The Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program (PDPP) recently welcomed three new dairy farmer members to its 21-member board of directors. Elected for three-year terms were Bill Beeman of Kingsley, Joyce Bupp from Seven Valleys, and Rob Waddell of Townville.
Re-elected to the board of directors were Nelson Habecker of Lancaster and Lolly Lesher from Bernville. Additionally, Tom Croner of Berlin was re-elected chairman during the board’s re-organization meeting.
Since 1983, when the national dairy checkoff program started, per capita consumption of all dairy products has increased 15 percent. Today, an average person consumes 605 pounds of dairy products on a total solids basis, compared to 522 pounds in 1983, according to USDA data. Dairy checkoff focuses on growth opportunities by working to meet “unmet demand,” which is the gap between current and potential sales. Meeting unmet demand includes making products more available, repackaging existing products, and developing new products that meet the taste, nutrition and convenience needs of today’s consumers.
Elections for board committees were also announced. Elected to the executive committee were Nelson Habecker, vice chairman; Harold Shaulis of Somerset, second vice chairman; Christine Cooney from Spartansburg, secretary; Joyce Bupp, assistant secretary; Bertha Ackerson of Marion Center, treasurer; and Vernon Horst from Chambersburg, assistant treasurer.
Elected to the finance and audit committee were Harold Bailey, Rita Kennedy of Valencia and Randy Meabon from Wattsburg. Liaisons to the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association board of directors are Tom Croner, Nelson Habecker, and Jeff Raney of Adamsville.
PDPP’s board of directors is comprised of 21 members who are nominated by peers within the industry and appointed by the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture.