Longenecker Representing Blair Co. Dairy Industry

Two local young ladies will be representing their counties at the 2024 Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Competition in Harrisburg on Saturday, September 21. Kaylin Ickes of Bedford County and Anna Longenecker of Blair County will compete in a variety of contests and showcase their dairy knowledge and presentation skills to a panel of judges during the event. Both young ladies are excited to share their story and message with the Cove. Next week's edition will include an interview with Ickes, and this week's edition will introduce Longenecker.

Anna Longenecker is serving as the 2024-2025 Blair County Dairy Princess.

She is the daughter of Doug and Yvette Longenecker of Williamsburg.

She has three older sisters, all of whom have previously served as dairy princesses or dairy princess alternates.

Longenecker is a senior at Central High School where she participates in FFA and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Her reign as the Blair County Dairy Princess began on June 11, 2024, and she has made the most of her experience thus far.

"I realize that this is an opportunity that only a handful of people will ever have," Longenecker said. "I'm getting to spread my dairy passion and serve as a link between dairy farmers and consumers."

Longenecker works on her family's dairy farm, Penn England LLC., where she helps to milk cows, feed calves, transport livestock between facilities, and assists her mom with financial record-keeping for the operation.

"My favorite part of living on a farm has been watching a newborn calf grow up to be a productive member of the herd helping to feed the world," she said.

Longenecker has attended a variety of events already including parades, senior center visits, and cow shows.

"My favorite dairy promotion event so far has been going to the Jennerstown Speedway," she said. "My dairy princess alternate, Rylee Stultz, and I got to ride in the pace truck and then award chocolate milk to the winners of the races."

In July, Longenecker participated in a week-long training seminar put on by the Pennsylvania Dairy Princess and Promotion Services.

The event featured a variety of speakers and workshops designed to educate dairy princess royalty from across the Commonwealth.

Topics included formal dining etiquette, consumer relations, effective communication, and dairy industry knowledge.

For her, getting to meet the other county dairy princess was a highlight of the seminar.

"I loved it - I made so many connections and new friends, and I think my biggest take-away was learning how to answer tough questions that I may be faced with," Longenecker said.

As she prepares for the state competition, she is learning to balance her education, job, and other activities amidst her responsibilities as the dairy princess.

Outside of school, Longenecker is involved in the Martinsburg Grace Brethren Church Youth Group and the Morrison's Cove Dairy Club and works at the Humble and Kind Boutique in Altoona.

"It's a juggling act, but I'm just trying to take it all in and enjoy it," she said.

The state competition includes a variety of preliminary contests including a poster display, radio spot presentation, scrapbook, dairy knowledge exam, and dairy recipe submission contest.

Currently, Longenecker is focused on putting the finishing touches on her speech and creative presentation.

"My speech must be three to five minutes long and cover a key topic about the dairy industry," she said. "I'm focusing on all the good things that dairy farmers do to take care of their cows, the environment, and provide wholesome products for us to enjoy."

Longenecker's creative presentation features her as "Taylor Swiss" during her Eras tour - she reviews all the different eras of the dairy industry and how that has built her into the person that she has become. "

I just want to go to Harrisburg and do my best to represent Blair County," she said. "I'm excited to see my dairy princess friends again, and I'm going to do my best to enjoy the experience."