An advocate for the industry

GREEN ISLE, Minn. – Starting about 19 years ago, a little girl in a stroller would sit in her parents’ parlor watching the cows walk in one at a time. Her eyes would follow each cow as they positioned themselves to be milked. Now she is walking, talking and breathing the dairy industry every day of her life.
Aly Dieball, 19, daughter of Jim and Wendy Dieball of Green Isle, is a top 10 finalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Her family milks 220 cows with three robots in Sibley County.
“There was so much anticipation while watching the Facebook live feed,” Dieball said. “I had all but given up when I heard my name called as finalist No. 10.”
Sibley County has not had a Princess Kay finalist in seven years. Following her selection as a finalist, Dieball said she has received an unparalleled amount of support from her community. Many local farms and businesses have donated to pay for buses to haul Dieball’s fan section to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on the eve of coronation.
To receive such grandiose support from her community, Dieball said, makes her realize just how important her family farm is to the communities around them.
“When we moved our cows in 2018 to the new robot barn, my dad and I paused for a few moments and just hugged,” she said. “I knew I had to share our story, because through a tight hug and some joyful tears with my dad, we knew we had finally made it as a family farm. All of our hard work had brought us to this point.”
Her favorite memories have been made at the farm, and Dieball said she hopes to give others a farm experience worth remembering.
Dieball is always open to giving barn tours to curious consumers. She has brought children and nursing home residents to see her family’s robotic milking system.
“As farm numbers have decreased, many people have started to become removed from where their food is sourced,” she said. “Our robots are fascinating, and anyone that has seen them asks great questions and walks away having learned something cool.”
The technology Dieball has at her fingertips with the robots and cow monitors gives her an interesting aspect of the dairy industry to share with consumers.  
Dieball wants to make connections as a dairy advocate so people can learn about the hard work her family and many others put in on a daily basis. She uses her farm and other outlets to find people to talk to about dairy.
“My favorite thing is to deliver my ice cream machine to people not from around us,” Dieball said. “So many of them ask questions, and it’s the perfect icebreaker to talk about the dairy community and dairy products.”
Dieball invested in an ice cream machine a few years ago and rents it to people for weddings, graduation parties and other events. Dieball also takes the ice cream machine to various dairy princess events.
“Being a dairy princess has widened the spectrum of people I can reach,” she said. “It is always fun to visit with people and watch as the lightbulb goes off in their heads when I discuss how milk from the farm gets to the table.”
Dieball said she has passion and confidence in the progression that is being made within the dairy community. Her farm was what helped her decide on a major in dairy science at South Dakota State University.
Whether she is in class at SDSU, on the farm or in the community as a dairy princess, Dieball uses her life experiences to bring dairy to consumers.
“My favorite point to share is that there are so many different options in dairy, and farmers work hard every day to care for their cows to ensure the product we receive in stores was responsibly produced,” she said.