Winger Native Crowned Princess Kay of the Milky Way

ST. PAUL (August 22, 2013) — MarJenna McWilliam, a 20-year-old college student from Winger, Minn., representing Polk County, was crowned the 60th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds August 21.

 

McWilliam, who will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 4,000 Minnesota dairy farmers, is the 60^th woman to hold the honor. MarJenna is the daughter of Bruce and LaVonne McWilliam of Winger, and attends North Dakota State University, majoring in English education with a Norwegian language emphasis.

 

County dairy princesses from throughout Minnesota competed for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way title. Rachael Rostad of Wanamingo, representing Goodhue County, and Katie Schmitt of Rice, representing Benton County, were selected as runners-up. Alydia Lee of Lake City, representing Wabasha County, was named Miss Congeniality. Scholarships were awarded to Johanna Knorr of Pelican Rapids, representing West Otter Tail County; Libby Mills of Lake City, representing Goodhue County; and Schmitt.

 

McWilliam’s first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building for about six hours on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter. Each of the other finalists will have her likeness carved in butter during the fair, as well. This year marks butter sculptor Linda Christensen’s 42nd year carving the Princess Kay of the Milky Way winner and finalists at the Minnesota State Fair.

 

Throughout her year-long reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, McWilliam will make public appearances helping consumers make a connection with Minnesota dairy farm families who are dedicated to producing wholesome milk while caring for their animals and natural resources.

 

Princess Kay candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills, personality and enthusiasm for dairy promotion. The Midwest Dairy Association sponsors the Princess Kay program with funds provided by dairy farmers.

 

Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization that provides consumers with information about the nutrition and wholesomeness of dairy foods, and conducts research and promotional programs.

Elections set for two Minnesota commodity research and promotion councils

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Dairy Research and Promotion Council and the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council will conduct board elections next month.

Ballots for the Dairy Council will be mailed January 11, 2013 and must be returned with a postmark prior to January 28, 2013. There is one position open in each of the districts listed below. Dairy board members serve a two year term.

Dairy Research and Promotion Council Districts

District 2: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Mille Lacs, Pine, St. Louis

District 4: Otter Tail (west), Wilkin

District 6: Crow Wing, Morrison

District 8: Includes these Townships in Stearns County: Ashley, Crow Lake, Crow River, Getty, Grove, Lake George, Lake Henry, Melrose, Millwood, North Fork, Oak, Raymond, Spring Hill, Sauk Centre

District 10: Anoka, Benton, Chisago, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Sherburne, Washington

District 12: Meeker, Wright

District 14: Brown, Nicollet, Sibley

District 16: Goodhue County

District 18: Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock

District 20: Dodge, Mower, Olmsted

District 22: Fillmore, Houston

Ballots for the Turkey Council will be mailed January 18, 2013 and must be returned with a postmark prior to February 4, 2013. There is one position open in each of the regions listed below, plus three at large positions are open. Turkey board members serve a three year term.

Turkey Research and Promotion Council Regions

Region 1: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Nicollet, Norman, Ottertail, Pennington, Pine, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Roseau, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin, Wright.

Region 2: Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Swift, Wabasha, Waseca, Watonwan, Winona, Yellow Medicine.

I-29 Dairy Conference Set for Feb. 8-9

The seventh annual I-29 Dairy Conference will be held Feb. 8-9 at the Best Western Ramkota Inn and Conference Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.

This year's conference will focus on current and future global dairy issues.

Extension Service dairy specialists from North Dakota State University, Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Nebraska and South Dakota State University coordinate the event. Others involved in coordinating the conference include the Midwest Dairy Association and Southwest Minnesota Dairy Profit Group.

Conference topics include sustainability, long-range weather forecasting, feed costs, managing risk and seizing opportunities, and the Midwest's economic resiliency. Speakers include Neil Baker, a dairy producer and sustainable agriculture award winner from Somerset, England; Mark Seeley, University of Minnesota climatologist; Dave Casper, an assistant professor at South Dakota State University; Marin Bozic, dairy economist with the University of Minnesota; Stan Erwine, vice president of producer relations for Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Ill.; Clinton Anderson, a partner in Bain & Co. Inc., Irving, Texas; and a panel of producers and industry stakeholders.

Registration for the full conference is $30, including dinner and Erwine and Anderson's keynote presentation on Feb 8 and sessions on Feb. 9. More information and the full program schedule are available at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/dairy/dairyext/I-29_Conference_Brochure- FINAL.pdf. Register by Feb. 1 to ensure room availability at the Ramkota Inn and Conference Center by calling (605) 336-0650.

The Milk Producers Association of North Dakota has agreed to co-sponsor attendance and will pay the $30 registration fee for each North Dakota member attending the conference.

Dairy Policy Reform Forum Set

North Dakota dairy producers will have an opportunity later this month to learn how national dairy policy reform could impact their dairy operation.

The North Dakota State University Extension Service dairy specialist and other members of the I-29 Dairy Consortium are hosting the Forum on National Dairy Policy and Immigration Reform, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, at the Best Western-Ramkota in Sioux Falls, S.D.

"This forum is a great opportunity for dairy producers, milk processors and other dairy industry professionals to learn more about important dairy policy
issues and ask questions about how potential changes will impact their own operations," says J.W. Schroeder, NDSU Extension dairy specialist.

National Milk Producers Federation officials will discuss the Foundation for the Future, a package of proposed dairy policy programs that would serve as a new roadmap for dairy policy by focusing on margin protection rather than price.

Attending the forum is free of charge but reservations are required by Aug. 25 because the event is limited to 100 people. To make a reservation, send an email to sddairyproducers@gmail.com or call (605) 692-1775.

The event will include a complementary lunch.

The I-29 Dairy Consortium is a coalition of organizations focused on supporting dairy production in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Members are the Extension organizations at NDSU, Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska and South Dakota State University, and South Dakota Dairy Producers, the Southwest Minnesota Dairy Profit Group and Western Iowa Dairy Alliance.

More information on the Foundation for the Future is available at http://www.futurefordairy.com.

N.D. Dairy Show Rescheduled

The North Dakota State Dairy Show has been rescheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6, during the Morton County Fair in New Salem because of flooding in Minot.

The show is open to all purebred breeders of any major dairy cattle breed.

Exhibitors must preregister with J.W. Schroeder, North Dakota State University Extension Service dairy specialist and show manager. Exhibitors also must request stall space from the Morton County Fair dairy department. Call Anita Hoger at (701) 843-7205 to reserve stalls or for information about gate passes.

Entry forms are available on the NDSU dairy website at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/dairy/index.htm or from Schroeder. Contact
him at (701) 231-7663 or by e-mail at jw.schroeder@ndsu.edu.

Send completed entry forms no later than Monday, July 18, to Schroeder at NDSU Animal Sciences, Dept. 7630, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.

To qualify for the show, animals must be registered with their respective breed associations or their owners must verify their breed registry eligibility.
Animals should arrive the day before the contest, which starts on 9 a.m. on Aug. 6, and must remain on the grounds until 3 p.m. the following day.

The North Dakota State Dairy Show has been the showcase of the state's purebred dairy industry for 65 years. This includes the nation's longest-running state dairy princess contest. The 65th crown went to Rachael Rott of Anamoose. The dairy princess spends a year representing the dairy industry at a variety of events throughout the state.