by Dennis Dalman
Two Stearns County women – Selena Corona of St. Joseph and Grace Woitalla of Avon – were among the nine finalists for “Princess Kay of the Milky Way” pageant Aug. 21, the night before the start of the Minnesota State Fair.
Woitalla, now a princess, was named as one of two runners-up just before the crowning of Rachel Visser of Hutchinson as “Princess Kay.” The other runner-up, princess, is Katie Ketchum, representing Winona County.
It was the 71st coronation ceremony sponsored by the Midwest Dairy Association. Candidates are judged on their knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for anything to do with dairy farms and dairy products.
Corona
Selena Corona of St. Joseph is the daughter of Kelly and Steve Corona and Ross Lemke. She will soon be a senior at the University of Minnesota where she is studying animal science, agricultural communications and marketing, with a minor in agricultural business management. Corona said attending events and seeing people get excited about meeting a dairy princess are favorite memories as a princess candidate.
Woitalla
Runner-up Grace Woitalla of Avon is the daughter of Patty and Keith Woitalla. She is a sophomore at Ridgewater College, where she is studying both agribusiness and precision agriculture. Woitalla represents the third generation on her family’s farm, and she hopes to return to the farm and work in agronomy sales and service as her future career. She said her favorite memory is learning how to milk dairy cows with her grandfather.
Visser
The new Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rachel Visser of Hutchinson (McCloud County) is the daughter of Shannon and Barry Visser. This fall, she will be a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, double majoring in agricultural food and business management; and agricultural communications and marketing. Her future career goal is to work in dairy statistical analysis. Some of Visser’s hobbies are reading, gardening and hanging out with friends.
As “Princess Kay of the Milky Way,” Visser will be a goodwill ambassador for the dairy industry, attending many events and speaking engagements. She will also promote the nutritional benefits of dairy and dairy farmers’ continual commitment to environmental sustainability. Visser will speak on behalf of the dairy-farm families that are members of the Midwest Dairy Association.
MDA represents about 4,000 dairy-farm families and works on their behalf to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in their products and production practices. The organization is funded by farmers across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.
All nine of the princess candidates had butter sculptures made of their portraits that were carved by an expert butter sculptor and then exhibited in a refrigerated glass-walled room in the Dairy Building at the Minnesota State Fair.
The nine candidates and the home counties they represent are: Corona and Woitalla (runner-up princess), Stearns County; Katie Ketchum (runner-up, princess), Winona County; Mackenzie Moline, Nicollet County; Afton Nelson, Steele County; Miranda Schroeder, Houston County; Rachel Visser (the new “Princess Kay”), McLeod County; Katelyn Welgraven, Pipestone County; and McKenna Wright, McLeod County.
Selena Corona of St. Joseph
