About Us 

Our Mission Statement

The mission of Pennsylvania Dairy Princess and Promotion Services, Inc. is:

Pennsylvania Dairy Princess History - 1956 to 2009

On Saturday evening, September 20, 2008, Pennsylvania Dairy Princess, Lyndsey Rebecca Royek, will conclude her year as the fifty-first Pennsylvania Dairy Princess and will crown another young women as her successor to serve as the official representative and spokesperson for our state’s number one Agricultural industry for the ensuing year.

Since its inception in 1956, hundreds of young people and their families have been involved in the promotion of the dairy industry at the local, grassroots level through the Dairy Princess Programs. Initiated and run until 1966 by the Pennsylvania Association of Milk Dealers and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association as the Miss Milk Maid Contest, contestants represented milk marketing areas from one to fourteen counties. In 1967 there was no state contest, although promotion continued at the local level.

In 1968 the Pennsylvania Holstein Association assumed the responsibility for the program and geographic representation was changed to the county dairy promotion system of today. This change offered more contestants the opportunity to vie for the state title and provided increased dairy promotion at the local level. From 1956 through 1971, the Pennsylvania Dairy Princess participated in a national contest sponsored by the American Dairy Association. The national contest was discontinued in 1972.

For several years, commencing in 1970, the Bureau of Markets of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture coordinated the program and employed the Pennsylvania Dairy Princess to travel throughout the state during the summer to educate the consuming public on the value of dairy products. From 1972 to the present, the Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Pageant and Coronation has been held annually in September in conjunction with the All American Dairy Show.

In 1975, district coordinators were appointed to help increase program activities at the county level and serve as resource personnel. In 1978, an incentive award program was initiated to encourage local princesses to take part in a wider variety of promotional activities. From 1979 through 1983, Atlantic Dairy Association served as coordinator of the princess program working together with the six district coordinators and the county dairy promotion committees.

In 1983, in order to provide a more uniform program which would serve all areas of Pennsylvania equally, the district coordinators established the present Pennsylvania Dairy Princess and Promotion Services, Inc. which maintains its own office and is coordinated by an executive director. The organization is supported by Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers through the advertising and promotion agencies of the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc., and Allied Milk Producers, in addition to contributions from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, PA Dairymen’s Association and other dairy related organizations and individuals. Its primary function is to work with the local county committees in their promotional efforts, their princess programs and to plan and conduct the training of these young people, and to coordinate the selection and activities of the State Dairy Princess and her Alternates.

Although requirements have been broadened, dairy princesses today are chosen according to qualifications similar to those used for the very first pageant. Prospective princesses must come from a dairy farm, or dairy related background, own dairy animals or they or their parents must be employed in the dairy industry or an agribusiness that serves it. They must be single and be between the ages of 16 and 24. They must possess the knowledge, poise and speaking ability necessary to carry out their many duties as spokespersons for Pennsylvania’s dairy industry.

After receiving their crowns as county dairy princesses, these young women have prepared for their role as county dairy spokespersons and the state contest. In July all princesses, their alternates, some parents and members of the county promotion committees attended a three and a half day training seminar at Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA. There they received intensive instructions on the dairy industry and nutrition as well as public speaking, working with the media, social conduct and personal appearance.

This year 26 county dairy princesses, representing 27 counties, arrived at the Radisson on Thursday evening, September 18 and have had a rigorous two days of judging. Each princess has been individually interviewed, and has had meals and various other informal meetings with the judges. They have all presented their dairy presentations, speeches and their scrapbooks for review.

Tonight as the girls present themselves on stage, the judges will select one Princess and two Alternates to serve our Pennsylvania dairy industry at the state level until September 2009. Tomorrow all will return to their home counties to be joined by 31 alternates and 241 junior representatives to continue the job of local dairy promotion.

For all the young women participating in this pageant, tonight is a joyous celebration of the important job they are doing. Over eight months of promotion still remain in their county reigns and although it will be filled with hard work, opportunities abound in friendships, experiences and knowledge. May it be a rewarding year for each princess with the help and support of all dairy farm producers and dairy industry representatives of Pennsylvania.