A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 26, 1994
Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Board Holds Annual Meeting
GAIL STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) “We want to sell more
dairy products and improve the
dairy fanner’s bottom line.”
That’s how Karl Kroeck from
Knoxville, Chairman of the Com
modity Marketing Board of the
Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion
Program (PDPP) summed up the
purpose of the program. Over 100
industry and county dairy promo
tion representatives, including far
mers, gathered a| the Nittany Lion
Inn in State College on Monday,
February 7 for the annual meeting
and 10th anniversary of the Pen
nsylvania Dairy Promotion Prog
ram. In short, they came to hear
how the farmers’ milk check
check-off dollars were being put
to use.
“We want to inform dairy pro
ducers about their investment in
dairy promotion,” says Brian
Ross, Program Manager. “This
meeting will reflect Pennsylvania
Dairy’s 10 years of activities con
ducted on behalf of Pennsylvania
dairy farmers to promote milk and
dairy products in the state.”
Ross, in his fourth year as man
ager, said he and his staff tries to
work the areas where we can make
a difference. The advertising cam
paign targets the 25-34 acre group
and is not, Ross reminded those
attending, aimed at farmers. The
PDPP targets schools for nutrition
education and larger areas of con
sumption such as cities. Ross said
any phone call ideas they receive
in the office are presented to the
Board.
In his Chairman’s address,
Kroeck said the PDPP is working
with other organizations, mainly
the American Dairy Association
Dairy Council (ADADC) and the
Mideast United Dairy Industry
Association/F.O. 36 Advertising
Agency, to get the most for the
advertising dollars. Kroeck said
things are changing so rapidly.
One thousand farms were lost last
year in Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania is down to
52,000 farms. Cooperation is the
only practical solution to bring the
whole industry together (to prom
ote dairy products).”
Kroeck said the purpose of
promoting the dairy industry’s
products is to close the gap
between production and consump
tion. “Let’s see dairy product
demand exceed production!”
In Pennsylvania, over 51.3 mil
lion in operating revenues each
year flow from the dairyman’s
milk check to the PDPP for pro
duct promotion. Of this, 60.8% or
$773,545 are used for purchasing
media advertising, mostly for
fluid milk, cheese, and sports
marketing. 10.4% goes to active
dairy promotion committees in 43
counties across Pennsylvania. The
remaining balance is spent on con
sumer marketing, communica
tions, nutrition education, and
administrative operations. Trea
surer Robert Gehman from
Coopersburg presented the finan
cial report.
Promotions’ Committee Chair
man Harold Shaulis of Somerset*
presented The 1993 “Promoter of
the Year” award to Julia C. Myers
of Franklin County for her out
standing efforts for dairy promo
tion. Shaulis and Myers applies
enthusiasm and professionalism in
her seven years of activities.
Myers received an engraved
plaque and a $lOO cash award.
The purpose of this award is to
identify those people who work to
improve the public’s perceptions
Harold Shaulis, left, presented cash award to Julia Myers
from Franklin County for work at the county level for dairy
promotion. Jennifer Grimes, state dairy princess, joins in
the presentation.
about dairy products and the dairy
industry. The Pennsylvania Dairy
Board acknowledges the tremend
ous support that these hard
working volunteers provide to the
entire dairy promotion effort.
Myers was raised on a dairy farm,
married, and is now working in an
agricultural industry. Myers
thanked the agri-businesses of
Franklin County for generously
giving matching funds for use in
dairy promotion.
Three board members accepted
recognition for serving on the
board since its inception. Don
Cook of Drums, Richard .Shellen
berger of Manheim, and Beverly
Minor of Eighty Four received
gold pens for their ten years of ser
vice. Don Cook said he is proud of
what has been accomplished.
Richard Shellenberger said he
remembers the first board meeting
where ideas were formulated and
refined and refocused. Bev Minor
was needed out of town and could
not attend the meeting.
The morning session concluded
with motivational and humorous
thoughts from Harry Houston, for
merly of the Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative. Houston urged far
mers to pull together to keep the
tools of your trade from being
taken from you - the use of fertil
izers and pesticides, for example.
If not, Houston said, “You won’t
be able to produce food like you
are now to feed us and the world.”
The PDPP 1993 Marketing
Campaign
Program manager‘Brian Ross
presented the afternoon session.
He and his staff, Communications
Director Elizabeth (Betsy) A.
Dupuis, Promotions Specialist
Nadine J. Houck, and Program
Assistant Jennifer S. Dobyns
reported on what the board has
done in 1993.
Sports marketing included
radio, billboard, television, and
personal appearances featuring
the All-American Pittsburgh
Pirate Jay Bell. Pennsylvania
dairy commercials could be seen
during breaks in the televised PSU
Nittany Lion football games, as
well as football snack days and
Blue Band member appearances
to show how milk does a body
good. Sixty-five stations partici
pate in the Penn State Sports
Network.
Ice cream promotions linked up
with Hershey food toppings to
make those who watched “feel
like a kid again” while Sam Scoop
gave the scoop on radio.
The National Cheese campaign
centered on TV advertisements
and instore promotions which
have been shown to increase
cheese sales by as much as 30%.
Aunt Emma took to the micro
phone in central and northeast
Pennsylvania for radio spots to
announce that only real dairy pro
ducts deliver results. Her recipes
are in local newspapers and plans
are in motion for a special Aunt
Emma holiday promotional.
Healthy snacking is the focus of
dairy nutrition education in
elementary schools through Snack
Stars and Snack Trek. Classroom
tested programs offer kids hands
on activities. School breakfast
programs center on the ideas that
today’s children are tomorrow’s
milk drinkers. Kids leant that
breakfast and school are cool and
important for success.
The PDPP and its co-sponsors
reach consumers directly at groc
ery and convenience stores
through colorful displays, posters
and materials.
In spring, PDPP joins with the
Prom Promise promoters for a
“Cheers” campaign, offering high
school students a non-alcholic
alternative to drinking. This pub
lic service announcement was
used by 40 stations across Penn
sylvania.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show’s
800-pound life size butter sculp
ture drew the attention of most of
the 230,000 people attending the
show. The Cable News Network
televised it worldwide. An ice
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Dauphin County
Dairy Herd Improvement Associa
tion recently held its annual meet
ing at the Western Sizzlin Steak
House in Harrisburg.
Chairman Leon Crissinger, of
Gratz, welcomed attendees and
reported on the changes and trans
actions affecting local members.
Crissinger said that there are 47
herds with 3,500 cows on test in
Dauphin County.
DHIA Technician James Batz,
of Annville, was recognized for
outstanding job performance.
Christine Faust, of Millersburg,
was introduced as the newest
DHIA technician. Faust tests herds
in upper Dat iin County and Batz
Mario Switzer, who holds their hi
director of field services.
The Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Board recognized
three original board members at their 10th anniversary and
annual meeting. Don Cook, left, and Dick Shellenberger,
right, receive service recognition from Karl Kroeck,
chairman.
cream “Scooper Bowl” was also
held at the Farm Show. Dairy Fun
Night at the Farm Show featured a
milk mustache contest and a
“churning and turning” for home
made ice cream contest. For the
milking contest, participants had
to not only milk the cow, but
shake a portion of the milk into
butter. Ross emphasized that Farm
Show media coverage is free
coverage.
June as Dairy Month saw cele
brities milking cows in Pittsburgh,
Dairy Day festivities in Lancaster,
ice cream contests at Altoona’s
Blands Park, an ice cream sere
nade in Philadelphia, an ice cream
safari in Erie, and real milk pro
duct banners for the Harrisburg
Senators baseball games.
Planning and Development
for 1994
Tara Gillies, Account Execu
tive for D’Arcy, Masius, Benton,
and Bowles, Inc., an advertising
agency, stepped to the podium to
outline the 1994 fluid milk adver
tising campaign. The “It Shows”
campaign began in February of
1993 and is a strong campaign
Dauphin DHIA Meets
works with herds in the southern
portion of the county.
Galen Lehman, of Middletown,
was elected to the board of direc
tors. The others on the board are
Tom Tobias, of Halifax; Ty Long,
of Hershey; Mike Miller, of Har
risburg; Dale Faust, of Halifax;
and Leon Crissinger, of Gratz.
In other business, David Shenk,
regional DHIA manager from Per
ry County, told members about the
computerization of production
data collection. Dean Amick,
director of Pa.DHIA field services,
talked about business decisions
regarding the state office and
reported that David Slusser has
been made manager of the state
association.
-' t ' ,
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''a ’i
t
mai
rd production awaits, ai
involving high consumer aware
ness. Next year’s program will be
heavy into self-enhancement,
physical health, and emotional
health.
The “Milk. It Does a Body
Good” Campaign will continue.
Other advertising will center on
the core idea “When you drink
milk it shows.”
Two new 30-second television
commercials have begun airing -
one labeled “country” and the
other “urban”.
On a national level, Gillies
reported that all of the major net
works, ABC, CBS, and NBC; air
milk commercials during their
evening programs. Dairy product
advertising can also be seen dur
ing prime time shows like “60
Minutes”. National advertising
campaigns are scheduled for the
Winter Olympics.
Overall, Gillies said, 2.8 mil
lion Pennsylvania consumers
(from the target audience) will
see/hear a milk message 80 times
throughout the year - an average
of three times a week.
In production recognition, the
53-head, registered Holstein herd
owned by Leonard and Marie
Switzer was recognized as being
the 1993 high herd for milk pro
duction, with 25,232 pounds. The
switzer’s herd was also recognized
as being the high herd for protein
production, with an average of 784
pounds. The Couple also received
the top herd management award
among the county association.
Frank Greybill Jr., of Hershey,
was honored for his herd’s top
average butterfat production of
784 pounds, while Leroy Reihl, of
Gratz. had the herd with the lowest
average somatic ceil county.
Dean Amlck, Pa.