Two young women will compete for the prestigious title of Dairy Princess during the District 4 Dairy Princess contest on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at Van Foeken Event Barn in Hilmar.
This year’s contestants are Ellie Dyt of Crows Landing and Nicole Bettencourt of Aptos.
Ellie is the daughter of Rich and Jacquie Dyt. She is a junior at Ripon Christian High School and plans to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice. Ellie is a fourth generation dairy farmer, and grew up on her family’s dairy farm. She is an active member of Ripon Christian High’s FFA Chapter, and currently serves as Vice President. Ellie is also on the Dairy Cattle Judging Team, and participated in many public speaking competitions. She is a member of the Ripon Christian High Volleyball and Tennis teams. She has been on the Honor Roll and a Southern League Scholar Athlete throughout her high school career. Ellie is also an Altar Server at St. Joachim’s Catholic Church.
Nicole is the daughter of Manuel and Fatima Bettencourt. She is a junior at Aptos High School and plans to attend Stanford University to pursue a degree in Portuguese Studies and Environmental Studies. She is also considering studying Agriculture and Sustainable Farming Practices. Nicole is the President of the Aptos High Portuguese Club. She is active on the Speech and Debate, and Mock Trial teams. Nicole serves as Queen for the Portuguese Community of Watsonville, and attends parades and community events for the Our Lady of Fatima Festa. She is also publishing a history project on Portuguese agricultural settlers, and has completed a research project and annotated bibliography on Portuguese dairy farms in the Central Valley. She also runs her own website on California Portuguese Youth Cultural Heritage and Studies. Nicole is active in her church, Our Lady of Help of Christians and at Dancenter as a dance teacher and performer.
The young lady crowned as Dairy Princess will represent the dairy industry in Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Yolo counties. She will serve the area as an ambassador for the dairy industry with various audiences. The newly selected princess and her alternate will participate in a mandatory training, provided by the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), where they will receive professional development coaching.
The contest will be held at Van Foeken Event Barn in Hilmar at 6 p.m., with dinner served at 7 p.m. The event is sponsored by the District 4 Dairy Princess committee and the CMAB. Tickets can be purchased for $25 by contacting Linda Teixeira at (209) 402-8305 or Lindsey Nunes at (209) 678-2540. Tickets are not sold at the door.
California is the nation’s leading milk producer, and produces more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. California is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made with milk from the state’s dairy farm families.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
