A dairy rockstar

WAVERLY, Minn. — Malorie Thorson has attended every Princess Kay of the Milky Way coronation since she was 3 years old. As a finalist for Princess Kay, this year’s coronation will be the most memorable of them all.

“This has been a lifelong dream of mine,” Thorson said. “My mom has shown me that this is bigger than a crown. It is more than school visits and going to parades; it is about telling your story and sharing why dairy is so important.”

Thorson’s mom, Colette, was a finalist in 1996 and has since taken over the family farm, Diers Corporation, where the family milks 250 cows in a double-12 parabone parlor near Waverly. The farm has been in the family since 1874. Diers Corporation hosted the Wright/Carver County Breakfast on the Farm in 2021 and again in 2025.

Thorson intends on following in her mother’s footsteps not just with a crown and sash but also in the barn. She plans to return to the home farm after college graduation from South Dakota State University, where she is majoring in dairy production and minoring in agriculture business and leadership.

“I love the animals and growing up I would look forward to going to the farm with my mom,” Thorson said. “That was always the highlight of my day. I don’t know what that farm transition looks like yet, but I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a rockstar, a teacher and a dairy farmer.”

Growing up on the farm, Thorson assisted with milking the cows and as she took a stronger interest in the farm, her duties grew to include helping with herd checks, vaccinations, treating sick calves and feeding the calves.

“Knowing that I am helping to produce a product that is so healthy, nutritious and affordable for people makes me realize I am part of something that is bigger than me,” Thorson said.

Thorson served Wright County as a dairy ambassador from sixth grade through 11th grade. She was crowned a Wright County Dairy Princess the past two years.

“I show at our county fair and have gotten to know a lot of dairy farmers from my county, and it is really humbling to hear how many farmers put their trust in the dairy princesses to advocate for them,” Thorson said. “I want to be that advocate because I know them and see how hard they work each and every day.”

Through her years as Wright County dairy royalty and a member of the Howard Lake-Winsted-Waverly FFA Chapter, Thorson has advocated for agriculture and dairy throughout her county and looks forward to reaching a broader audience this summer as a Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalist.

“I get to tell people about my family’s farm and share our story and that of farmers that I know,” Thorson said. “Seeing people’s faces light up with the realization that dairy is a product that is from family to family, not just farm to table, but family to family is the best. Farmers want the best for their family and for the product that they produce.”

As a county dairy princess, Thorson said she enjoys doing school visits the best.

“I do a slide show that I call Cow to Cup that explains in a simple way the process of milk,” Thorson said. “The kids are at the age of wanting to learn and everything is new and exciting. They are curious about everything. It is the best caffeine hit out there.”

As Thorson looks towards coronation and the Minnesota State Fair, the Thorson family will be making room for her butterhead in the freezer. Colette’s butterhead is long gone.

“I plan on using my butter for our church’s annual corn feed,” Thorson said. “Next year I plan on donating some of my butterhead toward that. I also love baking and I will give some to people who have helped me in my dairy journey.”