Jim and Neenie Jeffers have many passions. Among them are their five children, 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren (with more on the way).
Their latest is James Arthur Vineyards. It's their gift to Nebraskans and to the people who visit the Cornhusker state.
Jim, who previously owned Quality Pork International, a deli meat manufacturing plant in Omaha, found he couldn't stay retired. The cornerstone of his business philosophy has always been to provide a high-quality product and first-rate customer service.
That credo can be found throughout James Arthur Vineyards. Together, with their family, they founded the winery.
While the winery staff has grown, Jim and Neenie's influence remains. It can be seen in the friendly service guests receive to the quality product they provide.
For Jim and Neenie Jeffers, James Arthur Vineyards is merely an extension of their lives and loves.
Jim Ballard had a hunch. The many customers of James Arthur Vineyards are glad he followed it.
Jim thought his father-in-law's farmland, situated northwest of Lincoln, Neb., was fertile ground for growing grapes.
With his father-in-law's blessing, Jim planted several grapevines with hopes his hobby would someday produce fine homemade wine. Something to share with family and friends. It did, and Jim's hobby took a new twist.
James Arthur Vineyards opened five years later.
A former broadcast journalist and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Jim is JAV's winemaker and still helps with the winery's daily operations and special events. His goal is to produce award winning Nebraska wine while providing guests to James Arthur Vineyards with an experience that is educational, exciting and interesting.
Although she considers herself "retired," Barb Ballard stays plenty busy.
Top priority is raising the couple's three children, Benjamin, Beau and Edyn. Next comes managing the day-to-day operations of JAV as well as the winery's gift shop. She also helps plan special events and coordinates the tasting room. Not bad for being retired!
Barb graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in broadcast journalism. She first worked as a producer for a Lincoln television station then as a talent and casting agency in Omaha. Later, she worked as office manager for her father's meat packing plant.
Barb stopped working full-time when the Ballard's were expecting their second child. She came out of "retirement" when her parents started the winery. Her focus now -- as it always has been -- is family, friends and working with people. It's the perfect combination.
It seems like Laura Suellwold has been around JAV forever! In reality, Laura has only been with the winery since 2001, and now serves as Tasting Room Manager. However, her relationship with the Ballard and Jeffers families goes back much further than that. Laura and Barb Ballard grew up together while going to school together in Crete, NE. The two became fast friends.
While growing up in Denton, NE, Laura developed a passion for baseball and horses, and spent much of her youth on the rodeo circuit. And for Laura, her second home has become JAV, where she greets and meets customers on a daily basis, with a smile and kind words.
Josh
Rockemann's first days at the vineyard began in the summer of 2000. It started
off as a part-time summer job that has grown into much more. Today Josh is
JAV's Vineyard Manager, managing and maintaining the nearly 20 acres of vineyards
here at JAV
Josh grew up in the Davey area only minutes away from the vineyard. Although Josh has since moved to Waverly, his mom, dad and younger brother still live there. Jared has also had his share of vineyard time, picking grapes in the fall.
As a 2002 graduate of Waverly High School, Josh enjoyed sports year-round but found time to slip away for a weekend pheasant hunt with his father. This is one sport that he has not given up. Along with pruning in the winter Josh enjoys his time in the field. From November to January he can also be found wandering across a CRP field looking for that perfect shot. Josh’s future plans are to graduate from college with a degree in viticulture from Southwest Missouri State.
After 33 years at the Goodyear plant in Lincoln, Bill Kobza retired. However, if you know Bill, he had way too much energy to be retired. He soon found himself as a dealer at the Aardvark Antique Mall, and in fact still owns a booth there. He also found himself spending more time at JAV, where he and his wife Luann are Winerighters.
To make a long story short, Bill began helping out with odd jobs at the winery. Harvest began, and Bill found himself in the middle of crushing and pressing grapes. This lead to helping out in the cellar and also with pruning. In fact, Bill has become JAV's man of many talents! However, if you ask him, his favorite thing is to sit and have coffee with Neenie during breaks.
Bill and Luann settled in Lincoln when Bill got of the Marines after 13 months in Vietnam. They have been married 37 years..a feat in and of itself! They have one son, Klint, who was recently married, and will soon be expecting their first grandchild. Bill is an avid outdoorsman who loves to fish, hunt, backpack and camp. And of course, if you want to ask about his best pal Rufus (a miniature dachshund), Bill will give you can earful. So, the next time your in, stop by and say hi to him..he might even share a cup of coffee with you.
Paul Perske has a passion for wine. It’s a passion that has served him well as JAV’s new Director of Sales and Distribution. A Nebraska native, Paul has had an interesting a path along his way to discovering that passion, as well as JAV.
After graduating from Hartington Cedar Catholic, where Sister Rose assured him that all the homework he did would not kill..and even if it did, "not to worry we will bury you," Paul headed off to Wayne State for college where he earned his degree in Partyology. Just kidding, it was actually Business Administration. Soon after college he met the perfect woman (according to him, anyone that would put up with his ways would have to be perfect) and married her. Paul and Paula will soon be celebrating 10 years of marriage.
After a few years with JC Pennies, Paul moved to Columbus where he opened his own business, a Men’s Clothing Store. However, the idea of moving from Nebraska and seeking new adventures took him to the Pacific Northwest, where he hooked on with a Utility Contractor which took him to all parts of the United States, and eventually settling down in Idaho. It’s there Paul discovered his love of wine, by gaining a part-time job as a wine rat with Sawtooth Winery. His duties included working the tasting room as well as some winemaking responsibilities.
It was about that time that Paul and Paula decided home was where they needed to be and moved back to Lincoln, and soon thereafter welcomed the joy of his life into the world. Olivia Rose was born in 2004.
It was also at that time that Paul showed up on the steps of JAV, and since he wouldn’t go away, he was soon working in the tasting room on the weekends. It wasn’t long before he became the face of JAV as he traveled around the state selling their finest, reconnecting to what he really enjoys doing, working with wine and people.
These days, Paul finds himself daydreaming about finding the perfect place to put down some roots as he recalls all the miles of highways, byways and towns, and all the good friends he has made along the journey to where he is today. For all of us at JAV and our customers across the state, we hope those roots grow deep right here.
The future of James Arthur Vineyards! The Ballard kids hard at work. Benjamin in the lab.
Beau helping out on the crush pad.
Edyn (Peach) hanging out with her dad!
Making themselves at home around the winery, Freckles and Puss 'N Boots.
