Meet a Princess at the Library

By Linda Rogers, Library Associate

It is true! A real princess is coming to meet you, at the Rapid City Public Library.
She is the South Dakota Dairy Princess and she knows a lot about cows and libraries.  She can answer almost any question you might have about dairy farms, cows and dairy products. For example you could ask her: “Why did the cow jump over the moon?” or “Why do cows have bells?” And she would know that “Cows jump over the moon to see the Milky Way” and that “Cows have bells because their horns don’t work!”

Questions like that and more can be asked on Wednesday, July 18th at 10:00 AM when Katie Norling, South Dakota’s Dairy Princess, comes to the Rapid City Public Library to present ”How Milk Moooves from Cow to You!”, a program for children of all ages.

In addition to her program of fun facts and great stories, Katie will bring samples of South Dakota string cheese donated by Associated Milk Producers Inc. in Freeman.

Kathryn (Katie) Norling of Beresford was crowned the 53rd South Dakota Dairy Princess last March in a ceremony during the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls.  She is a student at South Dakota State University studying dairy manufacturing and nutrition.  Katie was chosen from a field of seven candidates for the title, which carries with it a $1,000 scholarship.

A Dairy Princess candidate must be the daughter of South Dakota dairy producers or have close ties to the dairy industry by having a parent who is employed on a dairy farm; own dairy cows of her own; or be employed on a dairy farm herself.  Candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills, appearance, personality and enthusiasm for dairy promotion.

Katie knows a lot about both dairy farms and libraries because she grew up on a dairy farm near Beresford, and her mom is the Director of the Beresford Public Library.

The Dairy Princess’ activities include: speaking to a variety of audiences at conventions and meetings; being interviewed by radio, television and newspaper reporters from across the state; appearing in numerous parades; visiting elementary schools to inform children where milk comes from and why it’s important in their daily diets; participating in dairy-sponsored special events; serving dairy products to consumers; and assisting with dairy farm tours.

South Dakota’s Dairy Princess serves as the official goodwill ambassador for South Dakota’s dairy industry.  Throughout her year-long reign, she makes numerous public and media appearances on behalf of the Midwest Dairy Association and the state’s dairy producers.  For fifty years, the Princess program has been a very visible and positive public relations program for the dairy industry.

The Midwest Dairy Association – South Dakota Division sponsors the South Dakota Dairy Princess program. Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization funded by dairy farmers to build demand for dairy products through advertising, marketing, nutrition education and research.  Since 1983, when the national dairy check off was created, per capita milk consumption has climbed from 522 pounds to 593 pounds.
We invite you to come to meet Dairy Princess Katie, listen to her program, try some South Dakota string cheese and maybe you could ask if Katie knows the answer to:
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Cows go.
Cows go who?      (No, silly, cows go moo; Owls go whooo!)