Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, June 05, 1993, Image 20
A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 5. 1993 Promotion of their dairy store is a full-time activity for the Kolb dairy family. Back from left, Leroy; Alice and Roy; Nancy and Roland and son Ryan; and Carol and hus band Ken Landis. Photo by Andy Andrews. There’s Something Special About March Milk Sales At Kolb’s Dairy ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff SPRING CITY (Chester Co.) Perhaps snowy weather had some thing to do with it. The Blizzard of ’93 in March may have put a slight dent in a long tradition at Kolb’s Dairy Store and Farm Market Because for some reason that Roy Kolb can’t pin down, milk sales at his dairy store always reach a peak in March. But bad weather slowed sales a little for that traditionally milk-prosperous month. But what is so special about March? “I don’t know what it is,” he said. ‘Tm not quite sure.” Roy speculates it may be the holidays which are swamped with soda and other drinks that hurt the sales of milk in the months preceding. Perhaps it’s because people are too busy catching up on bills from the Christmas season, and then again, improving weather allows more people to make it to Ken Landis manages the milk processing plant at the dairv. the store from outlying areas in March. But whatever it is, sales peak, and “it’s consistent every year,” he said. This past March, the 18-year old store processed 13,000 gallons of milk (at $1.85 per gallon) for the store (which also features an array of other grocery items). Promote dairy Promotion of their dairy is a full-time activity for the Kolb dairy family, which consists of Roy and his wife Alice and their children Leßoy, 38; Carol Ann, 37 and husband Ken Landis, 40; and Roland, 32. Also, Roy said two grandsons help milk at die dairy— Kevin, 15, son of Carol and Ken and Seth, 14, son of Leroy and Sally. Together, they farm about 400 tillable acres (they own 150 and rent 250) and milk about 110 grade Holstein cows. Milking is twice daily at about 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. from a double six parlor. Feeding a total mixed rations formulated by extra money to pay the high tax- Agway, the dairy’s herd averages es,’ ’he said, with a laugh. ‘‘l think are2o,soopounds,779f,and63lp. that’s probably in a nutshell what Roy said that he started the on- was really mainly on our mind.” farm dairy store, which processes Now, however, there are few 75 percent of the milk obtained on-farm dairy stores still in busi from the herd (the remainder goes ness, compared to years ago, said to the Atlantic Dairy Cooperative), Kolb. * There’s only about a third in 1975 “as an attempt to invoive of them left anymore,” he said, as much of the family as we could,” he said. “It was one way to make a little The family dairy store features an array of other grocery items. Here, Pam Mack, left, helps a customer. Alice Kolb helps seal the gallon milk bags. The on-farm dairy store processes 75 percent of the milk obtained from the herd (the remainder goes to the Atlantic Dairy Cooperative). Roland Kolb manages the dairy, and here feeds a TMR. Taxes up In the past two decades, taxes in the area have gone up 10 times. More residents have moved into the area from outlying urban areas, primarily Philadelphia and sur rounding counties. Tax rates went sky high. “You think it ought to be profit able enough that you can make enough money to pay the mort gage,” he said. Recendy, Kolb sold the dairy store to his children. “We did it now, because right now real estate values are about as low as they’re going to get around here until they start up again.” Getting the dairy started was a big challenge, according to Kolb, because of the times. In the mid-19705, gas prices, because of the OPEC embargo, soared to $1.30-$ 1.40 a gallon, which “real ly hurt people driving out.” And in 1982-1983, interest rates skyrock eted to 18 percent and more. To top off the problems, the dairy couldn’t orchestrate the vol ume of milk necessary to spur sales of products at the store. Eventually they were able to meet their pro duction goals, and go from pro cessing every day to about three times a week. Only in the last five years or so has the dairy been able to sell surplus milk to the cooperative. Farmed with father Kolb married Alice in 1952, and one year later fanned with his father, Paul, through a shares arrangement, with about 22 cows. He rented the farm in 1960 and “went on my own,” he wrote in an application for Master Farmer last year. He purchased the dairy in 1965 (41 acres), and picked up additional acreage in 1970. Although the store wasn’t started until 1975, the partnership with his children began in 1980 and Kolb purchased another 52 acres of farmland. In 1983, more farmland (24 acres) were pur chased, and, years later, Kolb added more children, including son-in-law Ken Landis, to the partnership. Roy said he helps with the gen eral work around the farm. Carol Ann manages the store and does the bookkeeping. Leßoy manages the dairy, and Roland takes care of the crops and other bookkeeping chores. Ken manages the milk pro cessing plant at the dairy. The farm’s acreage includes about 150 acres of com, 65 of alfal- (Turn to Pago A 26)