Congratulations to Marissa Kay Weidensaul, Mifflinburg, Pa. for being crowned the 54th Pennsylvania Dairy Princess on Sept. 25 after a three-day competition among 31 county dairy princesses.
Weidensaul, 20, the SUN Area Dairy Princess, is the daughter of Percival and Beverly Weidensaul. She was crowned by outgoing Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Krystal Wasson of Centre County.
Contestants were judged on public speaking skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality. Each contestant prepared a speech and skit promoting milk and dairy products, and participated in a personal interview with a panel of four judges.
A sophomore at Penn State’s Altoona campus, Weidensaul is studying agriculture education and animal science and is secretary of the Agriculture Club. A graduate of Mifflinburg Area High School, she was an FFA member and officer and student government leader. She works on a commercial dairy goat farm, and raises and shows dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs and goats.
Two alternates were chosen to support the new princess. The first alternate is Jesse Lee Kline, 20, of Chambersburg, Pa. The daughter of Allen and Diane Kline, she is a graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School and completed one year at Penn State Mont Alto with plans to attend a dairy artificial insemination school. She is a five-year employee of Pleasant Valley Jerseys, a 4-H and FFA member, an accomplished dairy judge and owns seven Jersey cows.
Chosen as second alternate, Elizabeth Weber is the 17-year-old daughter of Rick and Brenda Weber of Grove City. The family resides on Pleasant View Farm where they milk 90 Holsteins and farm 500 acres. Weber is a senior at Grove City High School where she is a varsity cheerleader and involved in many activities.
Weber was an honorable mention skit and speech winner, and was crowned by outgoing second alternate Crystal Hitz of Lebanon County.
For the next year, the new state royalty team will represent Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and its 7,400 dairy farm families. The dairy industry is the state’s top agriculture industry, contributing $4.5 billion and 40,000 jobs to the state’s economy.