Hat Chat

The American Dairy Association of Indiana has announced their new spokesperson: Miss America. She will now be able to represent the Hoosier dairy industry to a worldwide audience. Katie Stam is the first Hoosier to be crowned Miss America and now the first Miss America to also be a spokesman for the ADA of IN. Stam told HAT that representing the dairy industry will come naturally since she grew up in a dairy farm family in Indiana, “As one of 4 children my job was to help take care of the baby dairy cows and help our in the milking parlor.” She will now be able to take her story of to the whole world, “It is my story; I can talk about my family’s lifestyle and how I was raised.” In 4-H, Stam had experience showing dairy cattle at the Jackson County fair, is not afraid to talk about animal care, and is eager to tell consumers about how dairy farmers treat their dairy cows, “For a farmer, his cows or his crops is his livelihood. It is the way we make a living so, of course we are going to take good care of our animals.” Stam said dairy farmers live on or near the land that their families farm and they understand the importance of protecting the natural resources.

This extremely articulate and intelligent young woman will serve as a role model for many young people and has a strong message about dairy products and the role they play in a daily diet, “Not only are dairy products a great source of calcium but 12 other important nutrients.” She also stressed that dairy products taste great. Her day begings with dairy, “I could not start the day without a good breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fruit and, of course, milk.” She said that after her daily exercise routine she enjoys a glass of chocolate milk.

Listen to the entire interview with Katie Stam

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