N Is for Nibbles, Nuggets, and News

Welcome back for today's entry for June Dairy Month. Today we salute letter N.

Earlier this week I joined up with Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Kyla Mauk to visit with shoppers at Hy-Vee in Oakdale, MN.

We were invited by Hy-Vee Registered Dietician, Jena Pape to speak with shoppers about the importance of having three servings of dairy each day, and what better way to reach out to these consumers than to offer a nibble of cheese. The Chipotle flavored cheese was a big hit, even for those of us who aren't spicy food eaters.

We also invited shoppers to go to the Midwest Dairy website to pledge to have their Dairy 3 For Me servings each day, and also to view even more recipes than the ones in the recipe books we handed out.

Kyla answered several questions about being Princess Kay (who doesn't like meeting a princess?) and Kyla and I both answered lots of questions about dairy foods and dairy farming. We both agree we love speaking right to the people that buy, consume, and enjoy the foods we produce. Thank you to the shoppers at Hy-Vee Oakdale that came to us, the people behind the product, to get their questions answered right from a farmer!

Thanks Jena, for inviting us to share some nuggets and news with your friendly shoppers, about the dairy community we are proud to represent!

Miss America, The Farm Girl

I loved watching the Miss America pageant as a little girl. All my friends did too. I think secretly we all thought, one day that will be me! The closest I ever got to being Miss America was being crowned Washington County Dairy Princess. Don't get me wrong, as that too was a huge honor, but I never got to be serenaded by host Bert Parks. 

Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell didn't get to be serenaded either, as Bert Parks retired before Betty was even born! Did you notice I called her Betty. Yep, we're on a first name basis. You see Betty is one of us, a farm girl.  

Here I am with Miss America. Who would have thought...

 I met Betty at her recent visit to  Wolf Creek Dairy a dairy farm in Dundas, Minnesota owned by the Liebebstein family. Betty's platform, "Healthy Children, Strong America" encourages children to make healthy choices and stay physically active. It is in partnership with the American Farm Bureau Foundation For Agriculture.

Miss America and Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Kyla Mauk, touring with Mary Liebenstein.

This partnership brought her to Minnesota to visit schools in the area that participated in the First Peas To The Table contest.  This national competition for schools encourages children in kindergarten through fifth grade to plant, raise and harvest peas this spring. What better way to learn, than to get your hands dirty!

This farm girl loves cows!

 So why not visit a few farms while you're here promoting agriculture?

Betty not only talks-the-talk for agriculture, Betty walks-the-walk. After our lunch at Wolf Creek Dairy, she shared about her life growing up on a 700 acre farm in Georgia, her journey to becoming Miss America, (she watched the contest only one year before competing!) and she sang for us (Jesus Take The Wheel). Finally, Betty shared her passion for "Healthy Children, Strong America".

Betty learned to drive a tractor at the age of 9.

  Princess Kay, Kyla Mauk, then had the opportunity to share about a similar program we dairy farmers are passionate about, Fuel Up To Play 60. This program, sponsored by The National Football League and dairy farmers across America, also encourages healthy eating and exercise. 

Miss America greets Dakota County Farm Bureau members.

Here's what Miss America, Betty Cantrell, said on Face Book about her recent visit to Minnesota, "Spending my day in my kinda territory, with our Minnesotan farmers thanks to my partner with my platform, the American Farm Bureau Federation. 🚜 I feel right at home!" ‪

Thanks for visiting Betty! You're welcome back any time...any time at all!

Princess Kay Hopefuls Meet to Learn

I'm going on a road trip! 

May 13-15 is the Dairy Princess Promotion and Leadership Event in St. Cloud, MN. It is a weekend devoted to skill-building to share the message of dairy farmers commitment to providing safe, high-quality milk and dairy foods, including taking good care of our cows and the land. 

Kyla Mauk, 62nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way

But how are these young women chosen to attend this workshop?

Each of them are from a dairy farm family, or they, or their parents or guardian are employed by a dairy farm. They are selected as their county's dairy ambassadors, and then move on to the May Event in St. Cloud. This is also where the 12 finalists are selected for the Minnesota dairy community's goodwill ambassador, Princess Kay of the Milky Way.  

2015 Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists

  Candidates are judged on a written application, a short speech, a professional interview, and a mock media interview. Live updates of the finalist announcements will be posted to Princess Kay’s Facebook page during the luncheon held on Sunday, May 15th. On Twitter, updates can be obtained by following the hashtag #MNPrincessKay.

2015 Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists

After a busy summer of June Dairy Month promotions, appearances, and County Fairs, the 12 finalists come together again in August for more judging. Princess Kay is then crowned the night before the Minnesota State Fair opens and serves as the dairy community's goodwill ambassador for a year, helping people understand the dedication of dairy farmers to wholesome and nutritious food, and the way milk is produced. Dairy farmers sponsor the dairy princess program through Midwest Dairy Association.

Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Kyla Mauk

 I am so proud to be a part of this program. As a dairy farmer, the mom of a past finalist, and now the Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator, I have seen, first hand, the amazing young woman who represent the hard-working, proud dairy farmers of Minnesota!

 

Gone, But Not Forgotten 2015

2015 Top Ten Most Viewed Blog Posts

My Barnyard View

10. 100 Reasons To Love Dairy - 2015 marks National Dairy Council's 100th year! Here are my top 10 reasons I am in love with any, and all things dairy...

9. Earth Day Is Everyday -
My family and I live by the motto, “Leave this world a little better than you found it”. We became farmers because...

8. It's About Time - Tator Tot hotdish -
For some reason Minnesotans are associated with hotdish, or to those of you non-Minnesotans...casseroles. I had never made Tater Tot Hotdish before. It's about time!

7. "Never A Dull Moment" Dinner - "Never a dull moment." If our family had a motto, this would be it! Fortunately, my family and I thrive on being busy...

6. #FarmLikeAGirl - Of course when you are farmers it is impossible to call your boss and declare a sick day, and you certainly can't just roll over and  pull the blankets over your head pretending this day is not happening...

5. Coming Soon...Princess Kay Of The Milky Way! - This is a fun, exciting and nail-biting weekend for dozens of young ladies from Minnesota...

4. A Day In The Life Of Princess Kay - One of my duties as Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator is to chaperone Princess Kay and the eleven princess finalists at the Minnesota State Fair, so from August 26th to September 8th, I packed my bags and moved from the farm to a hotel near the state fair to spend morning, noon, and night with 12 of the best Minnesota farm girls I know!

3. 12 Good Reasons - On July 1st I was contracted by Midwest Dairy Association to be the new Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator. So what does this mean?

2. Christmas Cookies And Holiday Hearts - Of course, being dairy farmers, butter made its way into nearly every cookie recipe! Dairy farmer, or not- there is nothing better than the flavor of butter in baked goods. I'm sure Santa would agree, and who knows Christmas cookies better than Santa?

1. G Is For Giveaway - It’s more than a cookbook. It’s a way for each of us to learn where our food comes from and the dairy farm families around the nation that make milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and all our other favorite dairy foods possible.

When I began writing My Barnyard View I thought, "I'll try blogging and see how it goes." Nearly four years later I have you to thank. Without your encouragement, support, comments, and blog topic suggestions, I wouldn't be sharing our story about the farm life we love. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

A Day in the Life of Princess Kay

Earlier this Summer, I became the Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator. I told you all about it in my blog post 12 Good Reasons.

On the eve before the start of the Minnesota State Fair, Kyla Mauk became our 62nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Minnesota's dairy ambassador. Congratulations to Kyla!

One of my duties as Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator is to chaperone Princess Kay and the eleven princess finalists at the Minnesota State Fair, so from August 26th to September 8th, I packed my bags and moved from the farm to a hotel near the state fair to spend morning, noon, and night with 12 of the best Minnesota farm girls I know!

So what does Princess Kay and the finalists do for 12 days of the Great Minnesota Get-Together? 

Princess Kay, and each of the finalists get their likeness carved from a 90 pound block of sweet, creamy butter. This tradition has been going on for 40+ years, and Princess Kay is tradtionally carved on the first day of the Fair. While fairgoers watched, six to eight hours of Princess Kyla's first day of her reign were spent in a 40 degree, rotating cooler as sculptor Linda Christensen worked her magic.

 Every afternoon Princess Kay climbed aboard the float with State Fair mascots Fairborne and Fairchild for some fun during the daily parade.  

 Each day there were amatuer butter sculptures to be judged,

presentations to be given,

 and thousands of fair-goers to greet...and lots of photo opportunities!

 Sunday morning was spent handing out chocolate milk to re-fuel the runners at the finish line of the annual "Milk Run."

   There were also many chances for Kyla to share about dairy farming and dairy foods as she was scheduled for many media appearances. Whether it was a cow milking contest-

a radio interview-

handing out Salted Caramel Puff Malts-

or helping out the local weather man-

it was always done with a smile!

As Princess Kyla looks forward to the upcoming year of representing Minnesota's nearly 3,400 dairy farmers, I look forward to watching her journey, as I am proud to say she's representing the dairy community I love!