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DAIRY ST R
August 27, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 24, No. 13
Rynda crowned 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Montgomery woman the rst for Le Sueur County By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A moment many Minnesota dairy princesses dream about became a reality for 19-yearold Rachel Rynda Aug. 24. Between exclamations of excitement and warm embraces from her family and friends, Rynda took in her crowning moment of becoming the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. Rynda is the daughter of Francis and Theresa Rynda, of Montgomery. The Ryndas
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Rachel Rynda, of Montgomery, Minnesota, represenƟng Le Sueur County, is crowned the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony Aug. 24 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minnesota. The other two runners up include (from leŌ) Aly Dieball of Green Isle, Minnesota, represenƟng Sibley County and Kiley Lickfelt of Hutchinson, representing McLeod County.
milk 40 cows, farm 400 acres and nish 130 steers each year. Now, the college student can transition into the role of goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s dairy farmers knowing her childhood dream has been accomplished. “This is so surreal,” Rynda said. “I grew up watching Princess Kay and being inspired by her. She has always been a role model of mine.” Rynda, who was also named Miss Congeniality, was joined by runners-up Aly Dieball of Sibley County and Kiley Lickfelt of McLeod County. Rynda was a scholarship winner alongside Lickfelt and Briana Maus of Stearns County. Turn to PRINCESS KAY | Page 7
Conserving soil since 1936 Millers improve farm, achieve outstanding conservationist award By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
LEWISTON, Minn. Clear Crest Farm has been implementing conservation practices on their farm ever since John Miller purchased the farm in 1936. “When my grandpa bought this farm during the Great Depression, it had been abandoned for two or three years and nobody else wanted it,” Robb Miller said. “He said it was nothing but weeds and gullies, so he hired the soil conservation service to come out and lay out contours.” Miller farms with his brother, Luke, and mother, Pat, near Lewiston. They milk 700 cows and farm 2,000 acres of corn, soybean, alfalfa, triticale and other cover crops mixes. The Millers were recognized as this year’s Winona County Outstanding Conservationist
July 7 at the Winona County Fair in St. Charles. Luke accepted the award on the farm’s behalf. “It’s an honor and surprising,” Miller said. “We are always trying our best to reduce tillage and seed as many acres as possible with cover crops, depending on the year. I am humbled because I know there are so many others that are deserving and further along in the steps than we are.” The Millers have used many conservation practices from putting in contours when they rst bought the farm to their father, Jack, switching from the moldboard plow to the chisel plow to reduce tillage. Tillage is also one of the biggest changes the Millers have seen with conservation practices. “The equipment has gotten better,” Miller said. “My dad got rid of the moldboard plow and brought in a chisel plow, then we went to medium-depth chisel
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
Robb Miller stands in a eld of soybean which was planted aŌer triƟcale this spring. Miller and his brother, Luke, were announced as the Winona County Outstanding ConservaƟonist July 7. plows. And now, we are using vertical tillage equipment which keeps getting better. There is more exibility and more options which can be tailored to what you want to achieve.” Today, the Millers
implement cover crops into their crop rotations, contour hillsides, use minimum till practices and try to not leave the soil bare. “We try to keep the soil covered as much as possible,” Miller said. “This helps keep
the top soil in place because it is always the top soil that leaves in an erosion event. That’s your best soil, so if you can keep that in place, the crops get better,
Turn to MILLERS | Page 6