Twelve young women involved with the Iowa dairy community will compete to win the title of 65th Iowa State Dairy Princess Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Multi-Media Center of the Cattle Barn at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines. The princess and her alternate are charged with helping consumers learn more about dairy products and the farm families who tend the farms and cows that provide them.
The contestants are:
- Amanda Engelken, 19, daughter of Tom and Cherrie Engelken of Earlville, representing Delaware County;
- Cynthia Hamlett, 19, daughter of Mark and Jennifer Hamlett of Aurora, representing Iowa Holstein Association;
- Abby Hoefler, 19, daughter of Brian and Eileen Hoefler of New Vienna, representing Dubuque County;
- Grace Howe, 17, daughter of Shelly and the late Matt Howe of Waukon, representing the Iowa Jersey Cattle Club;
- Faith Johnston, 18, daughter of Darin and Melissa Johnston, representing Bremer County
- Jordan Kalenske, 19, daughter of Tommy and Tracy Kalenske of Fairbank, representing Iowa Brown Swiss Association;
- Brianna Lucey, 18, daughter of Marcia Harbaugh of Guttenberg, representing Clayton County;
- Lakaya Lyon, 19, daughter of Kathy Lyon and the late Greg Lyon of Atalissa, representing Iowa Jersey Cattle Club;
- Aubreigh Machande, 18, daughter of John and Carmen Loots of Charlotte, representing Jackson and Clinton counties;
- Cayla Nolting, 17, daughter of Chad and Cheryl Nolting of Waukon, representing Allamakee County;
- Jessica Schmitt, 18, daughter of Carl and Terry Schmitt of Fort Atkinson, representing Winneshiek County;
- Kassi Steinlage, 18, daughter of Loran and Brenda Steinlage of West Union, representing Fayette County;
The winners are chosen on the basis of their knowledge and enthusiasm about dairy, personality and communication ability during judging which begins Tuesday, Aug. 7. Both the princess and alternate will receive scholarships from Midwest Dairy, which sponsors the contest and princess program on behalf of Iowa’s dairy farmers.
The outgoing 2017-18 Iowa Dairy Princess is Rachel Grober, daughter of Todd and Sherry Grober of Ionia, and the Alternate Princess is Josie Buddenberg, daughter of Bruce and Julie Buddenberg of Decorah. Their reigns will be completed at the end of the Iowa State Fair, and the new Princess and Alternate will begin their duties Sept. 1.
The coronation ceremony on August 8 will also feature a celebration of 65 years of the Iowa Dairy Princess program. Former Iowa dairy princesses and alternates will be recognized and signage at the Iowa State Fair will highlight contributions of the princess program on behalf of the state’s dairy farm families.
Midwest Dairy™ represents 7,000 dairy farm families and works on their behalf to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in our products and production practices. We are committed to Bringing Dairy to Life! by Giving Consumers an Excellent Dairy Experience and are funded by farmers across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit MidwestDairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy
