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    NEW RICHMOND, Wis. – Growing up with the Guernsey breed, Haley Beukema has always looked up to the young women who have held the role of National Guernsey Queen.
    The day for her to claim that very recognition came earlier this summer when she was crowned as the 2021 National Guernsey Queen at the National Guernsey Convention in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.
    “The history of the National Guernsey Queen goes back many years, with the women who have held the title in the past still having a huge impact on the breed,” Beukema said. “I chose to run for National Guernsey Queen because I want to be a part of that group, representing the breed on a national level today and impacting it for years to come.”
    Beukema, 19, did not grow up on a working dairy farm. Instead, Beukema grew her herd to include 10 Guernseys and two Ayrshires. Beukema raises her heifers on her family’s 20-acre hobby farm near New Richmond, while her milking cows are housed on a friend’s dairy farm.
    A recent graduate of New Richmond High School, Beukema is pursuing a degree in agricultural communications and marketing at the University of Minnesota.
    “I am looking forward to the future of the breed,” Beukema said. “I am so excited for the passionate young farmers and youth that I meet. I look forward to seeing new ways that Guernsey breeders can market their special products to consumers.”
    After spending a year as the 2020 Wisconsin Guernsey Princess, Beukema decided to take on the challenge of entering the national contest.
    “As the Wisconsin Guernsey Princess, I was able to attend some events to represent the breed, but I really had the opportunity to explore new ways to make a positive contribution through various social media channels and to make connections with breeders and exhibitors,” Beukema said. “That experience, that was different from the norm, helped make me a better qualified national candidate, I believe.”
    A detailed application served as Beukema’s entrance into the national contest along with a formal interview and a quiz of the Guernsey breed. She then was required to compete in the senior prepared speaking contest, where she gave an eight-minute speech about capitalizing on marketing techniques to form a reliable niche market for Guernsey milk.
    Throughout the national convention, the applicants were judged throughout the week as they interacted with breeders and convention attendees on farm tours and at other convention events. At the final youth brunch, each candidate was asked an impromptu question before the naming of the new queen.
    While serving as the national queen, Beukema will travel to the national Guernsey shows in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Madison and Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout the year, she will also attend events throughout the country all while promoting the Guernsey breed.
    “It means the world to me to be recognized as an outstanding young individual in the Guernsey breed,” Beukema said. “To know the association is putting their trust in me to advocate for the breed and educate consumers of the benefits of Guernsey milk and products is very humbling.”
    The impact that the Guernsey breed, association and people have had on Beukema’s life thus far has been great, she said.
    “I have developed a second family filled with breeders that support me throughout all my endeavors,” Beukema said. “I have developed a group of cattle that I could not be more proud of. I continue to learn new things about the breed and meet new people every year.”
    Throughout her 10-year career showing and breeding registered Guernseys, Beukema has been lucky enough to check some things off her bucket list that many might only dream of, including exhibiting the intermediate champion at last year’s National Guernsey Show at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.
    This year, Beukema was named the premier junior exhibitor at the Midwest Guernsey Show while exhibiting both the grand and reserve grand champions in the youth show. She also exhibited both the grand champion and junior champion, which was also the best bred and owned of the show, at the Wisconsin Junior State Fair. Her week at the state fair was capped off by winning the supreme champion honors in the communications contest.
    With her interest in exhibiting, Beukema made it her business to learn to do her own fitting work. Never resting on the idea that she is good enough at something, she enjoys participating in both fitting contests and showmanship contests to hone her abilities.
    “I didn’t have the fortune of growing up on a conventional dairy farm, but I did have the fortune to be exposed at a young age to Guernseys,” Beukema said. “I have an extreme amount of pride in the fact that what I have worked for since the age of 9 from scratch has paid off for me in this way. This breed means so much to me, not only for the beautiful fawn and white cattle, but for the people and life-long friendships and partnerships it has led me to.”

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