C2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 6,1981
The premier Guernsey women in jncaster County pose with one of their -ional v jernsey Queen. The gentle Guernsey is Lindenhof Dairy Midas Carla,
favorite animals - the gentle Guernsey cow. Connie Balmer, left, is Lancaster * seven-year-old who just completed a record of over 17,000 pounds of milk and
County’s Dairy Princess, and Millie Linde, right, just concluded her reign as the 800 pounds of fat.
Royal
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
Com lie Bahaer and Milhe Linde
have a lot in common. They each
spent the past year as “royalty”
promoting the dairy industry and a
way of life they think is superb.
They are both attractive and ar
ticulate. And they are both en
thusiasts of the Guernsey breed.
Millie, 22, openly promoted the
Guernsey breed in her position as
National Guernsey Queen, a title
she relinquished in April, but a job
which she will never give up
because she believes in the
superiority of the breed.
Connie, 18, also likes Guernseys;
after all, she has worked with them
all her life. But she diplomatically
refuses to be drawn into a
discussion of their virtues as long
as she is Lancaster County’s
reigning Dairy Princess. It isn’t
that she’s not partial, but she
understands that her Job is to
promote the whole industry, and it
is something she has done with
relish. Her reign will end on June
20 when her successor mil be
chosen.
While their approaches may
differ, it is obvious that each
shares an enthusiasm for the
opportunity they had and
satisfaction for what they were
wmcstead
c H/oies
friends discuss dairy highlights
able to accomplish. And they
agreed that if they bad a younger
sister they would encourage her to
follow in their footsteps.
Connie says, “Being Dairy
Princess helped me mature and
overcome my fear of standing up
and talking to people. It helped me
meet new and interesting people,
make new friends and b« frien
dlier.”
It is traditional in Lancaster
County for the Dairy Princess to
participate in the Dale Carnegie
course, something which Connie
feels is invaluable. She adds, “It
built up my self-confidence. It
helped me so much. I never used
note cards when I spoke because
we weren’t allowed to in the
course. It gives you a positive
attitude.”
Connie is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Jesse Balmer, 527 Millway
Road, Lititz, and is a 1980 graduate
of Warwick High School.
Millie explains her feelings, “It
makes you able to go out and talk
to people. You are doing something
for a worthy cause and I feel good
about that Now that my reign is
over I am still in the public eye and
people still ask for advice. It is a
good feeling to go to meetings and
talk with people.”
They both agreed they were a
little tired of sitting at head tables
and eating chicken and ham on the
banquet circuit, but Millie
laughingly says she learned that
the best bam is served at the
Lancaster County Guernsey
banquet at the Refton Fire Hall.
Both girls are adamant about the
need for promoting dairy products,
not only with additional revenue,
but also by example. Connie states,
promoting dairy products was a major thrust glass of Millie's favorite drink - rich Goiden
of both girls' presentation as they traveled Guernsey milk. Millie just completed her reign
around the county and around the country, as National Guernsey Queen.
Here Dairy Princess Connie, left, pours a tall
“Farmers must use it more
themselves. If they use margarine,
it doesn’t set a very good exam
ple.”
Millie adds, “We must put more
money into advertising. And we
must have more articles about the
goodness of milk in other
newspapers.” The current ad
vertising programs which are
heard on radio and seen in
magazines meets with their ap
proval, as well as the new
association with the Phillies
baseball team with Phillies’
jackets, which read “Milk’s the
One.”
Millie is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. K.O. Linde, Oxford HI, and
graduated from Solanco High
School in 1976. In 1978 she
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