Five vie for Goodhue County dairy crown

The annual Goodhue County Dairy Princess and DHIA Banquet will be Saturday March 31 at the Stary-Yerka VFW in Zumbrota. Serving begins at 7:30 p.m. with the program at 8:30 p.m.

Dairy Herd Improvement Association awards will be given to the top producers, and the coronation of the 2012 Goodhue County Dairy Princesses will conclude the evening. Five young women are vying for the honor:

Alysha Bang

Parents are Gene and Tracy Bang. Sponsors are Arden Vangsness, DHIA field representative, and Security State Bank of Wanamingo.

“My family and I live on a 400-acre farm south of Wanamingo and milk 40 registered Ayrshires. We raise all our own heifers for replacements,” Bang said.

Her responsibilities include feeding the cows and calves and helping with hay and straw in the summer. Occasionally she helps with milking.

Her favorite dairy product: Milk.

“It goes with everything. You can add stuff to it to make it a different flavor and it is also healthy for you,” she said.

“I would like to be the next dairy princess because living on a dairy farm and promoting an industry that I am passionate about is very important to me. I would also love to share with and inform people about the many different dairy promotions and make sure that people know how important the dairy industry really is.”

Rachel Friese

Parents are David and Becky Friese. Sponsors the Bank of Zumbrota and Plainview Milk Products.

“We currently milk about 80 registered Holstein cattle in a tie-stall barn. We also farm about 350 acres of corn and alfalfa,” she said.

When she’s home from college and not working at Bombay Dairy, she helps out by feeding calves, milking and sometimes does artificial insemination breeding.

Her favorite dairy product: Milk.

“I love to have a cold glass of milk with all of my meals. It goes with everything,” Friese said.

“I want to represent the dairy farmers of Goodhue County and promote the dairy industry to people who don’t know much about it,” she said. “I want to share my experiences and knowledge so that consumers will be better educated about our industry.

Mikayla Piller

Her parents are Greg and Wendi Piller. Her sponsor is Ag Partners-Goodhue.

“We run about 100 acres of tillable land and it is planted mostly in corn for silage and we also run a few acres of alfalfa. We milk 120 cows two times a day,” Piller said. “All of our heifers are raised on the farm.”

She is responsible for the young stock from the time they are weaned to when they are breeding age. In addition to helping with milking, she gives shots and does artificial insemination.

Her favorite dairy product: Chocolate milk.

“That’s a tough question. I’d have to say chocolate milk is the best. I love having it with pizza or spaghetti and it’s just hard to beat a classic,” she said.

“I would like to be the Goodhue County dairy princess because consumers need to be educated. As a future producer I believe that if the general public knew how good dairy products are for you they would consume a larger amount of them.”

Rachael Rostad

Parents are Joel and Bridget Rostad. Sponsor is the Bank of Zumbrota.

“Our family milks 55 Holstein cows. We also farm 2,400 acres and custom finish 12,000 hogs,” she said.

Her responsibilities include feeding and caring for the calves. She also helps keep the barn and milk house clean and assists with milking.

Her favorite dairy product: Milk.

“I love white milk because it is just so good and it is really good for your body. It is also really easy to use white milk in many other recipes and meals,” she said.

“I really love the dairy industry and everything it does in our community and state,” she said. “I also want to get the public to know everything that dairy can do for them.”

Aly Schwartau

Parents are David and Jane Schwartau. Sponsors are Merchants Bank-Cannon Falls and Brian Hokanson.

“My family’s dairy farm is located between Red Wing and Goodhue. We farm approximately 300 acres and have 490 head of Holstein and crossbred milking cows. Our farm currently employs seven full-time employees in addition to my dad, uncle and me,” she said.

She cares for the young livestock. She also works at Kay and Dave Betcher’s farm near Goodhue. There she helps with field work, milking and with other chores.

Her favorite dairy product: Milk.

“There is nothing like coming in from a long, hot day at work and having an ice cold glass of milk to refresh and rehydrate you,” Schwartau said.

She wants to represent the dairy farmers of Goodhue County on county and state levels but also to help educate people that dairy products are wholesome and nutritious, and are also made from animals that are happy and comfortable.

“I believe that is the No. 1 priority of a Goodhue County dairy princess and I have always wanted to have a bigger voice in getting that important message across,” she said.

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