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More than 315,000 attendees will experience dairy in new, exciting ways at the Nebraska State Fair this year. From engaging in conversations with local dairy farmers to meeting the Nebraska Dairy Princesses and tasting gelato, root beer floats and mac and cheese, fairgoers will get a closer look at how dairy not only delivers enjoyment but is nutrient-rich and produced locally and responsibly by farmers who are highly dedicated to their work.

“We are excited about the 2019 Nebraska State Fair and all the exciting dairy-based experiences like the 4-H cooking contest that features dairy as the main ingredient, Chef Nadar Farahbod’s cooking demonstrations in the Raising Nebraska building and the milking demonstrations that will be held daily in the Milking Parlor.” said Kris Bousquet Midwest Dairy’s Nebraska State Fair project manager. “Attending these events will be a great opportunity to interact with dairy farmers and enjoy everything that’s delicious about dairy.” Farahbod is owner and executive chef of Billy’s Restaurant, one of the most successful restaurants in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The 4-H Cooking Contest in the Raising Nebraska Building features dairy as the main ingredient and will be held Saturday, August 31. Chef Nadar’s cooking demonstrations featuring recipes that combine dairy and pork ingredients will be held in the Raising Nebraska building from 12-2 p.m. Saturday August 24 and August 31, and Sunday August 25 from 12-1 p.m. Fair attendees can visit the Milking Parlor daily to watch live milking demonstrations.

Faith Junck, daughter of Dwayne and Priscilla Junck of Carroll and Whitney Hochstein, daughter of Neal and Sharlee Hochstein, will be available throughout the fair to meet fairgoers, answer questions about dairy farming and participate in the Dairy Livestock Show Award Ceremony. They both were crowned the Nebraska’s 2019 Dairy Princesses in Columbus at the Nebraska Dairy Convention in February. Junck and Hochstein were selected based on an application, essay, interview skills and ability to advocate for dairy farmers. They will spend the year serving as the official ambassadors for the state’s dairy farmers advocating and educating on their behalf. They will be making public appearances that include media interviews, classroom appearances, dairy events and fairs.

Delicious dairy foods will be front and center throughout the state fair at the Mac and Cheese Stand near the Nebraska Lottery Booth in Food Pod 5 and at eight different ice-cream stands located throughout the state fairgrounds.

Each year, the Nebraska state fair celebrates the more than 250 dairy farmers in the state who are contributing 17,000 jobs and an economic impact of 828.4 million. To learn more about dairy farming in the Midwest, including Nebraska, visit MidwestDairy.com.

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. For relevant conversations about issues and trends in the dairy community, listen to Dairy on the Air.