The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-06-19
Established In,
1929; Serving
700 Farmers Now
Most of North Carolina Cheese
Is Manufactured In The
Kraft Plant Here.
CHEESE OUTSTANDING
CHEESE OUTSTANDING
By Staff Writer)

CO1lCeTn III a garage Dulldlng US
ing 5000 pounds of milk per day
to an industry now occupying a
$4,000 plant which will in July
celebrate it's twelfth birthday,
serving from $50 to 700 farmers
this year by using more than s.
100000 pounds of milk from
which are produced around one
half million pounds of the best
American Chaddar cheese that
can be made.
But the success story is not in
the statistics alone nor in the fla
vor of the cheese; for behind the
scene is the development of the
dairy industry in Ashe county and
Northwestern North Carolina to
which particular attention is be-
ing called during this month, des-
ignated as ''N a t on a | Dairy
Month. And the development OF
the dairy industry in this section
has resulted in improved farms,
better homes and higher stand
ards of living for a large number
of people.
Developing An Industry
With its natural blue grass pas
ture lands watered by cool, pure
mountain streams, free from wild
onions, garlic and other off fla
vored weeds and cool climate, this
section is ideally adapted to the
dairy industry. But without
standard market for milk there
was little encouragement for the
dairy farmer. The Kraft cheese
plant was the answer; for 1t
meant a standard home market,
the year round, resulting in cash
income for the farmers.
Kraft field men saw the posi-
bilities of the development OF
dairying section, and through the
work and cooperation of a num-
Der of far-sighted farmers who
pledged their support to such an
industry Kraft began operations
after buying out a small local
cheese plant. Milk routes were
established and today there are
more than Is routes in Ashe and
nearby counties and more than
hundred farmers that deliver their
-
The success of the Kraft plant
here reflects the success OF It's
hundreds of patrons. For Kraft
has not only offered them mar
ket and given them sizeable pay
checks regularly, but has left
nothing undone toward helping
them help themselves. Farmers
intereS:ed in getting into the
dairy business are given advice
and assistance on how to 60 about
it, how to improve their pasture
lands, to save on feed, to build
silos, better barns or any other
improvements that they desire to
make in their farms and farming
practices.
Throughout the county can be
seen model dairy barns, silos,
beautiful homes and other I'M
provements which can be traced
directly to the cheese plant.
Nor has the cooperative assist
ance of the Kraft plant been linn
tied to individual farmers. The
management has always been in
terested in the development of
Ashe county as a whole. 1t was
under the direction of Levern
Johnson, local plant manager,
that the Ashe county Dairyman's
Association was organized, in the
office of the cheese plant, for the
purpose of discussing dairy feed,
breeding and other farm prob
lens. And it was this group
which in turn sponsored the
movement and raised funds for
Ashe county's first farm agent.
Market Prices
The first year the plant was in
operation which was boom year,
the patrons were paid $102,0OO.O0
for their milk. During the depres-
sion dairy products as well as
other farm commodities fell to a
new low level. But even with the
off years, dry seasons and floods,
the plant has continued to ope-
rate, offering the dairymen a
standard market for their milk,
and during the IL years of its ex-
istence has paid out hundreds of
thousands of dollars to Ashe
county farmers.
The Kraft plant here has always
had efficient cooperative manag-
ers. James Cooper was in charge
of the local plant in the begin
ming. He was succeeded by Ar
thur Frazier, who was active I'M
til ill health forced him to give
up his work. He was followed
by the present manager, Levern
johnson, who is active in all civic
and church work for the better