A Year of Promoting Dairy

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

The 59th annual Washington State Dairy Ambassador Coronation will be held tomorrow in Everett. We had a chance to talk with Erin Peek, the 2013-2014 Dairy Ambassador about what she’s been doing as the ambassador over the last year.

PEEK: I’ve done a lot of school presentations - all grade levels from pre-school up through High school. We attend the state WIAA sporting events for the high schools. We go to all of the fairs during the summer. Basically anything we can do to promote the dairy industry.

Peek explains how she became involved with the dairy industry.

PEEK: I actually grew up on just a small family hobby farm in Arlington, and we got involved with the dairy industry when my older sister Leah actually started milking cows at the Solar Dairy in Arlington. And she started showing heifers from their farm and then when I got older and got into high school I also started showing heifers. That’s how it all started for me.

In her efforts to educate people about the dairy industry Peek says she also learned a lot herself.

PEEK: I’ve learned so much. Obviously, there’s things I’ve learned about the dairy industry - all that the dairy farmers really do for the community. And then I’ve also just learned a lot about myself and I’ve gained a lot of confidence in realizing that agriculture is something that is really important to me and I want to be able to do what I can to promote it and be able to teach the public where their food comes from.

As the Dairy Ambassador Peek received a generous scholarship for her continuing education.

PEEK: I plan on attending the University of Idaho with a major in agriculture education and a minor in agriculture communications. I would like to start with a career - something in the communications field, and then eventually I want to be a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor.

We wish you all the best Erin.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.