Crown, sash, glitz and getting dairy's information to the public is what two young women from Iowa's dairy industry can look forward to over the next year. The 58th Iowa Dairy Princess and her Alternate will be crowned during an event hosted by the Iowa Division of Midwest Dairy Association at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, in the Multi-Media Center of the Cattle Barn at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines. Seven young women will compete for the chance to be the goodwill ambassador for Iowa's dairy industry and make public relations appearances on its behalf over the course of the next year. Each contestant will be judged on her knowledge of the dairy industry, enthusiasm for dairy promotion, communication skills and personality. This year's contestants are: * Ashley Bushman, 17, daughter of Todd and Connie Bushman of Calmar, representing Winneshiek County; * Gina Fisher, 17, daughter of David and Mary Fisher of Edgewood, representing Clayton County; * Heidi Hain, 19, daughter of Douglas and Jo Hain of Nora Springs, representing Cerro Gordo County; * Jessica Hammerand, 19, daughter of Jeff and Tammy Hammerand of Epworth, representing Dubuque County; * Emily Peters, 18, daughter of Greg and Joan Peters of Hopkinton, representing Delaware County; * Rachel Scott, 18, daughter of Mike and Kathleen Scott of Westgate, representing Fayette County; and * Taylor Troendle, 18, daughter of Glenn Troendle and Kim Yohe of Waterville, representing Allamakee County. At the coronation, the current Iowa Dairy Princess, Kendra Moser of Colesburg, and the Alternate Dairy Princess, Alyssa Meyer of Sumner, will be honored for representing the dairy industry in Iowa the past year. Their reign will be completed at the end of the Iowa State Fair, and the new Princess and Alternate will begin their duties on September 1. Both the Princess and Alternate will receive scholarships sponsored by Midwest Dairy Association. Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization funded by dairy farmers to build demand for dairy products through integrated marketing, nutrition education and research. Midwest Dairy is funded by checkoff dollars from dairy farmers in a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.midwestdairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy. 08.08.2011