B2—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January IS, 1953 Blair Co. dairy holds BY PATTY GROSS MOCK Staff Correspondent The day of the small-town dairy delivering door-to-dooi' is for many Just a memory of the good old days. But, in central Penn sylvania, that convenience is still alive. Ritchey’s Dairy of southern Blair County has been filling milk cases since 1940 and the family owned operation looks ahead to a bright future of delivering countiy fresh ice cream and milk. Reid Ritchey currently runs the plant, which was founded by Oliver Ritchey. Reid says his grand father, like many fanners, sold raw milk at his farm. As his clientele increased, he decided to go into the mUk processing business. Oliver Ritchey also purchased the nearby Kensinger Dairy near Roaring Spring. Ritchey’s Dairy began with just one route and as it grew, more routes followed. The dairy has gone through many changes over the past 42 years. The Ritchey farm originally was the sole supplier, but soon they were picking up cans of milk dally from other farmers. At one time, 20 local farms shipped to Ritchey’s Dairy. There are now 10 farms supplying the milk. Reid explained that those farms now probably are shipping 10 times as much as the 20 did, years ago. Dick Hinish has been driving the only tank truck for the dairy for 30 years. Following his 10-farm pick-ups, the milk is brought to the plant where it is pumped into the storage tanks at 65 gallons a minute. The company packages milk under their own name as well as for others. Some of the 140,000 gallons of milk brought into the plant every week is used for ice cream; the rest is sold in stores or home-delivered. on to good The first tank truck in the area was from Ritchey’s in 1950. “It was new at that time,” remembered Reid. “A lot of the fanners were a little bit reluctant, but they soon found out it was a much better way of shipping milk.” The dairy was once more of a family business than now. Years ago the entire family could be found at the dairy. Reid remem bers his grandfather owning the plant and his mother and father and uncle working there. His other uncle worked the adjacent Ritchey farm. Reid’s father Paul, took over the dairy in 1963 and upon his retirement in 1973, Reid took the reins. Reid’s wife Peggy at one time helped in the office, but now is kept busy with their 9-year-old son, Andrew. Their oldest son, Reid 11, 29, no longer helps at the plant, but 27-year-old Randy takes an active interest and follows in his father’s footsteps at the dairy. Reid appears to be the boss that realizes how hard the employees labor. He himself came up through the ranks of the dairy. Every young person at some time probably dreams of their own ice cream factory. For some, the dream comes true. During three years in high school Reid made ice cream. In 1962, he started the first milk route in the nearby city of Altoona. The dairy ol days already bad 5 or 6 rural routes. He stuck with the Job for 9 years until he took over as route foreman and traveled all of the dairy’s routes. “It was a real good experience for me,” he confessed. “Being that I started out that way, I have a feel for what my drivers go through." His early years were In the retail end, but prior to taking the helm, Reid moved inside the dairy. “My last 10 years I’ve learned quite a bit about the processing of milk...the milk coming in from the farms and the machines operating in the dairy.” The dairy caters to the door-to door customers in Blair, Bedford, and parts of Huntingdon and Fulton counties, within a 50-mile radius of the plant. They deliver practically everything. “We sell a full line,” Reid proudly stated. “We must have at least 20 items on the truck.” The products range from ice cream, homogenized milk, 2% milk, skim milk, chocolate milk, butter milk, butter, margarine, cream, cottage cheese, to eggs and orange juice. If you have a Ritchey’s milk bottle, bold on to it, for it could become a collector’s item. “We’ve been out of the glass containers for at least 15 years,” said Reid. “We were one of the first in Blair County to go all paper. We couldn’t do both economically. The dairy processes 140,000 gallons of milk a week. Some of that milk is used to make the famous country fresh ice cream. Ice cream production is about 15 percent of the total business. If the lines of ice cream eaters in the summer are any indication, it is a profitable sideline. “We don’t make too many novelties,” smiled Reid. “We make mainly just half-gallon ice cream, dipping ice creams and stenciled party slices. Some of the ice cream is sold wholesale, but not on a large scale. At the dairy, located in the center of the rich Morrisons Cove farmland, they have been making ice cream the same way for years. “We haven’t changed the formula for years and years," confided the owner. Reid’s grandfather’s recipe apparently isn’t a family secret either. “We still use fresh eggs-in our ice cream, along with milk and cream! sugar and a stabilizer. Those are the main ingredients.” According to Reid, ingredients are the most important thing. The ice cream producer explained that they try to have their ice cream with at least 12 percent butterfat. If you are looking for the 32 varieties, you won’t find them at Ritchey’s Dairy. What you will discover is at least IS flavors of the tempting delight. The dairy is capable of making as many as 30 different flavors, however Reid chooses not to do so with very good reason. “We like to keep our ice cream fresh. We feel it moves better if you have 10 to 15 rather than 30. Besides it gives the customers a different variety if you switch off," he reasoned. The businessman sees no reason to take up space with a flavor that doesn’t sell. The mouth-watering flavor which received top billing over the holidays was “holiday special.” It not only tasted good, but looked the part occasion. The ice cream was highlighted with pecans, almonds, pineapple and colorful red and green maraschino cherries. Americans eat more ice cream than anyone else in the world. Hie customers of the Martinsburg (Turn to Page B 3) Richard Claar has been making ice cream at Ritchey’s Dairy in Martinsburg since the mkt-70s. He’ll add die strawberry ripple he's making' to the long list of other dairy favorites Ritchey’s provides. Randy Hinish started working at Ritchey’s Dairy while a sophomore in high school and has been there ever since. The milk packaging machines keep him very busy as he stacks it with more cartons. from Ritchey’s Dairy. They have been delivering door-to-door since the beginning of the dairy in 1940. Owner and manager of the dairy, Reid Ritchey, says home deliveries are stronger than ever before. homestead c I
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