The Dairy Princess
Hi, All. Marcus Benedetti here. Well, where I come from in Clover Country there is a special ceremony held every year. Dairy farmers from far and wide gather in Petaluma to crown the “District 3 Dairy Princess.” It a time honored tradition in Clover Country and a great opportunity for young women who have grown up in the dairy industry and strive to make careers within it. California is divided into 10 dairy districts, each of which crowns a Princess annually.
I thought that this might be an interesting tradition to some of you so I asked this years crowned Princess, Amanda Moretti, to tell us a little about her experience. Here it is, in her own words:
“Moonlight and Diamonds” was the theme of the 54th Annual District 3 Dairy Princess Contest and Ball.This year, I, along with Samantha Spaletta, Maria Camozzi, and Carly Miller vied for the title of District 3 Dairy Princess. Our day started at 10 o’clock in the morning as we gathered at the hall and began the interview process and on stage interview practice. We all had a lot of fun practicing up on stage and made time to crack jokes and lighten the mood with lots of smiles and laughs. As the morning came to an end and the interview round was completed, Samantha, Maria, Carly, and I ate lunch with the judges and then had some time to relax. The down time was much needed as we had time to recollect our thoughts, practice our speech for the on stage interview, freshen up, and get pampered like princesses. Following our down time, we attended the Cheese Social where we socialized with our sponsors, the judges, and fellow dairy farmers. It was great to be able to visit with individuals from our local community and share our stories and love for the dairy industry. After the Cheese Social, it was the time we had all been waiting for…our time to stand up on stage and share our passion for the industry that has shaped us into the young ladies we are today. The on stage interview with Rich Silacci was very fun as we had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Silacci and discuss our hobbies, association with the dairy industry, extracurricular activities, future plans, and desire to be crowned District 3 Dairy Princess.
“Moonlight and Diamonds” was a night to remember as I had the honor of being selected District 3 Dairy Princess. It was a dream come true to be crowned District 3 Dairy Princess and have the opportunity to promote and preserve the dairy industry. For the next year, I, along with Alternate Dairy Princess, Samantha Spaletta, will be traveling all over District 3, visiting schools, attending dairy organization meetings, giving presentations on the importance of dairy products to the public, traveling to the county fairs, and advocating on behalf of all dairymen, dairy processors, and dairy enthusiasts.
As the daughter of two dairy farmers and a potential dairy farmer myself, I have been immersed in the dairy industry since the day I was brought home from the hospital. I know a lifestyle no different than this and feel very fortunate to have grown up surrounded by family and cows. I am thrilled to be the 2011-2012 District 3 Dairy Princess and hope to bridge the gap between producer and consumer, as I educate the public on the production and marketing of nature’s most perfect food…milk!
