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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 20, No. 13
August 25, 2018
Paskewitz crowned 65th Princess Kay of the Milky Way
New dairy royalty comes from Todd County By Sherry Newell Contributing Writer
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Moments after being crowned Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rebekka Paskewitz made sure to share two words. “I’m blessed,” she said. The 20-year-old representing Todd County was named the 65th Princess Kay of the Milky Way from among 12 nalists for the title during a coronation Aug. 22 at the Minnesota State Fair Bandshell. Paskewitz will represent Minnesota’s dairy farm families for the coming year through classroom visits,
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Rebekka Paskewitz of Browerville, Minn. (right) reacts to being crowned the 65th Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Aug. 22 at the Minnesota State Fair Bandshell in St. Paul, Minn. Blaize Dankers of Plainview, Minn. (leŌ) and Korissa Lindquist of Kerkhoven, Minn. (center) rounded out the top three.
public events and promotions in a part-time role with Midwest Dairy Association through the dairy checkoff. Paskewitz is the daughter of Alan and Vicki Paskewitz of Browerville and is employed by Thunder Valley Farm. Her coronation is the culmination of six years serving as her county’s dairy ambassador and later, dairy princess. The new Princess Kay is a junior at South Dakota State University, with plans to be an agriculture educator. She steps into the role most recently lled by Emily Annexstad of St. Peter, who served as the 64th Princess Kay. Runners-up were Blaize Dankers, 19, of Plainview in Wabasha County, and Turn to PRINCESS KAY | PAGE 5
Misuse of recycling How Fairlife, Dairy Farmers of program prompts change Wisconsin draw consumers to dairy in Minnesota region Gruen, Vincent Revolution Plastic seeks solutions in coming months By Jennifer Coyne
share insight about their organization’s strategies By Krista Kuzma
jenn@dairystar.com
krista.k@dairystar.com
SAUK CENTRE, Minn. – When John Warren rst heard of Revolution Plastics’ free ag plastic recycling program, he readily signed up. Now, 16 months later, Warren is one of many area dairy farmers whose recycling solutions are being re-evaluated with the company. “In the year we had the dumpster, we lled it up enough for [Revolution Plastics] to empty the dumpster three times. A few months ago, I got a phone call from one of the company’s drivers saying they were picking up the dumpster because we weren’t lling it enough,” said Warren who milks 140 cows near Litcheld, Minn. Warren was not notied beforehand that he was not meeting the lling capacity according to the company’s standards. When the company implemented the ag plastic recycling pro-
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – In order to delve deeper into the success of two dairy organizations, two industry members offered insight during a panel about “Giving Consumers an Excellent Dairy Experience” during the Dairy Experience Forum July 26 in Bloomington, Minn. The panelists included Brad Gruen, vice president of marketing for Fairlife, and Chad Vincent, chief executive ofcer of Dairy Farm-
Turn to PLASTIC | Page 6
KRISTA KUZMA/ DAIRY STAR
Panel member Brad Gruen (center) talks about Fairlife’s markeƟng strategies on July 26 during the Dairy Experience Forum in Bloomington, Minn. Gruen is joined by panel member, Chad Vincent (leŌ), CEO of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, and moderator, Michael Dykes, CEO of InternaƟonal Dairy Foods Associaiton. Vincent stressed the imers of Wisconsin. Michael Dykes, CEO of International portance of recognizing how Dairy Foods Association, Turn to PANEL | Page 7 moderated the panel.