Soon-to-be college roommates crowned Iowa dairy princesses

DES MOINES, Iowa — Two soon-to-be college roommates will spend the next year representing Iowa’s dairy industry after being crowned Iowa dairy royalty. Hannah Hagen was named the 2026-27 Iowa Dairy Princess while Mae Wedemeier was named Iowa Dairy Princess Alternate during the Iowa State Fair Aug. 12 following an intensive 36-hour competition.

The two have known each other for years through shared interests ranging from dance to FFA. This fall, they will both attend Iowa State University to pursue agriculture-related studies while living together and serving as ambassadors for Iowa’s dairy farmers and the industry.

For Hagen, wearing the sash and crown is about honoring the dairy community that raised her.

“It means being an advocate and representing dairy in a positive light and informing others, especially consumers, about where their food comes from and being that bridge between consumers and producers,” Hagen said.

Wedemeier holds a similar passion for promoting everything dairy.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to represent the people that mean so much to me,” Wedemeier said. “I’m excited to advocate for the dairy producers and the products they make. I’m excited to educate consumers as to why they should choose dairy and how dairy impacts them.”

Both women have been involved with the farms on which they grew up, lending a hand with sustainability measures and the adoption of new technology.

Hagen grew up on her family’s 100-cow dairy, Hagen Brothers Dairy, near Waterville. The herd is primarily Holstein.

“It started off with me just helping my dad with calf chores,” Hagen said. “Now, I’m managing the farm with my dad, and it’s such a great opportunity. I absolutely love it.”

Her experiences on the farm have helped fuel her passion for the dairy industry, which has carried into her education and plans for college. She will be a freshman at ISU this fall, where she will study animal science.

Over the past year, Hagen also had the opportunity to be involved in an upgrade on the farm, moving from a tie-stall barn to a double-9 milking parlor.

“It’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made,” Hagen said. “Production has gone up so much more, and we’ve been able to increase our herd. It was a family conversation, and it went amazing. I’m so thankful for that.”

Family is a part of why Hagen loves the dairy industry, and she hopes to carry that tradition with her throughout her year as dairy princess and into the future.

“Being a dairy farmer myself and watching my father and my uncle, how they absolutely love what they do and want to keep doing it for years and years to come, I love that,” Hagen said. “I love the producers behind it, how it’s always a family producing the milk that we buy on the shelves and that we love.”

Wedemeier grew up on a 170-cow organic dairy farm near Maynard. The farm primarily has Brown Swiss that are milked in a 15-swing milking parlor. Since the beginning of August, it has operated as a grass-fed dairy, milking once a day. Milk is marketed through Organic Valley’s grass-fed brand.

Wedemeier is involved in many aspects of the operation, from milking and caring for calves to vaccinating and tagging animals, feeding oats, vaccinating dry cows and helping with fieldwork.

Sustainability is another important part of her family’s farming story. In one of her speeches during the contest, Wedemeier highlighted several sustainability practices used on her family’s farm.

“I talked about silvopasture, which is incorporating trees to your pastures,” Wedemeier said. “I talked about cover crops, so protecting the soil after maybe a cash crop is grown, and then I also talked about virtual fencing, which is another exciting thing that we have on our farm.”

Sharing what sustainability looks like in the dairy industry will be one of Wedemeier’s goals during her year as an Iowa dairy ambassador.

“Sustainability to me means ensuring that dairy farms can thrive for generations,” Wedemeier said. “Dairy farms are so much more than just cows. There are so many different components that go into it, whether that’s the fieldwork, the nutrition side of it, or just daily management decisions.”

As a young agriculturalist, Wedemeier said it is important to think about the future of the industry. She will be a freshman at ISU as well, with a major in agriculture communications and a minor in leadership studies.

“It’s important that we’re thinking about the future because we are the future,” she said. “Hannah and I are the future as well, and our peers. It’s fun and exciting to think about what the future holds, but also to implement practices to leave things better than what we found (them).”

For Wedemeier, the dairy industry is also about the people who make it a close-knit community.

“Not many professions can say that they wake up in the morning at 5:30 and then work till 7:30 p.m.,” Wedemeier said. “The community is so close because everybody sees the same challenges. You can have people to celebrate your successes with, and to me, that’s why I desire to stay connected — it’s the people.”

Hagen previously served as the 2026 Allamakee County dairy princess, a role that helped her discover her love for dairy advocacy and leadership.

“I’m excited, and I already know there’s so many opportunities to advocate for the industry, whether it’s (through) school visits or community events,” Hagen said. “I love speaking, I love talking to people, and I love making those connections.”

Both women are looking forward to advocating for dairy throughout the year at various events.

“I’m really looking forward to school visits with kids,” Hagen said. “I’m so excited to be able to educate them and inform them at a young age when their brains are still taking in so much other information. I’m just so excited to be able to answer all the questions they have.”

Hagen and Wedemeier will begin their reign as Iowa Dairy Princess and Iowa Dairy Princess Alternate, respectively, beginning Sept. 1.