Eastern Iowan named new Iowa Dairy Princess

DES MOINES — A new royal has been bestowed with the highest crown in one of the Midwest’s prominent agricultural industries.

But please, call her the Dairy Princess — Dairy Queen is already trademarked.

Haley Ronnebaum of Earlville in Delaware County, 18, ascended to the throne as the 71st princess at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Aug. 7.

The daughter of Mitch and Jenny Ronnebaum, she succeeded former Dairy Princess Ashley Elsbernd of Calmar in Winneshiek County. Alternate Princess Harley Baumler of Fort Atkinson, 20, succeeded former alternate Elizabeth Fossum of Waterville.

But make no mistake — the Dairy Princess doesn’t stay on her throne. As someone who lives and works on a dairy farm, her heart is with the people.

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Judges assessed eight Iowa contestants this year in various settings through interviews and speech contests. Ronnebaum was chosen for her communication skills, which will be important as she gets to work over the next year.

Her speech on dairy’s nutritional health benefits and the significance of dairy operations in the state’s economic sustainability helped her earn the crown. Dairy Princesses must be “poised, articulate and confident” and knowledgeable about many topics in the industry, including dairy nutrition, animal care, modern farming practices, technology and agricultural sustainability, said Heidi Lantzky, Iowa Dairy Princess coordinator.

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“Haley embodied the qualifications with the highest standard. Her professionalism, knowledge and excellent communication skills are what won the contest for her,” Lantzky said. “She was able to be relaxed, yet confident in conversations with the judges. Iowa dairy farmers are fortunate to have Hailey to represent them in the coming year.”

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Those skills will come in handy as Ronnebaum studies dairy science at Iowa State University in preparation to go into veterinary medicine. At interviews, classroom visits, dairy events, fairs and more, she’ll put her knowledge into practice through public education and advocacy to help consumers understand the dedication of dairy farmers to their cows, their land and their products.

“There’s a lot of things that can go wrong in the dairy industry. People have different viewpoints,” she said. “It’s important to promote it and show the good side of the industry and how products help you in your everyday life.”

The dairy industry continues to face steep challenges threatening its survival — issues that have forced many family farms to close or consolidate for survival in recent years.

Ronnebaum grew up milking 200 Holstein and Ayrshire cows on her family’s farm. Last year, their farm sold its cows to another Wisconsin farm and transitioned operations to custom feeding heifers.

“The role of the Iowa Dairy Princess program is to develop the next generation of dairy leaders, paving the way for continued success in the dairy industry,” said Mariah Busta, farmer relations manager for Midwest Dairy, the association that runs the Dairy Princess pageant.

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Competition from “milk imitators,” which are subject to different regulations than dairy products, are posing one of the biggest challenges to the industry, the Dairy Princess said. Other pressures like misconceptions about animal treatment, pricing and labor costs are putting many farms the size of her family’s out to pasture as dairy farms automate and increase in scale to survive.

“Obviously, someday every farm is going to be bigger,” she said. “It’s not easy to see (our cows) go because they’re family to us.”

She hopes to educate the public more about nutritional benefits of dairy that aren’t present in plant-based alternatives, as well as A2 beta-casein, a protein variant in milk that’s friendly to those with lactose intolerance.

But most of all, she just hopes to make proud the industry that raised her.

“They’ve done so much for me in the past few years. The industry has given me a lot,” she said. “Now it’s my time to give back.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.