Diverse dairy

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and enjoyed spending time with family and getting a glimpse of warmer weather. Christmastime serves as a holiday where joy and gratitude are apparent every day. While there are many sources of joy, family traditions are what make the holidays unique, special and diverse for everyone.

When it comes to dairy farming, celebrating the holidays is its own kind of unique. I remember many times growing up when Christmas morning was spent on the farm completing chores. For that reason, presents were always opened Christmas Eve after attending the 9 o’clock church service. The late night turned into an early morning because we all know the cows appreciate consistency.

This year, my holiday looked a little different, but in a good way. As soon as I arrived home from college, I asked my mom when I could fill in for chores on the farm. I missed the relaxing sound of the milking machine pulses and the view of the sunrise when feeding calves.

As soon as I walked out of the house Tuesday before Christmas, I realized I had already received the greatest gift of all: the gift I call my farm, my home. The gift was a change in perspective compared to previous years.

Too many times to count, I have been busy trying to contemplate which task on the “to-do” list I needed to complete first, whether that is in college or on the farm. Returning to the barn was the remedy I needed after a semester away. I was able to return to my roots and reconnect with the livelihood and community I love and appreciate the most.

Advocacy in action

Reconnecting back with the dairy community and connecting with consumers over holiday cheer was the highlight of the night during Bremer Farms’ Santa on the Farm Event. While cars steadily drove their way through the guided path, they were given a chance to stop and interact with an elf, Santa and Mrs. Claus and me. I loved experiencing the genuine joy from children as they rolled down their windows to say hello. Now, alongside me, there were two baby calves, so it is still up for debate who was the real star of this station.

Regardless, during their time at my station, I asked the children to guess the names of the calves and what they eat. While most of them needed a hint to guess the names, almost all of them knew what a calf’s diet consisted of. I was very impressed and made sure all the children drove away with a gift bag, complete with coloring books and other educational items, so they could continue to learn about dairy farming.

In the end, it was an amazing event showcasing dairy’s involvement in local communities and how dairy products are locally driven, with a twinkle of holiday flair.

I finished out the holiday season close to home. I was invited to air on a spotlight segment for Wright County’s local radio station, KRWC. After giving a recap of Minnesota State Fair activities and where my butter sculpture is stored, I was asked, “How can dairy be so diverse?”

Dairy is diverse because dairy farmers may do things somewhat differently, but we are unified under one goal, one our ancestors before us strived to achieve: to provide a nutritious and affordable product for consumers and their families. While there are many moving parts underneath that goal, our diversity makes us a stronger community.

As this holiday season closes and we start the new year, I encourage you all to dedicate time to reconnect. Reconnection to dairy reminds us of our roots, our family and the diverse efforts of our fellow dairy neighbors that sustain our community and our goal.

Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Malorie Thorson, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Malorie grew up in Waverly, Minnesota. She attends South Dakota State University majoring in Dairy Production with plans to return to her family farm as the sixth generation. Malorie loves trying out new recipes and baking, swing dancing, reading, and spending quality time with her family during early morning milking shifts. Her parents are Andrew and Colette Thorson.

Princess Kay is active doing school visits and events representing dairy farmers, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota.