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DAIRY ST R
August 28, 2021
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 13
Euerle crowned 68th Princess Kay Litchfield woman is first from Meeker County to claim title By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota State Fair has always been special for Anna Euerle. This year, it will be even more so. “The state fair is one of my favorite events of the year, so to be here for all 12 days as Princess Kay of the Milky Way just gives me goosebumps,” said the 19-year-old. Euerle, who represents Meeker County, was crowned the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Aug. 25 during a coronation at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. Her parents, Vaughn and Joan Euerle, milk 80 cows near Litcheld, Minnesota. “It’s a dream come true,” Euerle said about the moment outgoing Princess Kay Brenna Connelly placed the crown on her head. “I have dreamed of this since I was a little girl coming to coronation. It’s really surreal.”
LAURA HINTZEN/DAIRY STAR
Anna Euerle is crowned the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Aug. 25 at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota. Euerle grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Meeker County near Litcheld, Minnesota. The other two nalists named in the top three were Isabelle Lindahl, representing Chisago County, and Megan Meyer, representing Winona County.
Kelsey Erf from Washington County, Emily Leonard from Carver County and Lindahl were named scholarship winners. Katrina Thoe from Dodge County
was named Miss Congeniality. Euerle is the rst woman from Meeker County to be crowned Princess Kay. Euerle is looking forward to her reign in her new royalty role. “It means I’ll have the opportunity to impact the lives of so many people even if it’s just a small conversation about the cows I have at home,” she said. “It just really gives me the platform and ability to share my story about what it’s like to grow up on a dairy farm. I’m really excited for that.” Plus, she wants others to know about the people in the industry. “Dairy is a community,” Euerle said. “It’s more than just the dairy farmers. It’s the nutritionists, the veterinarians and everybody I call the support staff of dairy farmers.” Her parents are part of that dairy community and have watched her grow in both her love of working with the animals and sharing the life on the farm with others. “It’s so much fun to watch her,” Joan said. “She says things just right. I don’t know how she does it. I’ll ask her a question, and she’ll word it just the way you want to hear. This has always
Turn to PRINCESS KAY | Page 8
Robots or nothing Fessendens, Reiters build new facility on former dairy site By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ELGIN, Minn. – When Craig and Cathy Reiter sold their milking herd in 2011, they thought the dairy chapter of their life had ended. After a nine-year hiatus, the couple is back in the dairy business. This time with a renewed enthusiasm as they partner with their daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Sam Fessenden, milking 120 cows with two robots on their farm near Elgin. The families built a new facility with two Lely robots and a three-row barn with 110 stalls. Both robots are situated on the north side of the barn with cows entering from the east and exit-
ing straight to the west. “We liked the straight-in-aline design for cow ow purposes,” Sam said. “It also reduced the foot print of the building and helped save costs.” They sacriced a few stalls to create a larger area around the milking units. “We wanted a lot of space around our robots so timid cows would come up, and they do,” Sam said. The stalls are bedded with sand and the barn is naturally ventilated with fans and sprinklers for optimum comfort in the warmer months. Having bought cows from three farms, the Reiter and Fessendens’ herd is now milking
Turn to REITER | Page 6
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cathy and Craig Reiter (leŌ) and their son-in-law and daughter, Sam and Brenda Fessenden, stand in the new 120-cow dairy facility they built on their farm near Elgin, Minnesota.