Dairy St r
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Special Edition
May 12, 2012
Connecting dairy to everyday life Zahurones reflects on reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way By jennifer burggraff Staff writer
PIERZ, Minn. – From the outside, Mary Zahurones’s car looks like any other 2003 Ford Taurus. The inside, however, contains several things most college freshmen wouldn’t keep on hand: a calf bottle, a 5-gallon pail, feed and bedding samples, children’s books, stickers and other trinkets, baby food jars and, on certain days, coolers full of butter, cream and salt, among other things. Strange? Maybe, but considering Mary Zahurones is no ordinary college freshman, it makes perfect sense. She’s serving as the 58th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and she’s loving every minute of it. “I’ve had so many opportunities that I never would have been involved in, so many new connections [that I’ve made],” Zahurones said. “[My time as Princess Kay] has been filled with incredible moments day after day.” Since being crowned Princess Kay last August, Zahurones has logged more than 2,000 miles making appearances across the state in parades, media interviews, festivals, conferences and meetings. She’s also reached out to over 2,300 students through classroom visits in 18 towns, with another 10 classroom visits lined up for the coming months; she’s done all this while attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities for a doctorate degree in nursing. Classroom visits have been a favorite part of Zahurones’s reign thus far, whether teaching students the link between cows and the milk they buy in grocery stores or promoting the Fuel Up to Play 60 program with Viktor the Viking. “It’s wonderful to see [the students’] enthusiasm. It lights a fire in me to see their excitement,” she said.
While it can be challenging talking to both elementary school kids and high school students during school visits, these visits give her an opportunity to bridge the ever-widening gap between children and farmers with instant gratification. “I was surprised to realize that the misconceptions I have heard and thought were silly are a reality. We joke that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, but kids really believe that. The thought that I didn’t have coveralls on so I’m not a farmer – the image that only a man [in coveralls] with a straw hat can be a farmer needs to be shattered,” Zahurones said. “Public misconceptions need to be brought to present times. It’s baffling.” The fact that she was one of those disconnected from the dairy industry until she moved to a dairy farm at the age of 9 has helped her establish a more personal connection with people of all ages and walks of life, and it has helped her realize the need to reach out to others, starting with the basics.
mark klaphake/ dairy star
Mary Zahurones has spent the last year serving as the 58th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. As the goodwill ambassador for the dairy industry, Zahurones has reached over 2,300 students through classroom visits in 18 towns, with another 10 classroom visits scheduled in the next months. As much as she plays the teacher role during her many outings, Zahurones said she has also been on the receiving end of knowledge, continuously learning new things from kids and farmers alike. “If anything, being Princess
“I was surprised to realize that the misconceptions I have heard and thought were silly are a reality. We joke that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, but kids really believe that.”
– PRincess Kay Mary Zahurones
“If I don’t start with the basics I might miss something,” she said. “... Farmers so easily reach out to other farmers. [We need] to reach out [to consumers] whether through media or just talking in line at the grocery store. We need to reach out to others about what we are doing on our farms.”
Kay has been a humbling experience, [making me realize] how much I don’t know,” Zahurones said. “My learning of dairy farming doesn’t stop at Princess Kay. Every day I’m increasing my knowledge of the dairy industry.” Her time as Princess Kay has, quite simply, changed her
life. “I think I underestimated the impact being Princess Kay would have on my entire life. Every level of my interest [in the dairy industry] and my commitment to the dairy industry has grown so deeply,” Zahurones said. “The dairy industry is an easy industry to have passion for.” Her experience has also greatly impacted her family. Her parents, Chuck and Pat Tax, milk 60 cows on their dairy farm near Pierz, Minn. Pat travels with Zahurones to a majority of her appearances, though sports events are often reserved for her brother Jake. “She could be the next Princess Kay,” Zahurones said of her mom, laughing. Looking forward to the rest of her reign, Zahurones’s summer schedule includes many Breakfast of the Farm events, county fairs and June Dairy Month activities as well as school visits. First, however, she will be attending the 2012 May event May 18-20,
at which county dairy princesses from across the state will gather for educational seminars and judging to determine who will be the 2012 Princess Kay finalists. Zahurones plans to play a key role during this event, leading some of the seminars and passing on tips and tricks of the trade. “That’s what I’m really looking forward to – increasing the knowledge of the other dairy princesses so we can make the princess program have the biggest impact it can,” she said. Although her time as Princess Kay is limited, Zahurones doesn’t plan to stop promoting the dairy industry. Her anticipated future in the nursing field will give her a new venue to spread the dairy message. “Nursing has a place in the dairy industry ... dairy has a place in every industry. That’s what being a dairy princess is about, connecting everyday lives,” Zahurones said. “... [People] want to learn [about the dairy industry]. Their interest is there.”
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