Sharing a passion for dairy

As the spring semester wrapped up in May, I completed my sophomore year at the University of Minnesota and jumped right into a busy month full of Princess Kay appearances. Throughout the month, I had 10 appearances, including the annual May Leadership Event with dairy princesses from across Minnesota. This gathering offered a meaningful opportunity for young women to connect over their shared passion for the dairy community, hear from inspiring speakers and take part in the judging process to become one of the 10 Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists.

Congratulations to the 10 finalists who will undoubtedly serve as outstanding Minnesotan dairy farmer ambassadors, one of whom will be crowned the next Princess Kay. Throughout this year, I am often asked where I see the dairy community heading. While innovation and change are inevitable, what remains constant is the passion and pride within this community. That genuine passion was on full display at the May Leadership Event, where I witnessed firsthand the energy and dedication that fuels our dairy stories.

May was also filled with student tours and classroom visits, which were especially exciting. I had the opportunity to connect with over 1,600 third-grade students and nearly 200 kindergartners throughout the month. My first visit was to Tiger Elementary in Hutchinson, where I met with about 200 third-grade students and made butter with one of the classes. Following this, I attended Urban Ag Day on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Here, 1,400 students from the metro area learned about many areas of agriculture, including dairy. Of all the visits I have had with students thus far, this event sticks with me as one of the most memorable.

Many of the students in attendance had never been on a farm and were amazed to learn about where their food comes from. They were full of questions, and it was so fulfilling to leave that event knowing the impact these students had experienced. Following this, I visited two kindergarten classes at Valley View Elementary in Bloomington before providing a presentation on dairy at a kindergarten tour in Mora. This tour brought students from the Mora and Ogilvie area to a farm to learn about many areas of agriculture, including dairy.

Outside of elementary school visits, I attended the Forest Lake Ag Day for all 1,800 high school students and many community members. The event showcased student projects, agricultural commodities and various commodity groups, and students enjoyed cheese sticks, chocolate milk and ice cream. A few other highlights from May included a Grand Champion Friends of the Fair event, highlighting 60 years of butter sculpting at the Minnesota State Fair; serving as a guest on the Info Booth Ladies podcast; visiting with preschool students in St. Charles; ringing the bell to kick off the 40th Milk Run 5K; and attending the Clay County Breakfast on the Farm in Hawley.

Looking ahead, I am excited to celebrate National Dairy Month with a busy schedule consisting of breakfast on the farm events, county fairs, dairy days celebrations and more. I recently heard a great reminder that National Dairy Month isn’t just about appreciating our dedicated dairy farmers and the cows in the barn. It is a time to recognize the people who make up the team on every dairy farm. Whether it is employees, milk haulers, nutritionists or veterinarians, join me this month in celebrating the people who make up our entire dairy community, a community I am beyond proud to represent.

Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rachel Visser, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Rachel grew up in Hutchinson, Minnesota working on a neighboring dairy farm. She attends the University of Minnesota double majoring in Agricultural Food and Business Management and Agricultural Communications and Marketing. Her favorite dairy food is cheese sticks. Her parents are Barry and Shannon Visser. Princess Kay is active doing school visits and events representing dairy farmers, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota.