C2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 6,1981
Cindy
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
MOUNT JOY Pennsylvania’s
Dairy Princess Cindy Neely is just
beginning her busy season, having
helped to kick-off June Dairy
Month last Fnday in Harrisburg.
She was in the Lancaster area for
five busy days of public ap
pearances last week which in
cluded meeting with Governor
Dick Thornburgh as he signed the
June Dairy Month Proclamation,
taping a television talk show and
throwing out the first ball at a
Phillies baseball game.
This pretty 18-year-old from
Emlenton m western Pennsylvania
is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Lawrence L. Neely, and she
represents Clarion-Venango
Counties as Dairy Princess.
Although she says, “I never, never
expected to inn the state title,”
and admits that she had to be
coaxed to enter the local contest,
she is thrilled with the op
portunities she has had to promote
dairy products. She is a hvely,
articulate spokesperson for the
industry.
A 1980 graduate of Keystone
High School, she will be a
sophomore at the Behrend College,
a commonwealth campus of Penn
State. She plans to study
agricultural economics.
She took one morning out of her
busy schedule and answered
some questions about her
responsibilities and activities as
the Keystone state’s Dairy Prin
cess.
LF; What is the most important
thrust of your promotional
message?
Cindy: 1 stress to people the
importance of using real dairy
products. It is very easy to pick up
an mutation product by mistake.
Dairy farmers themselves must
get involved in using real products.
I think the Real Seal is very im
portant and when it is used ex
tensively it will be easy to identify
real products.
At the June Dairy Month kick
off, we gave people the opportunity
to compare real and imitation
products. Imitation products look
and taste different from the real
thing, and people could notice it.
LF: Which group of people most
needs to hear the message of using
more dairy products?
Cindy: Everyone. But con
sumers not directly related to the
dairy industry are the most
unaware. Again, it is important for
dairy farmers to realize that it is
I
The Real Seal is designed to be a boon to the Neely displays some cartons showing the Real
consumer who will know at a glance whether Seal,
the product is real or an imitation. Here Cindy
Neely shares
their product and they must
promote the product.
Teenagers and children must
also be made aware of dairy
products, but it is not easy to tell
them, especially teenagers. I try to
set an example when I am with a
group and order milk when I’m
eating out.
LF: How does the Dairy Prin
cess program benefit the dairy
farmer?
Cindy; “Dairy Princesses work
with the Atlantic Dairy
Association, which is the coor
dinating agency for the program,
in their promotions to spread the
word. It is beneficial to the farmer
to l 3 interested m the program and
research shows there is a 120
perce it return on each dollar in
vested in advertising.
LF: Do you feel the current
advertising programs are effective
in selling the product?
Cindy: Yes, I think they’re good.
The Soft, Soft Drink Campaign is
big in this area, and we are
promoting 23 crazy milk drinks
which are delicious and fun to
make.
Now, we also have Milky the
Robot, and he gets a lot of interest.
I think he’s really beneficial. Milky
is friendly and sings milk songs
and dances. He answers questions
when you talk to him.
The Real Seal will be a con
tinuing program and that will
benefit the industry a lot.
LF: What do you feel is your
most important job as you travel
around the state representing the
dairy industry?
Cindy: I try and encourage all
consumers to buy and use more
dairy products. It is just as im
portant to use all dairy products
I don’t promote just fluid milk.
LF: How has the opportunity to
travel around the state benefitted
you personally? Has it been a
growing experience?
Cindy: Yes, I really think it has
been a growing experience. It has
been an opportunity I never would
have had otherwise. It is really
wonderful to do so much and see so
much. I took my first airplane nde
and I visited Independence Hall
and the Liberty Bed. We’ll be
visiting Pittsburgh later this
month.
LF: Would you encourage young
women to enter a local Dairy
Princess contest?
Cindy; Yes. There are so many
opportunities to meet new people
and to spread the word of milk.
Even within their counties, they do
ideas, experiences
on dairying and
a certain amount of traveling. It is
a good opportunity to grow per
auiij ana being m the spotlight is
a nice experience.
LF: What challenges have you
had to face as Dairy Princess?
Were there unexpected moments?
Cindy; There have been a lot of
different things to do and a lot of
surprises. It’s hard to visualize
when your reign starts because
you never really know what you’ll
be doing until you get into it.
LF: Is it fun? What has been
your most interesting experience
thus far?
Cindy: Yes, it’s fun. I have really
enjoyed it. There is always a new
and different experience and every
day is unique.
A highlight was participating in
the Phillies baseball game on
Sunday. I got to throw out the first
ball, which I consider an honor at
a Major League game. There was
a milking contest near home plate
with some coaches and radio
personalities participating, and
the official judge was Secretary of
Agriculture Penrose Hallowell.
The Philhe Phanatic tipped the
scales by pouring milk in the
Phillies bucket. Milky the Robot
was there and talked to the players
before the game.
1 also made a commercial with
the Phillies promoting Dairy Day
and Jacket Day. It was taped and
played during Phillies games. For
the commercial I drank a glass of
milk and modeled the jacket. The
jackets were given out at the game
and said ‘milk the soft, soft dnnk’
on the sleeve. It was exciting and
that day they had 54,000 people,
one of their largest crowds.
LF: What is the significance of
June Dairy Month?
Cindy: June has traditionally
been a time when more milk is
being produced, although now that
peak is usually reached in May.
This is the 45th year for June Dairy
Month, and it is a national event to
promote dairy products. It comes
at a tune when children are out of
school and that outlet of milk is no
longer available. But we like to
think that every month is June
Dairy Month.”
LF: Do you have any
suggestions about solving the
surplus milk problem?
Cindy: I think advertising is the
primary way to sell milk, and I
think we’re doing some good. I’d
also like to point out that we do not
have overproduction but under
consumption.
LF: Do you get a lot of support
Cindy Neely, Pennsylvania’s Dairy Princess, pours a
“Grape Gatsby,” one of the crazy milk drinks being promoted
during June Dairy Month. She recommends this one made
from grape juice concentrate, ice cream and milk.
from dairy farmers and the dairy
comunity as you meet your
obligations throughout die state?
Cindy: Yes, dairy fanners are
always nice and fnendly. They
always seem very supportive and
have been really wonderful to me.
I really appreciate being able to
meet so many mce people.
LF: Tell us about the dairy farm
you were raised on.
Cmdy: We have registered
Holstems and had been milking
about 50 head. But in February we
sold our milking herd. Now we are
raising heifers and calves and will
breed them. I have been in 4-H for
10 years and I own three animals,
although I sold some others. I have
three brothers and a sister who
was Clarion-Venango Dairy
Princess three years ago. My
family is proud of my being
Pennsylvania’s Dairy Princess.
LF: In your opinion, is dairy
farming a good choice of oc
cupation for a young person today?
Cmdy: I think it is, but only if
you’re willing to work hard and
have a deep interest and desire. It
is not an easy job, but it offers a lot
of challenges. You must have the
will to work hard.
LF: What activities do you have
planned for June Dairy Month and
the last four months of your reign?
Cindy: I am going to be on two
television talk shows in Pittsburgh
Perhaps you shouldn’t mix
apples and oranges in logic but you
can team pmeapple and oranges in
a wonderful soda. Combine two
tablespoons ■ each crushed
pineapple in unsweetened juice
with frozen orange juice con
centrate, thawed, and a scoop of
ice cream in a 12-ounce glass.
Gradually add one-half cup ginger
ale, stirring to combine. Top with
another scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Add more ginger ale, if needed, to
fill glass. Serve at once.
promotion
and will be doing a cow milking
demonstration on one of them. I’U
be at the Laurel Festival in
Wellsboro, Ag Progress Days and
some county fairs. I am looking
forward to participating in the
state training seminar where I’ll
meet the new Dairy Princess. I
have several radio interviews
scheduled and several mall
promotions.
It gets easier to make ap
pearances with experience. I’m
less nervous now.
I enjoy being busy and know that
I’ve only got one year to do it. So I
want to make the most of it.
LF: What kinds of appearances
do you find most rewarding?
Cindy: I like mall promotions
and fairs where I can talk directly
to people and get a conversation
going.
In my county I have given
presentations in schools and I
enjoy that. 1 take a huge coloring
book of Goldlilocks and the Three
Bears and talk about nutrition.
Kids really like it. They want to
hear about living on a farm and are
interested in learning about cows.
LF: Do yon feel you have been
successful so far in your reign?
Cindy: We really try to get the
message across. Yes, I feel we
have been successful.
Idea
Daily
So something special with
potatoes ! Preheat oven to 450*F.
Arrange one bag (two pounds)
frozen French fried potatoes m a
single layer in buttered, shallow
pan. Combine one-fourth cup (one
half stick) butter, melted, with one
teaspoon omon salt and one-fourth
teaspoon, paprika; brush over
frozen potatoes. Bake 20 to 25
minutes. Remove from oven;
sprinkle with one-third cup Par
mesan cheese, shaking pan to coat
potatoes evenly. Return to oven to
melt cheese, about three minutes.
Serve immediately.