandfather and dad exhibited the cows at a few different shows in the area, and before they knew it, my oldest cousin, Randy, started showing the cows at the age of five. Shortly after, his little brother Bryan began entering the ring and a legacy of Wurzbach Farm showmen began.

Like I said earlier, there are fourteen grandchildren in the Wurzbach Family. Twelve of the grandkids have shown our cattle, but every one of us has helped out on the farm in some way.

All of the grandchildren: Randy, Bryan, Quinn, Pop, Moo, Cassidy, Mary, Emma, Paige, Sadie, Ryanna, Gwen, Abby, Maggie, Sean, and Lizzie

I began to show cattle at the age of 5. My older cousins, Randy and Bryan, helped me to do my best in the show ring. Shortly after my first show at the Mercer Fair grounds, my little sister, Sadie started to show. As each of us began to get old enough to walk the animals, we would practice at our farm, prepare all the animals and materials to get ready for the show, and pack up the trailer early in the morning to get on our way.

I can remember my Aunt Shelby always helping to groom the show cattle. She would show us the correct ways to brush the hair and shine the hooves. My grandfather, dad and cousin Randy would attempt to put the show halters on the cows. Slowly but surely, we would eventually graduate Randy and Bryan to get to the four main showmen of today: Mary, Emma, Sadie and Abby. We can all remember all of the important lessons our older relatives taught us.

Even though Randy and Bryan are too old to show as juniors in our cattle organization, they are ready to give a helping hand. Randy is currently attending Notre Dame University seeking his Masters in Environmental Engineering, so he has to miss many of the events now. However, in June of this year, we had a cattle show in Mercer, PA. Moo, Pop, Dad, Aunt Shelby, Randy, Katie Beth(Randy's Fiancee), Bryan, Emma, Sadie, Abby, and I were all able to attend!! I think this was the first time in a couple of years that we were all together!

Living on a farm with all of my family helps everyone out. We can always find a helping hand by sending a text or yelling someone's name. We were taught the importance of hard work and helping one another out. I am so thankful for getting the opportunity to live on a farm; growing up on a family farm guarantees a great time. I hope to raise my future children on a farm one day, and maybe my sisters' children will show with us as well!

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