Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Pennsylvania Woman, Ohio Man Earn Dairy's Obie Snider Award

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Pennsylvania Woman, Ohio Man Earn Dairy's Obie Snider Award
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 09/18/2019

Patty McMurray of Eighty Four, Washington County, and Steve Moff of Columbiana, Ohio, received the Obie Snider Award at the 56th All-American Dairy Show, held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.

The award, established in memory of Obie Snider of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, a founder of the All-American Dairy Show, recognizes an individual who places significant value in service to the industry and community, and displays high standards of conduct.

"Patty and Steve are outstanding examples of what the dairy industry embodies -- leadership, dedication and progressive thinking to push for excellence," said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. "Obie Snider would be pleased to know that we are recognizing two people who value the All-American Dairy Show and the dairy industry as he did."

Patty McMurray has been involved with the All-American Dairy Show since it began in 1964, when her father John Marchezak loaded the family and their Twin Brook Farm Guernsey cattle to make the trek from southwestern Pennsylvania to Harrisburg. McMurray, husband John, sons Justin, Jonathan, and Adam, and eight grandchildren keep the family Guernsey tradition alive.

As part of the Penn State dairy judging team, McMurray competed in the collegiate division of the Invitational Youth Dairy Judging Contest. She later used those skills to judge fitting and showmanship in the Pennsylvania Junior Dairy Show, judge the junior division of the All-American Showmanship Contest, and serve as an official for the Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest and the Dairy Judging Forum.

McMurray served on the show's 25th anniversary planning committee and the show improvement committee. She was a good housekeeping judge, exhibited in the All-Dairy Antiques Show, offered consignments to the youth benefit auctions, helped initiate the show's Image Award, and continues to organize the ever-popular White Pants Exchange for exhibitors.

A pioneer for women in agriculture, McMurray has judged numerous local, state, and international shows, is a Distinguished Dairywoman awardee from the Pennsylvania Dairymen's Association, and has served state and national dairy breed associations, including chairing this summer's the World Guernsey Conference.

McMurray coached Pennsylvania's first-ever national winning Junior Holstein dairy bowl team in 1983 with Washington County youth, as well as numerous national champion Guernsey dairy bowl teams. She was a Washington County 4-H leader, on the Washington County Dairy Promotion committee, and handled publicity and advertising for the Washington County Fair.

"Thinking of my deep respect for Obie and the caliber of previous award recipients, I am very honored to be selected especially for doing something you love, with people you love," McMurray said.

Steve Moff of Columbiana, Ohio, has served as a board member for the All-American Dairy Show since 2005, assisting with youth activities and show ethics, and is chair of the Show Advisory Committee.

For 39 years, Moff has been a dairy programs specialist for COBA/Select Sires.He operated his family's dairy farm, Ouric Holsteins, with parents Howard and Barb Moff and brother Greg, until they downsized the herd in 2010. He still owns cattle and raises heifers.

Moff represents the Ohio Holstein Association as the current Region 3 director for the Holstein Association USA and is a past national Holstein Junior Advisory Committee member. He was also in the inaugural class of the association's Young Dairy Leaders Institute. He has held offices in the state association, including serving as president when Ohio hosted the national convention in 2000 where he first met Obie Snider.

"In our first conversation, Obie, being a man of faith, complimented the invocation I gave at that convention," said Moff. "To be considered for this award in his name is so humbling, and I was completely flabbergasted when I learned I was a recipient."

Steve is the assistant dairy show superintendent at the Ohio State Fair and serves as a board member and dairy superintendent for the Canfield Fair. Always anxious to help youth, he has served as a 4-H leader and has been recognized as an outstanding judge for youth shows, in addition to judging many other local, regional, and state shows.

A graduate of the Ohio State University, Steve was recently inducted into the Ohio State Dairy Science Hall of Service.

Moff and wife Jane have three children, Neil, Brian and Heidi, and six grandchildren. He serves as a deacon, elder, and Sunday School teacher, and has been on the local township zoning appeals board.

Previous Obie Snider Award winners are, in order of receipt: Donald Seipt, Easton, Northampton County; Creedin Cornman, Carlisle, Cumberland County; David Patrick, Woodbine, Md.; Berneta Gable, New Enterprise, Bedford County; Dieter Krieg, Lititz, Lancaster County; George Cashell, Shippensburg, Cumberland County; John Cope, Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County; Janet Harding, Clarion, Clarion County; William Nichol, State College, Centre County; Samuel Yoder, Shoemakersville, Berks County; Jane Pepple, Oxford, Chester County; Dr. Douglas Evans, DVM, Georgetown, N.Y.; James and Rita Kennedy of Valencia, Butler County; the Honorable Samuel E. Hayes, Jr., of Warriors Mark, Huntingdon County; and Elsie Wolff of Quarryville, Lancaster County.

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