Dairy royalty named in Iowa and Minnesota
AMPI members’ daughters serve as industry spokespeople
NEW ULM, Minn. (Sept. 1, 2019) — Not one, but two AMPI members’ daughters will reign as dairy advocates throughout Iowa and Minnesota this coming year.
Julie Hammerand, daughter of AMPI members Jerry and Lois Hammerand of Sherrill, Iowa, was crowned the 66th Iowa Dairy Princess on Aug. 7, just prior to opening day of the 2019 Iowa State Fair. Amy Kyllo, the 19-year-old daughter of AMPI members Paul and Susan Kyllo of Byron, Minn., was crowned the 66th Princess Kay of the Milky Way prior to the opening of the Minnesota State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 21. She was also named Miss Congeniality by fellow finalists.
Eighteen-year-old Hammerand represented Dubuque County in the contest that annually selects a goodwill ambassador for Iowa’s dairy farm families. She will be a student at the University of Northern Iowa this fall, majoring in art education.
Hammerand’s first duties as the state’s dairy princess included greeting fairgoers, answering questions and sharing the story of the fair’s butter sculptures. The iconic butter cow has been sculpted at the Iowa State Fair since 1911. About 600 pounds of AMPI butter is used for each cow sculpture.
Kyllo will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 3,000 Minnesota dairy farm families throughout the coming year. She represented Olmsted County in the contest and attends the Association Free Lutheran Bible School.
Ten county dairy princesses from throughout Minnesota competed for the Princess Kay title. Kayla Biel, daughter of AMPI members Kevin and Kelly Biel of Harmony, Minn., was also a finalist and represented Fillmore County. Candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for dairy.
During her first days as Princess Kay, Kyllo secured her place in Minnesota history by sitting in a cooler for nearly eight hours to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of AMPI’s own Dinner Bell Creamery butter during the Minnesota State Fair.
Throughout their yearlong reigns as Iowa Dairy Princess and Princess Kay, Hammerand and Kyllo will make public appearances to help connect consumers to dairy farm families and work to bring dairy to life through conversations, classroom visits and various speaking engagements.
AMPI is headquartered in New Ulm, Minn., and owned by dairy farm families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. AMPI is the largest farmer-owned cheese cooperative in the U.S. The cooperative’s cheese, butter and powdered dairy products are marketed to foodservice, retail and food ingredient customers. The co-op launched its Dinner Bell Creamery brand and accompanying Co-op Crafted promise in 2019, highlighting more than 50 years of dairy farm families partnering with skilled dairy craftsmen to make great-tasting, award-winning products.
