Milk Mania Day held at Troy Fair

TROY - On Wednesday at the Troy Fair, there was no need to ask the familiar question from the famous milk advertising campaign.

The oft-quoted ad line of "Got Milk?" just wasn't necessary.

That's because it was Milk Mania Day at the fair and the dairy drink was in plentiful supply.

And organizers of the event were milking it for all it was worth.

Milk, milk, milk - it was everywhere.

There was a milk-chugging contest; a milking contest, with contestants including county commissioner Mark Smith, state Rep. Tina Pickett, and state Sen. Gene Yaw, who served on the politicians' team; a mooing contest; cartons of milk in coolers; and various activities related to milk.

"I think it's nice," farmer Henry Abma of "Providence Acres" in East Troy said of the event. He was one of the visitors to the Milk Mania Day tent in the Lower Meadow.

"A lot of people go to the store and get a bottle of milk, and don't realize what's behind it. It comes from hardworking farmers."

Here are the winners of the milk-chugging contest: 6 years old and under division, Malachi Abma, who drank two milks; 7-12 years old division, Aaron White, who drank four milks; and 13 years old to adult, David Spencer, who drank six milks.

Ciara Voorhees, chairman of the Troy Fair Junior Board, said of Milk Mania Day, "I like the crowd it draws in." She thought it was a success.

And then there was the "giant ice cream sundae," which was actually a series of sundaes in a row on a long table.

Of course, Milk Mania Day wouldn't have been complete without the new Bradford County Dairy Princess, Maria Noble of Coryland, who was crowned in mid-May. She even has a Facebook page, which shows all her dairy promotion activities, such as handing out cheese at the veterans' picnic and taking part in parades.

"It was very exciting," Noble said of being named Dairy Princess. "I had a lot of fun at the pageant. It was a good experience for me and my Maids and Misses."

"I love the dairy industry," she said. "What better way to promote the dairy industry?"

She noted that serving in the position allows her to learn public speaking skills and how to interact with the public.

Noble said it's been a lifelong dream for her to be Dairy Princess. Since she was a little girl, she has showed Jersey cows, which she thinks have "a lot of personality."

Her roots in the dairy industry are deep - she said she's the eighth generation at her family's Nobledale Farms. She is the daughter of Elaine and Stuart Noble, and she has two brothers, Wesley, 14, and Cory, 11.

As for educating the public, she wants to promote the health benefits of dairy and also tell people about all the work that dairy farming involves.

When it comes to hobbies, she likes to read the "Twilight" novels. She also likes taking photos around the farm and hanging out with friends.

This fall, the 16-year-old will be a junior at Troy High School.

In the future, she wants a job related to agriculture while still maintaining ties to the family farm.

Amy Lackey, coordinator of the Dairy Princess program, said of Noble, "Maria is extremely outgoing. She represents our dairy industry very well."

In addition, she noted that Noble loves to work with children.

"It's really important that we encourage children to eat healthy and drink healthy products, and Maria does a great job of showcasing the product. She speaks very well on her feet.

"And we're just proud as a dairy industry to have her as our Dairy Princess."

The Bradford County Dairy Promotion Board and the Troy Fair Junior Board put the Milk Mania Day together.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; e-mail: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

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