Cheryl was featured in the New Ulm Journal for June Dairy Month.
Cheryl Marti, 1985
Parents: Roger and Marsha Marti, Sleepy Eye
Currently: Green Bay, WI
Cheryl’s favorite memory of her reign were the parades were, which were a lot of fun , “I especially remember the Essig parade and standing on an old car’s side rails and that the population of Essig that day exponentially exploded over it’s normal. I also had fun scooping ice cream at Dannheim’s in New Ulm.” Cheryl’s involvement in the dairy industry has continued into her career as well. “I’m still very involved and love the dairy industry today. I currently live in Green Bay, WI in a very heavy dairy cow population, and my education and jobs have all been in the dairy industry.” Cheryl has a Masters degree in Dairy Science, and is using her training in genetics and on-farm experiences in my first large company she worked for with ABS Global, who I she with for 12 years. Cheryl now works with veterinarians and dairy producers in a sales and education role with Pfizer Animal Health. “I’ve been with them 5 years, and have been very involved in working with vets and producers to help them achieve healthier and more profitable dairy herds, while supporting their desires to provide a safe product for consumers. I also am part of many agricultural organizations and volunteer events, including being superintendent of the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging contest in Madison, WI. And I still own a few cattle on our home farm, Olmar Farms, in Sleepy Eye, MN and help out there whenever I have the opportunity to do so.” To current princesses, Cheryl says, “GET INVOLVED and STAY INVOLVED!!!! There role should not be a one-year thing, but rather be looked upon as a starting point of learning how they can contribute to a positive dairy industry image for their lifetime. I believe it’s very important to continually talk to friends, family, neighbors and especially reaching out to friends of friends to promote the world’s most perfect food… milk. Also, encourage diary producers to speak out and stand up for themselves by sharing their story with consumers about how and why they take good care of their cows, land and the environment… we need to realize that the majority of consumers in the US don’t have an agricultural background, and most are now even 2 or more generations away from knowing someone who grew up on a farm, thus there is a huge group of people that do not understand our industry, and who can be swayed by anti-agricultural agendas from those that are spending millions of $ and use professional people to try to spread negative media that is false, misleading and/or extremely isolated. It’s important that we spread the positive word about our wonderful, wholesome product, and to remember it takes all herd types and sizes to feed the world. I realize my final wish is a huge industry challenge, but I personally wish our country did a better job of selling our excess milk and dairy products to other countries, because there are a lot of hungry people who would consume our product if it was available and viable for them.” With Cheryl’s passion for the dairy industry, she makes it a point to stay involved in promotion as well. “I attend as many local and state hearings as I can whenever an issue is raised that could potentially hurt agriculture or the diary industry. I will try to set the record straight anytime I hear a negative statement said about our industry, and speak as proactively as possibly at various meetings, events, or in general conversations with my non-ag friends, neighbors and their associates. And every day on my job, I’m fortunate I have the opportunity to work with dairy producers and veterinarians to remind them how they may provide a safe and wholesome product, as well as remind them that they too need to participate in telling consumers their story, and to do it regularly. I especially encourage veterinarians to be proactive and ready to speak and answer questions that others may have. And I’m getting more involved in helping facilitate education events regarding animal welfare.”
