Princess Sellner not shy about dairy convictions
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 08/17/2011 3:39 PM
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SLEEPY EYE, Minn.— Kelsey Sellner considers it a personal responsibility to promote the dairy industry.
"If I'm not out there telling the public that I know from first-hand experience what care goes into the industry, then I really don't know who else is going to do it," said the 19-year-old Brown County dairy princess.
It was the county's dairy princess program that expanded her interest past her family's farm. She started as a dairy ambassador around the time she was in 9th grade and began learning about the issues the industry faces.
"I had no idea that some people were thinking chocolate milk was bad for you or that farmers don't take good care of their cows. That all just kind of created a curiosity in me and made me want to learn more," she said.
Now Sellner of Sleepy Eye is one of 12 finalists who could be picked Aug. 24 as the 58th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, the goodwill ambassador for the state's dairy farmers.
It's an honor to be a finalist, she said. She had attended the event in May, where the finalists are picked, for the seminars about how to be a better dairy promoter. When she learned she was one of the 12, it was a bonus.
It didn't sink in until a couple of days later, when she returned home to congratulations from people and flowers from her county dairy princess coordinator, Shannon Seifert. The local newspaper called for an interview.
"That's when it really hit me, when people knew about it and they were so excited for me," she said.
Back at home in her second year as a county dairy princess, she likes talking about the industry with people of all ages. She tries to figure out what they know and don't know so her messages can be most effective. Even in her rural area, opportunities exist to teach people about the industry. Visiting with children at day care is especially fun. She passes out ice cream or cheese and watches them approach the cattle feed samples and milking units with sheer curiosity.
A dairy-related career is in her sights. She will be a sophomore this fall at Minnesota State University in Mankato, where she is working toward a degree in public relations.
Last year during college, she found that her family's farm was where she wanted to be so she often came home on weekends. She likes how her family works as a team on their farm. Her speech at the Princess Kay event in May was about her pride for the industry and what her family accomplishes.
The Sellner's farm is at least 100 years old; her family has been involved with farming for at least four generations.They milk approximately 100 Holsteins and grow soybeans, alfalfa, corn and oats. Her parents are Mike and Judy Sellner.
As coronation approaches, she is helping on the farm and making princess appearances. She plays on a softball team, helps kids as a parks and recreation instructor and works on a clean up crew at the Del Monte plant in Sleepy Eye. She and her sister, Becca, like to run together; their driveway is so long that it takes only a few laps to have a good run.
This is also her last year showing cows in 4-H. She started participating in shows with help from her brothers, Matt and Kyle. She exhibited the Grand Champion Overall dairy animal at the Brown County Fair's 4-H Show last year. That same cow was Reserve Grand Champion Overall in 2009. She has also competed in dairy project bowl at the county and state levels.
Her relatives, Shannon Seifert and Angela Sellner, were Princess Kay finalists in the past.