| Niessen named 2010 Indiana Dairy Princess |
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Elles Niessen of Lewisville, Ind. was selected as the 2010-11 Dairy Princess for the American Dairy Assoc. of Indiana. The crowning took place before a crowd of dairy industry members, their families and friends on July 27 at the Embassy Suites North in Indianapolis.
Elles, 20, is the daughter of Nico and Milly Niessen.
She represented the Dairy Farmers of America in the 2010 Indiana Dairy Princess Scholarship Program. Niessen is a sophomore at the Indiana University School of Nursing.
Retiring Princess Audrie Koester of Wadesville, Ind. ended her reign by turning over the title to Niessen.
Niessen will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Indiana’s dairy farmers during the year by making a number of public appearances and participating in promotional events. As the Indiana Dairy Princess, Niessen receives a $1,000 scholarship from the American Dairy Assoc. along with other gifts of appreciation from sponsors.
Niessen was born in Maastricht, Netherlands, and moved with her family to the United States when she was nine-years old. Her family owns 2,000 milking cows and about 1,500 acres.
Niessen speaks four languages – Dutch, English, French, German and a little Spanish, she said.
She graduated in the top 10 percent of her class from Tri High School in Lewisville in 2008. Niessen has been employed as a student nursing technician at Reid Hospital in Richmond, Ind.
An active member of her family’s farm, Niessen schedules and hosts private tours of their dairy operation. She gave public tours during a dairy promotion day on her parents’ farm on June 12.
Other Dairy Princess candidates included: Cindy Lee Mote, Union City, Ind.; Krista Beaman, Milroy, Ind.; Danyele Clingan, Angola, Ind.; and Macy Jo Mudd, Berne, Ind.
Contestants were judged on poise, personality, speaking ability, education and dairy background.
Judges for the contest included Leah Beyer, director of livestock for the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council; Dave Blower Jr., associate publisher and editor of Farm World; and Martha Rardin, director of nutrition and dietetics for Hendricks Community Hospital.
Niessen’s presentation was focused on the importance of dairies “Going Green” and “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” As Dairy Princess, Niessen will educate the public on the value of dairy in Indiana’s economy and Hoosiers’ health.
Indiana has more than 1,600 dairy farms that produce more than 3 billion pounds of milk annually.
Indiana is the second-largest producer of ice cream. |
| 8/4/2010 |
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