I would like to extend many congratulations to Brittany Arnold, the recent crown winner of the Frederick County Dairy Princess contest in Frederick, MD. Arnold is a sophomore agriculture education student, who is incredibly passionate about the dairy industry. Arnold will compete along with other regional princesses for the title of Maryland Dairy Princess at 7:30 p.m. July 15, at the Francis Scott Key Holiday Inn in Frederick . (Photograph courtesy of photography Sam Yu)

For all past and present dairy promoters, what did you like about your time serving the dairy industry? What did you learn? What can be done to encourage the next generation to get involved in dairy production and promotion? What are your thoughts? The Frederick News-Post released an article about Arnold titled, Young educator takes on new role as dairy promoter, and here are the highlights from the story…

As part of the competition, Arnold presented a skit, based on “The Wizard of Oz,” she will use to educate the public about the industry during her reign. As Dorothy, she carried Betsy the cow as she traveled down the Yellow Brick Road of cheese. Instead of Oz, Arnold found herself in Dairyland, where she said rivers of chocolate milk flowed and rose petals were made of butter. Arnold explained the path milk takes from farm to tank to truck to plant, and the processes the beverage undergoes to ensure its safety.

In her various roles as a dairy promoter, she has visited various schools and child care centers with her dairy animals, given milk toasts touting the beverage at meetings and events and presented speeches at her school, Penn State University, on the importance of the dairy industry.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop preaching that chocolate milk does not come from brown cows,” she said.