Good Things Come in 3s

What an exciting past week it has been! I started off on Monday arriving in Roseville and our host hotel for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way competition. All the young women got moved into their rooms and we spent some great time bonding! Then, we were treated to dinner at Osaka; it was not only delicious, but entertaining as well. Tuesday morning we were up bright and early to begin judging. I was contestant #2. Personal interview went very well and was followed by lunch with the judges. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know them and it made us all feel more comfortable in the judging room. Mock media interviews flew by and then it was on to the speech competition. I practiced my nearly-memorized speech just one more time before heading into the room and am happy to say I nailed it and only glanced down twice! Extemporaneous remarks were a challenge, but we made it through and moved on to group judging. I was put into a wonderful group and we fed off each other really well during the discussion which made it go super fast. That completed judging and I couldn't have been more relieved! We went out for pizza that night before heading off to the Kare11  Backyard where we appeared on the 10 o'clock news with Belinda Jensen.



Wednesday morning we had a few hours to get ready for the day before traveling to attend the Midwest Dairy Association board meeting and have lunch with all the members. Lunch was great and we had some intriguing conversation with fellow dairy farmers. After lunch we headed over to the state fair  grounds for a quick rehearsal then back to the hotel for final preparation before the big night. Family and individual pictures were taken before our banquet.  A few short speeches and some yummy chocolate cake later all the finalists were backstage. We had so much fun and each of us got a moment on stage to be introduced and speak with our host for the evening. It was an incredible three days where  memories and friends were made to last a lifetime.


As we all paraded back onstage for crowning, I stayed calm. I knew that my fate was already decided and everything was out of my control. I gave judging my best and felt confident it all that I had said and done. First they announced Miss Congeniality; Kelsey Mussman was named and I couldn't have been more excited for her! I am happy to call her my friend. Next, we moved on to the announcement of the top three. I was thrilled to hear my name called first, followed by Kelsey Mussman and Christine Reitsma. Then the big moment, as Mary walked by each of us, we stole one last glanced at the crown. She held the crown over each of our heads before placing it on the 59th Princess Kay of the Milky Way's. Christine could not have been more surprised or excited, I am so happy for her. I am confident she will make a fantastic Princess Kay and serve as an energetic ambassador for the dairy industry in Minnesota. Placing in the top three for Princess Kay is an honor.




After Judging!

Before our Luncheon

Matt Addington Photography

Top 3

Just a little later today I will be headed back to the state fair to spend my three days there. I will engage in several activities with fairgoers, present a My Farm, My Story presentation in the Moo Booth and on Sunday the 26th (tomorrow) I will be getting my head carved out of 90lbs of dairy butter! I am so excited to follow in my mother's and sister's footsteps.

So, if you're at the state fair be sure to check out all the butter heads in the Empire Commons and grab a treat from the Dairy Goodness Bar! See you at the Great Minnesota Get Together!

xoxo,

Victoria

Princess Kay of the Milky Way

As many of you may have noticed, I am a finalist for the title of Princess Kay of the Milky Way. So, what exactly is this and how did I get involved? That's what this blog is all about!

I grew up on a dairy farm outside of Norwood, MN. Today we milk 66 holstein cows, farm about 25 acres of land and raise calves, heifers and bulls. Growing up on a dairy farm has been a wonderful experience that has taught me so much; the importance of hard work, independence and what it feels like to be part of a tight-knit community. The dairy industry is a vital part of Minnesota and has a variety of healthy, wholesome and nutritious products to offer. Promotion of our industry and keeping consumers updated with how milk goes from the farm to your kitchen table is important; that's where the Dairy Princess program comes in.

Girls ages 18-24 are eligible to run to be a dairy princess, they must be graduating or out of high school, must live or work on a dairy and must not be married or have children. It starts at a county level where many counties have their own dairy princess contests. In Carver County, the competition is held in mid-April each year. The contestants compete in personal interview, mock radio interview and a deliver a speech. Each girl is crowned and a top three are named to continue on to compete at what we call May Event.

May Event is held in St. Joseph, MN each spring. County princesses from across the state come to compete to be named as a top 12 finalist for the title of Princess Kay of the Milky Way. We compete in personal interview, mock radio interview and deliver a speech. When we are not being judged, we go through a series of media training and sessions to learn how to effectively reach our audiences when promoting the dairy industry. This year, we had a special guest speaker; Miss Oklahoma America, Betty Thompson. Betty shared her story with us and told us about her platform (Milk, it really does a body good). Betty was first runner-up at Miss America this year and we were honored to hear from her.     The next day after a luncheon, the 12 finalists are named. I was thrilled to be called as the 3rd finalist, following in my mother's and older sister's footsteps.

The 12 finalists spend their summer promoting the dairy industry with their other county princesses. We spend two weekends together, as finalists, and with the current Princess Kay of the Milky Way. I absolutely adore each girl and have enjoyed our summer together so far! Next up is the Princess Kay competition. We stay for three days in the Twin Cities and compete in personal interview, mock radio interview, deliver a speech, group judging and extemporaneous remarks. On Tuesday the 21st of August we will appear on Kare11 in the Backyard with Belinda Jensen. On Wednesday the 22nd of August, coronation takes place at the Bandshell on the state fairgrounds. That night, the 59th Princess Kay of the Milky Way will be announced!

I have had a wonderful experience as a Carver County Dairy Princess and Princess Kay Finalists this far! I would like to invite you all to the following events:

Carver County Fair: August 8-12, 2012
Princess Kay Coronation: August 22nd, 2012 @ 8:30pm. State Fairground, Bandshell.
Ride the fan bus: Leaves from Waconia High School on August 22nd, time TBD.
Order a fan shirt: Contact me with your name and size by Tuesday, August 7 at noon.
My butterhead carving: Tuesday, August 28th. State Fair, 8am-5pm. (Unless I am named as Princess Kay)

Contact me for more information on any event or visit www.midwestdairy.com for all types of dairy information!

xoxo,

Victoria