Mirror photo by Patt Keith
Jean Sollenberger, who was the Blair County dairy princess coordinator for 15 years before she “retired” in 2016, holds a Blair County Dairy Promotion Cookbook in her kitchen in Curryville.

CURRYVILLE — Jean Sollenberger served as the Blair County dairy princess coordinator for 15 years before she “retired” in 2016, but her influence is far-reaching as the now-adult, former princesses continue in agriculture from running their families’ farms to teaching the next generation of dairymen and farmers.

Like many former Blair County dairy princesses, Robyn Bechtel pursued a college degree and continues to use what she learned from Sollenberger and her experiences promoting the dairy industry.

For the past four years, Bechtel has served as the Williamsburg Community School District’s agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America adviser. Additionally, she served as Morrisons Cove 4-H Dairy Club Leader and Blair County Dairy Bowl and Dairy Judging Coach — each for 10 years.

“During my year as the 2005-2006 Blair County Alternate Dairy Princess,” Bechtel said,”Jean was essentially my second mom. She went with me to all of my promotions and would provide advice on what activities to do with the kids. On the car rides to events we would talk about school, my 4-H and FFA activities and family.

“Jean took care of each of her royalty to make sure that we felt like we were the most important person to her. The way Jean cared for each dairy promoter served as a model for me as I try to make each 4-H member and student that I work with feel like they are the most important person.”

Working with Sollenberger and carrying out the dairy promotion outreach activities, altered Kristy Bigelow’s career path.

“I had planned to go into journalism or teaching, maybe,” she said. “But after serving as princess, I realized how much I cared about how I grew up and and staying involved in agriculture became more and more important,” she said.

Now 27, Bigelow, of Williamsburg, served as Blair’s Dairy Princess from June 2009 to June 2010. In 2014, she graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Animal Science and now works with the Penn State Extension Service as a 4-H program assistant.

“Through 4-H, I work with clubs and the volunteers who work with the kids who range in age from 5 to 18,” she said. Bigelow also serves as the Blair County Dairy Princess Coordinator — a volunteer position — and a role she assumed from her mentor Sollenberger in 2016.

“I knew Jean was always busy as the coordinator, but until I did it the past few years, I didn’t realize it is a full-time job. Jean handled everything really well. The girls who get involved are awesome and they are also involved in many other school activities and church activities so scheduling dairy promotion activities can be challenging,” Bigelow said.

“Jean is as an asset to our dairy promotion team here in Blair County due to her willingness to fill in and help however she can. I think she is the main reason that our county program is one of the strongest in the state — she established dairy princess appearances and made contacts with folks years and years ago that we still use today.”

During Sollenberger’s tenure one princess served as the state alternate, another placed in the top 10 and five served as state finalists.

Another Williamsburg resident, Tiffany Pheasant, now 23, served as Dairy Princess 2012 to 2013. Pheasant earned a bachelor of science degree from Penn State in Animal Science with a minor in Agri-Business. She is the fourth generation to work the family’s Pheasant Hill Farm.

“Today, I help run the family farm and do a lot of the cow health such as taking care of the baby calves. I love cows. I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” she said. “I think one of the main benefits of being a dairy princess is learning how to present yourself in front of people and how to advocate for the dairy industry. People are so far removed from the farm that they don’t know what all is involved.”

Sollenberger’s interactions with students on school promotion trips and with adults at grocery stores demonstrated how to gracefully handle less than pleasant interactions.

“Jean always talked to people in a positive way. Some people would be negative and have misguided views or believe myths that farm animals are mistreated or have hard lives. But actually, our cows are spoiled. We take such good care of them and in return they give us a good product.”

Pheasant continued, “She definitely helped me get out of my comfort zone. She taught me how to network and helped me meet new people. I was very, very nervous at first and I still get a bit nervous (before a presentation) but not like I used to. Jean would practice with me over and over and presenting to her was so helpful. She showed and taught me how to educate and not to argue. She always had a smile on her face.”

Like most dairy prin-cesses/promoters, Pheasant presented to school children, nursing home residents, attended parades, the state farm show and more than 350 events overall.

Many times, Pheasant recalled, Sollenberger came up with hands-on activities to do with the students and adults, such as how to make a cheese ball or how to make ice cream in a plastic bag.

“I remember for one state event Jean made up a couple thousand goody bags with color books, cow pencils and cow erasers, and other fun stuff,” Pheasant said. “Jean had baskets of games and supplies she gave to me to help me during my year.”

Bigelow agrees Sollenberger helped her “come out of my shell and with her encouragement I learned how how to build relationships with other people. She is very good at making people feel at ease.”

The former princesses said Sollenberger’s organization skills helped them in college and now as busy adults in the farming community.

Sollenberger, now 68, continues her involvement in the local dairy industry by serving on the Blair County Dairy Promotion Committee as secretary.

A fast-paced talker, Sollenberger converses, clears lunch dishes and wipes the gold-flecked white Formica kitchen table. When she finally sits down — she bounces back up to dash into her nearby office and retrieves the program booklet from the first Blair County Dairy Princess competition held in 1964.

Sollenberger credits having four children in 5.5 years for honing her organizational skills, learning to allow plenty of travel time to events and, even being involved in the dairy princess program. She became aware of the Dairy Princess program when one daughter wanted to participate.

Sollenberger and the princesses traveled on average 4,000 miles a year, mixed hundreds, if not thousands of milk shakes, hand-dipped ice cream cones, grilled cheese and cheese and ham sandwiches, nachos and cheese and baked potatoes served with butter, sour cream and cheese at various ag-related events. The delicious delights fund scholarships for the princesses.

In one typical year, she and the princess attended 242 promotions (including 125 school presentations), provided 37 media interviews, manned 41 booths at various ag-related events, and nearly 40 other activities such as dairy promotion meetings, ribbon presentations, special events around the state. They also distributed 20,000 promotional items such as cow key chains, and distributed nearly 4,000 recipes

And, it hasn’t dampened her infectious enthusiasm for all things dairy.

From the light-blue, cow emblazoned T-shirt she wears to the ceramic cows perched on a high kitchen shelf, she laughs often and easily recalls each princess she drove throughout Blair County and across the state.

“I enjoyed doing all of it. I learned a lot from these girls — they really educated me because they were on working,” Sollenberger said humbly. “Dairy farmers care about the community and contribute to the community in so many ways beyond contributing (economically).”