ILION, N.Y. — Nineteen-year-old Rebecca Jenkins, the employee of an 80-cow-dairy near her hometown of Newport, N.Y., was crowned the new Herkimer County dairy princess on April 20 at the 50th annual Dairy Princess Pageant in Ilion, N.Y. Also vying for the honor to represent the dairy farmers of the county was past Herkimer County dairy ambassador Victoria Treadwell, a 16-year-old from CowTown Farm in Mohawk, N.Y. She, along with her family, has a herd of 80 milking cows and sells their milk by the gallon to Greek yogurt plants, Fage and Chobani. Treadwell was named the first alternate dairy princess. Many of the county’s past dairy princesses attended the event, which is celebrating 50 years of dairy promotion this year. The dairy princesses “represent our past, heritage and history,” Myra Fredericks said. And the past princesses did do that. Five decades of Herkimer County dairy princesses were welcomed at the event in the grand march and later honored with a presentation. Many of the 50 years of reigning royalty were sisters, cousins, mothers and daughters. Whether they are active in dairy farming, or in a supportive industry, all these past princesses continue to promote agriculture and the dairy industry. Debrah Lyon Murphy, the 1969 Herkimer County dairy princess commented on the similarities and differences between the dairy pageants through the years. “The process of competing for princess is much the same, and the kids are younger than we were. A difference is that I had Mrs. McKenny as a chaperone — now the princesses’ mother is the chaperone,” Murphy said. Murphy is a dairy farmer and is working to preserve the knowledge of agriculture though the Fairfield Historical Society. “With my friend Barb, we took photos of old barns and created a slide show and posters. We want to preserve the knowledge of the barns before they are gone,” she said. In 1964, at the beginning of the dairy princess program in Herkimer County, the county had 971 farms, with a total of 34,000 milk cows. In 2007, according to the census, that number has decreased to 187 farms and 13,000 milk cows. But this hasn’t decreased the dairy promoters’ passion for agriculture.

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Farm organizations and agencies are welcome to submit farm-related event notices for inclusion in our calendar. Email them to farminglancasterfarming.com, fax to 717-733-6058 or mail to Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Saturday, April 20 Blue Halter Sale, Bedford, Pa., http://www.usguernsey.com.Mid-Atlantic Brown Swiss Calf Sale, Frederick Fairgrounds, Frederick, Md., 10:30 a.m., 301.639.6887, 301.845.6894, 301.473.5052 or 301.898.4237.Dauphin County 4-H Benefit Auction, Middle Paxton Township Municipal Building & Fire Station, Harrisburg, Pa., 9 a.m., 717.921.8803.Schuylkill County Agricultural Museum Plow Day, Fehr Field Farms, Pine Grove, Pa., 9 a.m., 570.366.1989.Farm Clinic, 7 Springs Farm, Pittstown, N.J., 8:30-10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. or 1:30-3:30 p.m., http://taylormadehorsemanship.com, through April 21.Berks County Wine Trail: Grape to Plate, Eight participating Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Berks County, Pa., noon-5 p.m., www.berkscountywinetrail.com.Gardening Workshop, Lower Allen Community Park, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 717.975.7575x1402.Cumberland Woodland Owners’ Association Native Plants Program, Spring Haven Nurseries, Newburg, Pa., 1 p.m., 717.776.3565. Monday, April 22 Cheese Producers Food Safety Meeting, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg Pa., 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 814.952.6821.Cover Crop Field Walk, Rome, Pa., 10 a.m.-noon, 570.928.8941.Cover Crop Field Walk, Leroy Berbigler’s Farm, Butler, Pa., 10 a.m.-noon, 724.548.3447. Tuesday, April 23 Safety & Health Management Workshop for Farm Operators, New Morning Farm, Hustontown, Pa., 1-4 p.m., 814.865.7031.Researcher & Farmer Innovation to Increase Nitrogen Cycling on Organic Farms Webinar, Online, 2 p.m., https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/987503120.Bioenergy Supply Chain Business Opportunities, Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center, State College, Pa., 8 a.m.-6:15 p.m., 814.863.3484 or 814.865.1507.Private Pesticide Applicator Exam Tutoring For Spanish Speakers, Ag & Natural Resources Center, Gettysburg, Pa., 6-8 p.m., 717.334.6271x315, Tuesdays through May 14. Wednesday, April 24 Innovations in Manure Application Field Day, Cove Run Farm & the Hickory Environmental Center, Accident, Md., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 301.334.6951.Webinar: Utica Reservoirs, Online, 1 p.m., 570.320.4429.Protecting Your Profits Conference Call, Via Phone, noon-12:15 p.m., 717.346.0849. Thursday, April 25 New Farmer Pathways: Local Farmers Share Success Stories & How You Can Grow the Local Food Movement, Future Harvest CASA Panel Presentation, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., 6-8 p.m., 410.549.7878. Saturday, April 27 Northwest Spring Fever Sale, Crawford County Fairgrounds, Meadville, Pa., 7 p.m., 814.777.3777 or 724.866.7196.Pastured Pork Day, Owens Farm, Sunbury, Pa., 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 570.286.5309 or 570.898.6060.National Junior Lineback Show, Fisher’s Quality Dairy Sales, Ronks, Pa., 717.865.3161.Women in Agriculture Workshop, Shade Mountain Winery, Middleburg, Pa., 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 570.837.3000x110 or x119.Farm Tool Basics: Selection, Safety & Care, Over the Moon Farm, Rebersburg, Pa., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., ams39psu.edu.Master Gardener Spring Workshop, Donohoe Center, Greensburg, Pa., 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 724-837-1402. Tuesday, April 30 Cover Crop Field Walk, Harrison Valley, Pa., 10 a.m.-noon, 814.274.8540.FDA Listening Session on Proposed Produce Safety Rule, Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center, Wooster, Ohio, 1-4 p.m., CFAESnewsosu.edu.Beef Cattle Artificial Insemination School, Eastern Agricultural Research Station, Belle Valley, Ohio, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 740.489.5300, through May 2. Wednesday, May 1 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit, Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel, Arlington, Va., 703.562.5160.High Tunnel Twilight, Jennifer & Dave Caplinger Farm, Monroeton, Pa., 570.265.2896, through May 2. Thursday, May 2 Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Event: Western Region Potluck & Food Safety Discussion, Harvest Valley Farms, Valencia, Pa., 6-8:30 p.m., 412.365.2985. Friday, May 3 Private Forest Landowner Conference, Blair County Convention Center, Altoona, Pa., 814.865.3208, through May 4.Tree Tender Workshop, United Steel Workers Van Bitter Memorial Hall, Bethlehem, Pa., 8 a.m.-4 p.m., 610.489.4315. Saturday, May 4 Master Gardeners Workshop: Vegetables 101, Tredyffrin Library, Strafford Pa., 1-3 p.m., 610.696.3500.