By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Senior Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Mallarie Stookey, 17, of rural Kosciusko County was crowned the 2011 Indiana Dairy Princess on July 26 during a program at the Embassy Suites North Hotel in Indianapolis.

Stookey, who was sponsored by the Indiana Jersey Cattle Club, is the daughter of Jeff and Marla Stookey. They own and operate a dairy near Milford, Ind. She will be a senior at Warsaw Community High School this fall, but she plans to attend Purdue University next year and pursue a degree in veterinary science.
“I plan to return to the family farm and run it, side-by-side, with my father,” Stookey added.

She said her family’s farm includes more than Jersey cattle; they also own Holstein and Milking Shorthorn breeds.

As princess, Stookey received a $1,000 scholarship from the American Dairy Assoc. along with other gifts from program sponsors. She will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Indiana’s dairy farmers throughout the year by making several public appearances and participating in promotional events.
There were seven candidates in this year’s contest, which has crowned a princess every year since 1970. The other six contestants were:
•Macy Jo Mudd, Adams County, sponsored by the Indiana Milking Shorthorns

•Samantha Hill, Wayne County, sponsored by Smith Dairy

•Danyele Clingan, Steuben County, sponsored by the Indiana Holstein Assoc.

•Shelby Britton, Greene County, sponsored by the Indiana Guernsey Breeders Assoc.

•Hannah Bays, Jackson County, sponsored by the Indiana Brown Swiss Breeders Assoc.

•MacKenzie McClain-Klein, Fayette County, sponsored by the Indiana Ayrshire Breeders

The contestants were judged on poise, personality, speaking ability, education and dairy knowledge. Each princess candidate gave a speech on a specific topic related to the dairy industry. Stookey covered ways in which dairy farms could cut costs on feed and energy.

Clingan presented facts indicating that chocolate milk is better for athletes after performances than Gatorade or similar sports drinks. Britton touted the differences of each dairy breed, and she added Guernsey producers should sell “golden Guernsey milk” in same way that Angus beef producers sell their product.

Stookey replaces Elles Niessen of Lewisville, Ind., who was the 2010 princess. Niessen, 21, is a student at the Indiana University School of Nursing.
“”The facts and research that are available for supporting the dairy industry need to be re-emphasized through the collective voice of the Indiana dairy farmers and their team members,” Niessen said. “Being part of this team, as the Indiana Dairy Princess, I have had the opportunity of a lifetime by representing them in different ways around Indiana.”

According to the American Dairy Assoc. of Indiana, the Hoosier State has approximately 1,600 dairy farms. These farms produce more than three billion pounds of milk per year, and Indiana is the second-largest producer of ice cream.

For additional information on this event or about the dairy association, go online to www.WinnersDrinkMilk.com