Submitted photoWhen first arriving on campus at the beginning of fall semester, one UW-Eau Claire freshman said she could beat out all the other answers to those ever-so-popular ice-breakers:
“I have a 60-pound block of butter in the shape of my head in my freezer at home.”
To all her friends at Eau Claire, she is known as Audrey Mohr, but in her hometown of New Ulm, Minn., Mohr is more commonly known by her title – Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
Part of the Midwest Dairy Association’s Dairy Princess Program, the Princess Kay program is designed to support the creative talent of young dairy women who deliver important messages to consumers on behalf of the dairy industry, according to the association’s Web site.
While many of her Minnesota friends know about her position and what it is, Mohr said, many of her Wisconsin friends are still somewhat confused.
“I represent the Minnesota dairy farmers and the dairy industry,” Mohr said, comparing her role to that of Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland Nicole Franzen Reese. While Mohr said she hasn’t met Reese, she hopes to do so sometime before the end of her remaining six months as Princess Kay.
A public communications major, Mohr said being involved in the program helped her decide she wanted to communicate professionally.
“I got started (in the program) just as an experience in public speaking,” she said. “Personally I feel much more independent in writing speeches. It has helped me be more confident.”
On Feb. 5, 2006, Mohr became the Brown County Dairy Princess, only three months before becoming one of 12 Princess Kay finalists. Mohr was crowned as the state’s 53rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way in August at the Minnesota State Fair.
“Seeing how emotional they were and how proud they were just kind of meant something to me,” Mohr said of her family and friends who she said have supported her since the beginning.
“At the coronation, the words flowed so easily from her – it was just amazing,” said Penny Mohr, Audrey’s mother. “Everyone has some type of gift, and hers is communicating.”
Ron Mohr, Audrey’s father, agreed, adding he saw his daughter’s gift soon after she learned to talk.
“She talked at a very early age (and) spoke very well almost immediately,” he said. “But there was never any indication early on that she would ever want to do anything like this.”
In the five months she has been Princess Kay, Mohr said she has improved her skills even more.
“People come up to you when you have a crown and sash,” she said. “I think I’ve become more outgoing, and I’ve learned about myself (and) what I can accomplish.”
In addition to good communication, Mohr said growing up on a dairy farm has taught her many things, but most importantly it has taught her hard work and dedication.
“I’m used to my parents getting up at 6 a.m. and working 16 hours a day, seven days a week,” she said. “Cows don’t go on vacation, and farmers can’t either. It really makes me appreciate the work that dairy farms do.”
‘Not in Minnesota anymore’
As far as being Minnesota’s dairy representative but going to school in America’s Dairyland, Mohr said she doesn’t think much of it.
“If anything, it’s an educational experience,” she said, explaining she has gotten to “compare notes” with members of Wisconsin’s dairy industry. “I do get some flak though from people in Minnesota (about going to school in Wisconsin).”
One of the differences, Mohr said she has seen between the two states is how each markets its dairy products. While Wisconsin markets its own products, Minnesota is part of the nine-state Midwest Dairy Association, which markets products from Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Illinois.
Since Wisconsin has a larger dairy industry, it has enough resources to market its own products, Mohr said, adding that in the MDA, farmers can ship their products to any of the states in the association if the need for them isn’t in their own state.
Mohr said she now makes about four or five appearances a month at a variety of events at locations in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, including the Metrodome, the University of Minnesota and UW-River Falls. Her next appearance will be at the Twin Cities Food & Wine Show Feb. 23 through 25, she said.
While Mohr said most of her appearances have been on the weekend, she has had to skip one class so far this semester.
Being Princess Kay is like a class in itself, Mohr said, explaining that she speaks at 80 percent of her appearances, which means she has to “study” for each event.
Knowing the issues
Along with her speaking duties, Mohr said she has to be well-informed on all the dairy-related issues that affect the industry both in Minnesota and across the nation.
Such issues include the growing trend to package school milk in plastic bottles instead of cardboard cartons, and helping to maintain the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Check-off program, which allows farmers to donate part of their paychecks to help promote the dairy industry and related programs.
“She knows enough about the dairy industry and the number of hours people put in,” Penny Mohr said. “I think she really wants to promote what we do.”
Another dilemma the industry has had to deal with, Mohr said, has been the recent purchase of airtime on national network television by the California dairy industry in order to promote their “Happy cows come from California” campaign.
“I think it’s kind of funny; I don’t know why (cows) wouldn’t happy anywhere else,” she said, adding she thinks it is unfortunate that states such as Wisconsin and Minnesota have to compete with fewer opportunities for advertising. “I guess that’s the name of the game – it’s business.”
‘Say cheese’
Another thing Mohr said she has learned to deal with is all the publicity. In her hometown of New Ulm, Minn., which had a population of 13,594 in 2000, Mohr said that while she doesn’t know everyone, “pretty much everyone” knows her.
“It really makes you conscious of what people see or think,” she said. “It’s one thing if you’re not having a bad day, but if you are and that’s the only time someone interacts with you, you don’t want them to think you’re like that all the time.”
However, her family and friends said that while Mohr is proud of her position, she always has a sense of humility when not fulfilling her duties.
“I’m sure that for some girls, it would turn into what they are, but for her, it’s just a part,” Penny Mohr said. “There’s a time and place for everything, and I think she is a transformed person when she puts the crown and sash on.”
‘Same old Audrey’
Freshman Emma Grosse said she first met Mohr at the beginning of fall semester in their residence hall after Mohr got back from one of her appearances.
“(Audrey) arrived late to the wing meeting at the beginning of the year,” Grosse said. “The RA introduced her as Princess Kay of the Milky Way.”
Grosse said she and Mohr “became friends really fast” after having two classes together and that while she knows Mohr’s status in the dairy industry, Mohr doesn’t make much of it.
“She’s very modest about her position and doesn’t brag about it at all,” Grosse said, adding that Mohr rarely tells people about it. “If somebody asks her, she’ll smile and say ‘yeah’ and answer questions about it. She’s glad she has the position but doesn’t want to show it off.”
Mohr’s parents agreed, saying that despite being humble, she is always willing to put forth the effort to do whatever it necessary to get the job done.
“Well, Audrey is a person that gives 110 percent,” Ron Mohr said. “When she does a job, she’s going to do it well. I think that if you give her another thing, she would give that same amount of passion to that also.
“She’s enthused with life and enjoys life experiences,” Ron Mohr said. “Right now her life is college and Princess Kay is a sideline to that.”
When she’s not in class, studying or traveling around the Midwest, Mohr said she likes to relax with some of her favorite activities, which include taking trips to the mall, watching football and going to Blugold hockey games.
“I also really enjoy reading, cross stitching and spending quality time with my friends,” she said.
With about sixth months until she must give up her crown and sash, Mohr said she is looking forward to finishing out her reign, as her busiest season – June Dairy Month – is yet to come.
As for the 60-pound block of butter, Mohr said she might donate it to Sleepy Eye (Minn.) Buttered Corn Days. If not, she said, she will probably keep it for a while longer and give to friends and neighbors.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to part with it,” she said. “It’s not every day you get one of those.”
