Almost everyone in agriculture has encountered a dairy princess at a farm event, state fair, or trade show. Dairy princesses are normally seen wearing beautiful dresses and glamorous crowns, but what’s the true purpose of having dairy princesses?
The heart of it all is advocacy and education. Dairy princess and dairy ambassador programs exist to celebrate and promote the dairy industry. It’s the goal of princesses, ambassadors and dairy princess finalists to spread the word about dairy and be present in the community. Many dairy princesses come from a farming background, so whenever consumers have questions on how their food is produced, princesses are able to answer, and the consumer will be able to say that they know a farmer.
Another goal of princess programs is increasing agricultural literacy. Not only do princesses answer consumer questions, they also visit schools to talk with students, attend county and state fairs, go through parades, and so much more. By being the face of the dairy industry, they are working to educate others about agriculture.
Dairy princess programs also have an added benefit, they develop individuals who are the future of agriculture and the dairy industry. Through media outreach, answering consumer questions, making appearances, speaking at events and so much more, dairy princesses gain many valuable skills and experiences that will benefit them in their future careers.
Princesses also serve as the voice of farmers in their communities. As representatives, princesses are the face of dairy for many people who don’t have an opportunity to visit a farm or talk to farmers regularly.
Many counties across the United States have dairy princesses or dairy ambassador programs. Many states also have a princess program. While each is structured slightly differently, the end goal is always the same: Princesses advocate for dairy, serve as the voice for dairy farmers, promote the dairy industry, and become well-rounded and skilled individuals.
Let’s learn a little bit more about some state dairy princess programs!
Minnesota: Princess Kay of the Milky Way
Possibly one of the most well-known dairy princess programs is Minnesota’s Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Part of the Princess Kay program that grabs lots of attention is that each of the 10 finalists gets their head carved out of a 90 pound block of butter. These “butterheads” are carved (almost) daily during the Minnesota State Fair, and each finalist is given their butterhead and the scraps from carving at the end of the fair.
The rest of the year, Princess Kay attends events, visits schools, and serves as the goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s dairy farms.
Wisconsin: Alice in Dairyland
Another well-known dairy princess program is Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland. The young woman selected as Alice serves a one-year term as a public relations professional representing agriculture in Wisconsin.
What makes Wisconsin’s program unique is that Alice does not just represent dairy, instead she represents all of Wisconsin’s agricultural products, including things like corn, soybeans, cranberries, Christmas trees, and so much more. Another fun fact is that Alice is supplied with a vehicle for her travels, an E85 car named Kernel! Alice in Dairyland also teaches in schools, attends events, and promotes agriculture on the radio and television.
Oregon: Dairy Princess Ambassador Program
Oregon’s dairy princesses have been representing dairy since 1959. Princesses attend town meetings, fairs, speak at schools, summer camps and more. Princesses and ambassadors also gain skills in public speaking, confidence, grooming, poise and more.
Pennsylvania: Dairy Princess & Promotion Services
In Pennsylvania, three county princesses are chosen as state royalty each year. This team of three receives training and travels across the state each year to speak at events, give milk toasts, host educational displays and promote the importance of nutrition and dairy foods.
Iowa: Dairy Princess
The Iowa Dairy Princess serves as a goodwill ambassador for Iowa dairy. The goal of this program is to share information about the care and dedication dairy farmers take in producing wholesome, nutritious dairy foods.
There are also dairy princess and ambassador programs in California, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and more states! Dairy princess programs serve an important role in agricultural advocacy, education, literacy and dairy promotion. These programs represent farmers and help develop new generations of agricultural professionals. Through dairy princess programs, agricultural advocacy is alive and well!
Michelle Miller, the “Farm Babe,” is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, writer, and social media influencer and travels full time to advocate for agriculture. She comes from an Iowa-based row crop and livestock farming background and now resides on a timber farm in North Central Florida.
