INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Kamille Brawner of Hanover was selected as the 2014-15 Dairy Princess for the American Dairy Assoc. Indiana, which gives her friendly sibling bragging rights on her two sisters.
Brawner, 20, won the crown before an audience of dairy industry members, candidates’ families and friends on July 29 in Indianapolis. She is the daughter of Greg and Teresa Brawner, and she represented Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) in the 2014 Indiana Dairy Princess Scholarship Program.
Brawner will be a sophomore at Purdue University this fall, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness with a minor in animal science. As the Indiana Dairy Princess, she received a $1,000 scholarship from the American Dairy Assoc. along with other gifts of appreciation from Dean Foods, Foremost Farms USA and DFA.
The youngest of four children, Brawner admitted that she’s been called a "princess" by her siblings for many years. Her sisters, LaTisha (Brawner) Idlewine and Kristen (Brawner) May, previously represented DFA in this contest. However, neither was able to win the crown.
"I had to tease them a little about that," Brawner said. "I told them I had to win one for our dad and for the DFA. Everyone in the family was excited about it, though."
That includes her brother, Gregory, also a Purdue student, who hoped that free Indiana State Fair Dairy Bar coupons came with her new title.
Brawner 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. She is looking forward to representing the dairy industry at several events during the next year.
"Going to the Indy 500 and handing out the awards at the Fastest Rookie Luncheon and being a part of that is exciting," Brawner said. "I’m also really looking forward to being at the State Fair this year, meeting people and working at the Dairy Bar."
During the contest, Brawner gave a presentation on the advantages of choosing real dairy milk over non-dairy alternatives. She works on her family’s fourth-generation dairy that includes both Jersey and Holstein breeds. Brawner helps with feeding calves, giving tours and maintaining the herd’s genetic records.
A busy year, she has also earned other honors this year. She will serve as an Ag Envoy at Purdue in 2014-15, and she was also a dairy superintendent at her county fair. The Dairy Princess title, she said, is a special honor. "I am especially proud to represent the dairy industry next year," Brawner said. "This ranks pretty high among the things I’ve done."
Brawner follows retiring Dairy Princess Carmen Metzger of Kimmel, Ind.
Contestants were judged on poise, personality, speaking ability, education and dairy knowledge.
There were a total of seven candidates in this year’s contest. The other Dairy Princess contestants include: Anna Will, Poseyville, Ind., Indiana Holstein Assoc.; Cheyanne Bowman, Hagerstown, Ind., Dean Foods; Christy Mote, Union City, Ind., Indiana Milking Shorthorn Society; Kylei Klein, Cambridge City, Ind., Indiana Ayrshire Breeders Assoc.; Hadley Whicker, Danville, Ind., Indiana Jersey Cattle Club; and Laura Frye, Logansport, Ind., Indiana Brown Swiss Assoc.
Indiana has approximately 1,200 dairy farms that produce more than 3.5 billion pounds of milk annually. Indiana is the second-largest producer of ice cream. As Dairy Princess, Brawner will educate the public and her peers on the importance of dairy to Indiana’s economy and to Hoosier health.
