SALEM — Dairy royalty roamed through the Northwest Ag Show on March 14, brightening an already sunny day by handing out samples of Tillamook cheddar cheese.

Mackenzie Mitchell, 22, a sophomore at Tillamook Bay Community College, was crowned the 2024-25 Oregon Dairy Princess Ambassador during a ceremony in Salem on March 5.

She’s looking forward to connecting with students in schools.

“I’ve always really enjoyed teaching young kids about where their dairy products come from,” Mitchell said.

She added that many families are disconnected from farms and don’t understand the process of making delicious foods.

Mitchell has already served for a year as the Tillamook County Dairy Princess Ambassador, and said it’s a great honor to represent the entire state’s dairy industry.

“You put a lot of work and effort into competing for it,” she said.

She’s also looking forward to attending the Oregon State Fair and awarding ribbons at youth livestock shows.

As a youth, she was active in FFA and exhibited dairy heifers at the Tillamook County Fair.

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Mitchell is a 2020 graduate of Tillamook High School who grew up watching her father work closely with local farmers to convert byproducts of dairy cattle into renewable energy.

She plans to attend Corban University in Salem and study forensic psychology, then attend law school and study agricultural law.

Rebecca Noordam, 19, a 2023 Silverton High School graduate studying agricultural science and business at Corban, was crowned Alternate Oregon Dairy Princess Ambassador.

Noordam grew up on a dairy and works there feeding calves.

While in high school, she competed at the national FFA convention in the milk quality and products contest, where her team received a silver award.

Dairy princess duties

Mitchell and Noordam will spend the next year traveling statewide, attending fairs and other public events as representatives of Oregon’s dairy farmers.

They’ll also give plenty of presentations at schools about life on a dairy farm and the nutritional benefits of consuming dairy products.

Mitchell and Noordam also will receive scholarships to continue their education.

Outgoing princess ambassador Clancey Krahn received $14,000 and outgoing alternate Clara Blaser received more than $6,000. That duo informed 10,000 students about dairy products and farm life.

Other finalists

This year’s other finalists were Maddie Shade of Coos County, Hanna Krahmer, representing Linn and Benton counties, Tracy Magill of Wasco County, Katie Raines of Washington County and Joy Foster, representing Yamhill and Polk counties.

Foster won the 2024 Congeniality Award.

Since 1959, the Oregon Dairy Women’s Dairy Princess Ambassador Program has served as an advocate for the dairy industry in collaboration with the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association and the Oregon Dairy Council.

The Oregon Dairy Women award scholarships and provide financial support to 4-H and FFA programs, Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom and other organizations.