DB—Lancaster Firming, Saturday, August 1,1981
Dairy diplomats promote and push to peddle product
BY DONNA TOMMELLEO
NARVON When Jere and Jan
Sidles were selected to represent
their district at Inter-State’s
Outstanding Young Cooperators
Contest, last month they didn’t
know what to expect.
The Narvon couple didn’t know
they’d have to speak in front ot
more than 50 people. They didn’t
know their topic could range from
dairy legislation to economics
And they didn’t know that 19 other
young couples, eager to promote
the industry, were the competition.
About the only thing they were
sure of, explained Jan, was a two
day vacation at the Hunt Valley
Inn, Md., the competition site.
Jere and Jan waited and listened
while a half-dozen couples took the
podium in turn and discussed
cooperative operations,
adulteration policies and energy
saving goals.
Finally, they took the platform
and fielded a question that asked
for a dairy farmer’s obligation to
promotion an emotionally
charged subject for the couple.
The jitters evident in some
participants, never surfaced in the
zealous Skiles. They cdlled for
teamwork and urged producers to
make contributions for ad
vertising. Jere cited a New York
survey that reported a two-fold
increase returned for every dollar
contributed.
Their soapbbox sermon was
good enough for the judges and as
a result Jere and Jan, Inter-State’s
Outstanding Young Cooperators
for 1981 will attend the National
Federation of Milk Cooperatives
Convention in Las Vegas this
November.
In the absence of judges and
participants at their farm, Pequea-
Meadows, the couple is no less
enthusiastic when it comes to
promoting their product.
Jere, 25, says he is pleased with
the latest ads from UDIA which
include the co-sponsors Foster-
Grant, MacDonald’s and Py-Co-
Pay toothpaste. He admits the co
sponsor approach to promotion can
be economical as well as effective.
"If we’re not going to spend
millions to compete, we’ve got to
ride their (larger sponsors)
The free-stall barn, which houses the 72-cow herd, is one of The Ski,es ' fanm. Pequea-Meadows is July evening,
the additions that resulted from the Skiles’ 1976 expansion. silhouetted in the waning moments of a cool
Inter-State’s Outstanding Young Cooperators
coatails. We’ve all got to work
together.”
Effective advertising, Jere says,
could remedy the current surplus
problem.
"I’m not so sure that maybe we
haven’t created a problem (sur
plus) with the base system,” he
says although he admits the base
sytem does have merit.
Jan, 22, also a strong advocate
tor promotion is assistant manager
at a local fast-food restaurant. She
explains the milk sales are only
one-third ot total beverage.
Her restaurant sells only 10 to 12
cartons ot milk on an average
weekend day which attracts about
1200 customers.
However, Jan admits she’s
pleased the milkshakes are
complete dairy products, unlike
shakes of many fast-food chains.
The Skues explain that
promotion can be as simple as
word of mouth.
"You’ve got to talk to your city
friends and verse yourself well
enough to explain the industry,”
Jere emphasizes.
“Relate to them and make them
want the product.”
Jere suggests promoting milk
components, such as protein, as
well as the whole product.
Eager to practice what they
preach, the couple have hosted
many groups at their 284-acre
farm.
Jere studied dairy herd
management at Wisconsin In
dianhead Technical Institute.
After graduating in 1976 he
returned to Pequea-Meadows and
entered into a 50-50 partnership
with his father Kenneth.
At that tune the Skiles expanded
their operation from 40 to 72
Holstems. They added a tree-stall,
double tour straight-sided parlor
and began feeding a total mixed
ration.
“We do less work with 72 head
than we did betore,” Jere explains.
Except tor Timothy hay tor the
dry cows, the lather and son team
ensile the remaining hay crop.
The Skiles keep caretul tabs ot
their ration and sample torage
every time they think it changes,
says Jere.
Just as they adapt to ration and
torages changes, the Skiles keep
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up with the progressive dairy
industry. Jere explains that his
lather was one ot the first people m
the area to start on-the-tarm A.l.
more than 10 years ago.
They superovulate the out
standing individuals m the herd
and have pending contracts tor 12
bull calves, says Jere. The black
and white herd which is 85 percent
registered has a rolling herd
average ot 17,075 lbs. milk and 647
lbs. tat.
Fly control, which can be a sore
spot on many tarms, is a "tight tire
with tire” method at Pequea-
Meadows.
For $5O a year, the Skiles pur
chase predator tlies trom
California and torn them loose on
their earthen bank manure
storage.
The small predator thes, lay
their eggs inside the eggs ot
nuisance insects and destroy the
larvae.
The Pequea-Meadows work
force consists ot Kenneth, Jere and
a neighbor boy who helps with the
milking and Jan is ready to milk in
a pinch if needed.
Although she’s not trom a farm
background, Jan, a native ot
Parkesburg, Pa., finds country life
peaceful and rewarding.
Mamed a little over a year, the
Skiles are members ot the
Parkesburg Baptiste Church and
are active in the Pequea-Valley
Jaycees.
Jere is vice-president ot their
local co-op, New Holland-Leola
and a board member on the
Lancaster County Extension
Board. The active couple also
belongs to the Pennsylvania Farm
Association and the Lancaster
County Farm Association.
Jere and Jan are looking tor
ward to the Las Vegas trip not only
The Skiles feed a total-mi:
the nation.
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Inter-State’s Outstanding Young Cooperators, 1981, Jere
and Jan Skiles, Narvon, will be attending the National
Federation of Milk Cooperatives in Las Vegas, Nevada this
November.
tor the R & R aspect but also tor The Skiles may have won a trip
the education.
"We hope to get a total picture ot benetit trom the progressive and
the dairy situation on a national postive attitudes ot these two eager
level,” Jere says.
ration with the help of this tumbler mixer, one of only a few in
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in November but the true winner is
the dairy industry which will
ambassadors.
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