DAIRY ST R Minnesota Dairy Princess Special Edition
May 13, 2023
Drawing dairy farms closer Rynda makes memories with youth to create educational impact By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
M O N T G O M E R Y, Minn. – The air is filled with laughter and the garlic scent of pasta. A curly haired little girl in a tulle dress grabs the finger of the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rachel Rynda, so she can be spun around on the dance floor yet one more time. The scene is the Mounds View Police Department’s daddy-daughter dance, where the disco ball sparkles almost as bright as the smiles on the young girls’ faces.
The magical night began with attendees connecting with Rynda over their shared interest: dads and daughters. Festively surrounded by streamers with her own dad beside her, Rynda shared her story. “I got to say, … ‘This is my dad; together this is what we do on our farm … to get dairy products to you and your families,’” Rynda said. Rynda’s introduction to the dairy community began as a baby tucked into a stroller in the alleyway of her parent’s barn in Le Sueur County near Montgomery. Rynda said some of her initial memories come from their barnyard whether petting kittens or helping her mom feed calves. “Since I was just a little girl, I was 100% hands deep in the barn,” Rynda said. Now, with a crown on her head, Rynda has been sharing her chapter of dairy’s story. Authenticity has been her goal PHOTO SUBMITTED
Rachel Rynda is the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way from Le Sueur County. A key message Rynda shared is 94% of dairy farms are family owned. She grew up on a dairy farm near Montgomery, Minnesota.
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Princess Kay Rachel Rynda smiles beside a student making ice cream in a bag at a school visit. Rynda encourages students to share what they have learned with someone at home.
since the beginning of the process of becoming Princess Kay. “If it’s me, it’s going to be me,” Rynda said. “It’s going to be my words and my thoughts and what truly is heartfelt in the dairy industry to me.” As a dairy farm girl, a key message for Rynda has been that 94% of dairy farms are family owned, just like her family’s farm, owned by parents, Francis and Theresa Rynda. “My goal this year is to share that dairy farms are closer than we think,” Rynda
said. When it comes to events, children find a way to Rynda’s heart. She enjoys visiting classrooms because the kids are eager to learn. Rynda fills her presentations with interactive questions and pictures from her own farm or farms she has visited. She wants her visits to be conversational, memorable and make an impact on the children. As Rynda sits at a lunch table with eager students, she is quick to ask them about their lives. From something as simple as owning a pet, Rynda
can make a connection back to dairy farming. One shy little boy with dark brown eyes stays in Rynda’s memory. Dressed in a sweater, he waited until the very end of a class visit to tell her she was the most beautiful princess he had ever seen. She has also visited with older students. She spent time with a high school group of students who had no experience in agriculture. Located in the Twin Cities suburb of Eden Prairie, Rynda shared her experiences on the dairy farm to students, whom Rynda said were excited. Turn to RYNDA | Page 24
Introducing the county dairy princesses for 2023
Editor’s note: The county dairy princesses featured in this special section are not necessarily going to compete for the title of Princess Kay of the Milky Way. This section serves to recognize all dairy princess at the county level.