816-Lancaater Farming, Saturday. April 16, 1994
Dairy Promotion Educates
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
CARLISLE (Dauphin Co.)
The names Jan Harding and the
Pennsyvania Dairy Princess &
Promotion Services. Inc. are
synonymous.
Now, add another name, Betty
Reibson. Her name and face may
be unfamiliar to most, but she is
destined to become as dearly
entrenched as Jan is in the lives of
those who work in dairy
promotion.
Jan is not retiring. But, responsi
bilitcs have increased since the
inception of PDPPS. Betty was
selected by the board of coordina
tors to assist Jan so that Jan may
have more time off.
Betty is no novice to dairy
promotion. She and her husband
Milo own a dairy farm in Forkes
ville, Sullivan County.
In 1988, their daughter Sally
became a dairy maid. The follow
ing year, she was chosen Sullivan
Heading dairy promotion for Dauphin County Is Jay
Kopp, former county dairy princess Tonya Scholl, left, and
her mother Linda Scholl. Kopp, who Is a dairy farmer with
125 cows on 500 acres said that being on a dairy promotion
committee helps him see where the money goes and the
consumer’s perspective on the product. Kopp’s daughter
Jayanna Is the present Dauphin County dairy princess.
jry
Middle Atlantic Milk Marketing Association and teaches
dairy promotion at PDPPS seminars.
Consumers And
Representatives
County dairy princess and later, a
state alternate. Betty became a
full-fledged worker in county
promotion because she needed to
provide transportation and chaper
one her daughter to many promo
tions. Betty also accompanied her
daughter to the three-day dairy
princess seminar.
“That’s when I began to under
stand that we must promote our
products. We can’t sell milk just
because it’s good for us. People
must be convinced,” Betty said.
Betty continued helping with
dairy promotion after Sally’s term
ended. In recent years, she became
more involved with state
promotion.
“I want to make it clear that I am
not Jan’s replacement. I am her
helper,” said Betty, who portrays a
happy, positive outlook on life.
Betty describes her county as a
place where one must drive at least
an hour to get anywhere. It’s pri
marily known for its lumber busi
ness and as a resort for tourists.
But the small number of farmers
certainly doesn’t let the county
take a luck seat when it comes to
dairy promotion.
The county has a week-long
celebration in anticipation of the
June Dairy Parade, whenthecoun
ty dairy princess is chosen. Four-H
clubs, other community clubs, and
business make floats according to
the theme chosen by the dairy
promotion committee.
Last year, the theme was,
“Milk—The Winning Ticket."
This year, the town is celebrat
ing its bicentennial so the chosen
theme is, “Milk—2oo Years of
Goodness.”
The Lion’s Club and the
Dushore Fire Company put on
carnival-type entertainment and a
barbecue. Dairy events include
making a giant sundae and a cow
and goat milking contest for city
folks.
During the community fair,
milk samples are handed out at a
dairy booth. A contest to dress ani
mals and other fun events are held.
The celebration actually begins
a week before the parade with an
Open House at the reigning dairy
princess’s bam. About 85 to 90
percent of the people who attend
are from non-farming background.
The farmer brings out four of his
best cows for a mock cattle judging
contest The visitors are given a
few pointers on what to look for
before judging the cows.
A petting zoo, door prizes, and a
short program is given that tells a
family history of the farm. People
tour the bam where they view the
farming equipment and are told
how much it costs. Feed company
representatives are on hand to tell
how much silage a cow eats and
how much it costs to raise a cow. A
semen company explains the tech
nique and the costs involved. The
committee hands out milk and
doughnuts while the visitors view
displays set up to educate non
farm people.
In October, during the annual
Endless Mountain Craft People
and Flaming Foliage Event held by
the local Chamber of Commerce,
the committee passes out recipes
and samples of dairy products.
Another successful event is school
band concerts where the commit
tee hands out milk punch during
. „ _ - „ . _ icesses ai personnc im
DADiSf'V D !! pu ' 8 ’ p APPS; Jennifer Grimes, Pa. Dairy Princess; Nadine Houck,
County’ rS * Warr#n Dairy Princess; and Maurel Raub, Perry
irw bmlu m ®f* ,n 0 heW *or the south central dis
trict, Betty Relbson, right, and Jan Haidlno discuss the
°* p ®nn*ylvanla Da| ry Princess and Promo-
Beth Heald Moore, the 1985 Pa. Dairy Princess, gives her
daughter an early exposure to the dairy princess program.
Beth Is now a PDPPS coordinator for the south central
district.
intermission.
“This is a very successful way to
reach the non-farming communi
ty,” Betty said. “The people love it,
and come back to ask for recipes.
We are at an advantage because we
only have one high school in the
county and two elementary
schools.”
Betty is emphatic that all these
events do not happen because of
her. She said, Tm not the big cat.
I’m just one of the many people
who help, Mary Lambert is really
the person who keeps the program
alive in the county. Everyone is
asked to help whether or not they
are on the dairy promotion
committee.”
Part of Betty’s responsibilities
as Jan’s assistant includes helping
the dairy princesses in their duties
during Ag Progress, All-American
Show, Farm Show, and coordinat-
ing events by making sure dairy
princesses and alternates are
chauffered to the places. She also
has set up a computer program that
keeps track of each county promo
tion to determine the winners for
the incentive program. Eventually,
Betty may work into more of the
business part of program.
Sometimes Betty needs to
remain away overnight. That
means her husband and son need to
assume her responsibility for feed
ing the calves morning and even
ing and other bam duties.
With the help of their oldest son
Scott, the Reibsons farm their own
2SO acres and rent an additional
100 aces. They milk 80-90 regis
tered Holsteins.
Another son Randy will gradu
ate from Penn State this spring.
Sally, a junior at Lycoming Col
urn to P'