AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE

What is a dairy princess? Why do you wear a crown? Are you a real princess? Do you live in a castle? And, my personal favorite, do you have a prince? I have been asked all of these questions and more since being crowned First Alternate Dairy Princess for District Three. The many, many questions that have come up about my crown, and of course the dairy industry, have been my favorite part of being dairy princess. I am always so excited to have the shy girl hiding behind her daddy or the tough boy who is too cool to care ask me about my job as dairy princess and the industry that I represent.

Since our contest in April, I have had so many opportunities to meet a ton of new people and spread the word about nature’s most perfect food, milk. I have been in parades, attended fairs, promoted dairy products at community events, and given presentations about dairy cows and the products they produce.

My very first event was our town’s Annual Butter and Eggs Day Parade. Dairy Princesses have become a part of this town’s tradition, and I was honored to be continuing the legacy. The other two District Three Dairy Princesses and I truly felt like royalty riding in a classic Chevelle that had been beautifully restored. We decorated the car with signs, streamers, and Holstein print balloons. Throughout the entire parade, we could hear parents telling their kids to “look at the princesses” or giving us the famous “princess wave.” My favorite moment of the day was walking back to my car after the parade; a mother stopped me and asked if her six-year-old and nine year old daughters could take a picture with me. We got into a little conversation afterwards, about how I became dairy princess, what I do, and about the local dairying community.

Although my little chat with this mom and her daughters on the side of the road was not a formal presentation, I feel that I was able to help her better understand the industry that I represent. I hope that I was able to make a difference in her mind, creating clearer image of what dairy farmers do. Most importantly, I was able to give her knowledge about the industry based on facts that I have learned growing up in the dairy industry.

I feel strongly that consumers need to hear about dairy management practices and dairy product nutritional benefits from the producers, the industry representatives, and us, the dairy princesses, because if we don’t tell them, who will? They will have to rely on information from less than reliable sources. Random websites? Traveling myths? Their neighbors who are probably equally misinformed?

As the gap between producers and consumers continue to widen, the fictional stories will continue to grow. Our job as dairy princesses, as dairy industry spokespersons, is more important than ever. We must make sure that the public knows the story behind the milk in their cereal, the yogurt they have as a healthy snack and the ice cream they eat as a treat. Consumers need to feel confident in the products that they purchase, and they can do this through gaining knowledge about the industry.

I know that, personally, it is hard to be confident in or support something that I know next to nothing about. Although, for some of us who grew up in the dairy industry, it might be hard for us to imagine not knowing anything about our cows, but we have to put ourselves in our audiences’ shoes. We have to start with the basics about this industry.

I always like to tell consumers about the amazing amount of dedication and commitment dairymen and women have for their operations. They need to know that dairying is much more than an occupation; it is a lifestyle. Cows need to be milked and fed every day. Yes, on weekends, and even on holidays. There are no vacations. Someone always needs to be around to watch over the cows, and make sure they are well cared for. It is a 24/7 job. But dairy families are not in this business to be rich, they do it because the love the industry. They are committed to making sure their cows are comfortable, well fed, healthy, and, of course, happy.

Hopefully, after hearing about the extreme amount of effort and incredible obsession producers have with producing the highest quality product they are capable of, consumers not only understand the industry better, but can also have the same amount of faith in our parents and grandparents dairies that I do. I hope that after hearing why California’s cows are so happy, that consumers are inspired to buy locally produced products. I hope that they will want to support these hard working producers and keep the tradition of California’s dairy industry alive for many generations to come.

In my district, all of the dairy princesses have been working hard to get this message out. Our summer has been filled with many different activities promoting the industry, and it looks like our fall is going to be just as busy! You will be seeing us at some local dairy tours, community barbecues, agriculture information days, and classroom visits.

Your District 3 First Alternate Dairy Princess,

Mandy Brazil