Your Neighbor's Opinion - Antibiotic Use in Animals

For a moment, I would like you to picture yourself as farmer. You're milking your cows when you come across a cow that is not feeling well. Her udder is hot to the touch, it appears red, and her milk is not normal. She has mastitis, the most common infection on a dairy farm. However, just because it is more common does not make it any less serious. She is in pain and you want to treat that as soon as possible. You, as a farmer, care deeply for the health of your cows. The next step would be to administer some antibiotics to get rid of the infection as fast as possible so she can start feeling better. Now if people have their way and make it impossible for us, as farmers, to give our animals antibiotics, she would just have to suffer through the mastitis. Hopefully, her body would be able to overcome the infection, if not, she would have to be put down.

One of my favorite calves, Monica, and I, working up close and personal to ensure she is healthy.

Now, picture yourself as a parent. Your child has a very painful sinus infection. The doctor has prescribed antibiotics to help heal your child as soon as possible. But your neighbor has decided that you cannot give your child antibiotics because they do not feel that it is right. Your neighbor does not have to watch your child suffer, your neighbor doesn't have to deal with the consequences of this decision, but they are louder than you and now make the rules. This is how farmers feel about antibiotics. People who have never been on a farm or worked closely with animals are restricting us from helping these animals we care so much for. We are the ones that have to watch them struggle through the pain, we are the ones that have to deal with the consequences of loosing an animal. So please rethink your opinion on antibiotics in animals. We only administer them when the animal is sick and needs it, just like a doctor would for your child. These animal are not just our livelihoods, they mean more to us than you know.

Just Trying to Live a Childhood Dream

My grandma, my sister, and I showing off our close relationship.

A blue tractor, nineties country playing on the radio, a field full of beautiful alfalfa, ready to be cut, my butt bouncing around in the "passengers" or "buddy" seat of the tractor, and my strong, well worn, stubborn, funny Grandpa with his hands on the wheel. I never had a babysitter growing up. My parents would take us to spend the day with my grandparents. This would include ice cream at 9am, probably where my ice cream addition came from, tractor rides, helping feed corn to the cows, and of course, my sister and I both sitting on the lawnmower seat to ensure we were heavy enough to start it and would leave Grandma in our dust.

My first show heifer, Midnight, and I.

 Agriculture is in my blood, my family has been farming for generation after generation. And even though my parents both have off the farm full time jobs, we still have cattle, goats, chickens and various other farm animals that happen to show up. When I was nine, I got my first cow, Dottie. And from there, I fell head over heels for cows. Now a days, not only do they cover my walls and jewelry, they also motivate me in the mornings when I feed them, they remind me why I am here in South Dakota and why I strive to learn as much as I can.

My very first calf, Dottie and I.

Yes, I could be anything I want. Yes, there are many opportunities in Agriculture to be more than "just a farmer." But being "just a farmer," would be a dream come true. Working day in and day out with cattle and feeding the nation with delicious and nutritious dairy products is exactly what I want, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect job.

Runny Noses: Not Just for Humans

It is that time of year again, where the seasons are changing and it seems that everyone is getting a cold. And as it turns out, cows seem to get colds around this time of the year too.

I am one of the Fall cold victims myself and today at work, this beautiful little girl had a runny nose too. Just like I will do for myself, we'll keep an eye on her to make sure that it does not turn into anything more serious. Now if it does, the vet will be called to diagnose her and together we will set a plan of action for her to get back to being healthy and happy. Now if it does get more serious, this is where I would be very happy that vets are able to give antibiotics, just like doctors are. If I were to get a sinus infection, I would definitely want antibiotics, just like this little lady would be if she got an infection. Hopefully, however, both of our immune systems take over and we will be back to being healthy very soon!

So I "Lost" a Local...

A year ago all I knew about Miss America was the name. I had no idea what all went on behind the seasons. Then one random day in February, I decided to sign up for Miss SDSU/Miss Brookings pageant, not even knowing at the time that it was affiliated with Miss America or even Miss South Dakota. By some stroke of God, I won and went on to compete at Miss South Dakota.

Two weekends ago, I competed for Miss State Fair. Only my second local. I was so nervous. I had won my first title by pure beginners luck and I was afraid to lose a local. But I did. I "lost." I won the interview and a very honorable award (the Kind Heart Award), but I was not given a title, nor was I even a runner up. It hit me like a hurricane. I had no idea what I had done wrong. Then I looked at the video that my boyfriend had recorded to send to my family because they weren't able to make it. Simply by losing, I was able to see myself for what the judges saw. I was able to truly look at my flaws and see how much progress I have made from the beginning, but also how far I still have to go. And who knows, I may lose again, and again, and again. And each time will be a learning experience for me, keeping me grounded. Who would have thought that it would take "losing" for me to see my true self and for once, I am grateful to not have walked away a "winner." I am excited for whatever may lie ahead and for more learning and growing experiences.

Why I stay in Sigma Alpha!

So I could write about all of the crazy serious reasons that I wanted to join that I told the Sigma Alpha, Omega Chapter in the spring of 2013. About how I wanted to gain professionalism and connections within agriculture. Or I could write about how I really just joined because as a eager freshman I joined anything that would look good on a resume and an upperclassmen told me to.

But instead, I am going to write about why I stay in Sigma Alpha. Yes, I have gained a whole new insight into the professional world and yes, it does look good on a resume, but none of that is important when I am stressed out and busy, and still have to go to a meeting every Tuesday night.

My wonderful little, Hailee.

I go because every Tuesday night, I get the privilege of walking into a room full of bright intelligent women who all love agriculture just as much as I do. I get to hammer out details of a plan with different minds and view points, learning to compromise. I get to spend time with my amazing "little" sister, who most certainly brightens my day and reminds me so much of my biological little sister. I may have never met Hailee had it not been for Sigma. I get to sit and worry about the test I have the next day with my fellow sisters, or I get a reality check when one of them looses a close friend and my problems don't really seem that hard anymore. The structural pieces of Sigma Alpha are important, but what is more important are the women that stand next to me each meeting as we open with our objective and close with a prayer. We may not all be best friends, but we all are their for the betterment of each other, our sorority as a whole and agriculture. I am very proud to be a member of Sigma Alpha!

Visit our Facebook page for more info: Sigma Alpha - Omega Chapter
 https://www.facebook.com/SDSUsigmaalpha?fref=ts

The Difference Between Learning for a Test and Learning for Knowledge

I took my first Advanced Placement course when I was a junior in High School, the whole time I heard "this will be on the test." The second half of my high school career was learning for the sake of preparing for a test. All I had to do was take in a bunch of information until the beginning of May and then it could all be forgotten at the completion of "the test." Unfortunately, due to this mindset, I looked at college this way as well, only seeming to take in what I thought would be on a test. And I feel as though my classmates are doing the same thing, but then I spent a summer learning for the sake of gaining the knowledge and it opened my mind to a whole new world.

This past summer I had an internship with Cargill Animal Nutrition, as a dairy focused consultant intern. I worked with so many great minds in dairy nutrition that were bound and determined to help me grow as an individual and as a student. Over the summer, I spent so many days learning the ins and outs of the science behind dairy cattle nutrition. There was no test to prepare for, no homework to turn in. The only goal was to learn and understand more of what my future might hold.

Some beautiful cows from this summer indulging in their delicious TMR/breakfast.

As I start my senior year of college, I find myself reading and listening to lectures more closely, and asking questions because I'm curious, not because it is going to be on a test. I now want to go to class because I want more knowledge, not because I want the letter A on my transcript. College is not simply a stepping stone to great things, it is our present, our right now. From now on, I'm going to live in the present and soak up every ounce of that $15,000 a year education.

Support Comes in Many Forms: Sometimes Even Butter

Some may think that walking on a stage in front of hundreds of people hoping to become the dairy princess that I had been idealizing my entire life could have been be the loneliest moment of my life. I was standing there, looking out from the backstage curtain, only able to see the bright lights and maybe a couple people in the front row. Nerves took over and all I could think was "don't trip, don't trip." Then it was my turn, I took a deep breath and stepped out there in my white, sparkly gown that I loved so much. The next thing I remember is a huge lump in my throat and tears welling in my eyes. There were over fifty people in purple shirts standing and screaming my name. They had come from all parts of my life to support me in this journey. I knew from that moment on that no matter what happened that night, I was loved and had the support of all of my family, friends and fellow farmers.

So to those twelve amazing young ladies that take the stage this Wednesday, and to all those lucky women that will follow in our footsteps, good luck! But I want you to know that even if you don't win, you still have the backing of Minnesota's Dairy Farmers, your families, and all of us former butterheads the rest of your life, in all your adventures. Also you will never have to struggle in the "What makes you unique" get to know you game ever again! "I have a 90 pound block of butter that looks just like me" always wins!

Day 3 Miss SD: How Cow Shows are like Pageants!

Day 3 at the Miss South Dakota Pageant was super busy with production items. During the breaks, we all get to talking and I was telling someone how preparing for a pageant is like preparing for a dairy show. For those of you who are not from the cow world, you will think I'm crazy, but those of you who have shown might see where I'm coming from.

Pre-Show/Pre-Pageant:
Before the show you work constantly with your heifers on walking, just as a pageant contestant does with her swim suit and evening gown walks. Your heifers must keep their head high and strut their stuff, just like a contestant in the pageant. Also when you practice setting up your heifer, you emphasis her strengths and fix her weaknesses, exactly like when contestants pick swimsuit posses. You also work on slimming down your heifers to make sure that she is in the right condition and we are in the gym everyday, also watching what we eat. Then before the show you shave your heifer to show off her strengths and femininity. The pageant girls shave their legs to make them look as sleek and feminine as possible.

Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, showing off all the work she put in for her walk.

Show/Pageant Day:
You get up early, shower to make sure you are fresh and clean, ready to go. Then you spend quite a bit of time doing your hair and make-up, to help emphasis your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Showmen get up early (or don't go to bed at all), give the cows bathes, then style the hair on their spine, or "top line," to make her look as straight across her back as possible, as well as sharper (thinner) throughout. We even rat our cows tails like a good number of pageant girls will do to their hair.

My heifer, Rio, showing her style off with that straight top line and sleek black coat after winning.

In Ring/On Stage:
You get out their and let all of your hard work show, strutting and showing off all of the skills you have honed. And if something goes wrong, you smile and let the judge(s) see who you are and the work you've put in.

My sister, Laura, supporting me through everything.

Support:
Both of these amazing activities would not be the same without all of the support. In my show life, as well as my pageant life, my family has been the key to my success. I could not have made it this far without any of them. Tomorrow I will go more in-depth on this, but I cannot thank them enough so why not thank them in this blog post too?

Day Two at Miss South Dakota

This morning started out so wonderful, as we got to hang out with our little sisters. My little sister, Olivia, is quite the amazing young lady. We actually have a lot in common, we both love purple and have black labs. However, she has the talent to dance and I do not. I am a little jealous of that skill, hopefully I can summon some of that for the dances Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

After taking a picture for the Hot Springs news paper. We headed to the State's Vets Home. We heard so many amazing stories from those who served our country, including a wonderful woman, Wanda, who was a World War II veteran. I was so inspired by their stories, as they defied death and protected our freedoms and this great Country we love.

The wonderful Wanda.

The rest of the day was a lot of rehearsals. I have choreographically danced more since becoming a contestant in the Miss America system in the last four months than I have in my entire life. But it is so fun to see how much progress we all are making. I am so excited for everyone to see it and for those of you who are not able to attend, I will get a DVD so we can watch it later! Good night everyone. I will talk to you all Tuesday night.

Day 1 at Miss South Dakota

Good evening everyone. Well day 1 at the Miss South Dakota pageant week has come and gone. I cannot believe that the pageant is already here! So crazy how fast time flies when you're having fun!

A picture of all the girls that I got on the Miss SD Organization Facebook page.

Today was a lot of dancing, reteaching us all of the dances that we learned at pre pageant. As I am not a dancer, this has been a whole new experience, but I enjoy learning from those who are fortunate enough to be gifted with the ability to move. I think my favorite part of today was just getting to hang out with the other girls. It is so nice to talk with people who have been on the same page as me. We all have been working our butts off, between our jobs, preparing for the pageant, and many other things. It's nice to hang out with others who completely understand where I'm coming from.

I am so excited and honored to be here with these amazing women. No matter what happens Saturday, only one of us will walk away with a crown, but everyone will leave with so much gained. Please keep up with our adventures on the Miss South Dakota Organization Facebook page, as well as my own Miss Brookings Maggie Stiles page.

Why Should You Vote For Me?

I have taken the liberty to ask all of you fine people to vote for me for People's Choice for Miss South Dakota, at http://www.misssd.org/index.php/maggie-stiles-miss-brookings. However, I suppose I have just assumed that you all would like my Facebook posts enough or know me well enough and vote for me. So today I decided to give you some reasons why you should vote for me for only $1, just in case you were unsure. 

Here is a picture from my video!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10207042826660100&set=vb.1563284829&type=2&theater

If you click on the link above you can watch a less than two minute video on why you should vote for me! Enjoy! And feel free to share with friends!

And you do not want to vote for me, please just vote in general! All the money raised goes to give scholarships to young women all across South Dakota. Thank you!

Do You Have Any Pets?

I have the most amazing little puppy in the whole world. Diesel is almost nine months old and she is a Black Lab/Australian Shepherd mix. Ever since I left for college, I have wanted to get a dog, you know to have on late nights studying, early mornings studying, and to snuggle with at night. However, the right situation never came up and I did not want to spend a lot of money on one. Then one day, one of my friends came across an adorable little puppy at his work. The owner of this cute little guy was trying to get the word out that these people had three more puppies for free and were going to kill them by the end of the week if no one took them.

A very scared baby Diesel when we brought her home.

As soon as I heard this, I started to make plans to get a puppy. I then immediately called the original owners and set up a time and place to meet them. When they arrived, they handed me this adorable puppy who was shaking, she was so scared of people and had ringworm on her head. They had not taken very good care of her, but she has been in the best of hands ever since.

Diesel and I after a good run!

She is now a very spoiled, cuddlable, bundle of joy and energy. I could not imagine my life without my little girl. Coming home would not be the same without my happy greeter. I am so blessed to have an amazing buddy and companion.

What Does Your Family Think?

I get asked how my family feels about me doing pageants all the time. So I thought I'd let each person in my family get the chance to write how they feel about their Maggie competing for Miss South Dakota.

In front of my Butterhead with my amazing family.

Mom:
It has been a very exciting time! I have learned that there is so much more involved in the organization than I ever thought.  I am so proud of Maggie and her determination and dedication to this program!!  It's been a fun ride and I can't wait to see how it all turns out!!!!

Dad:
It has made me very proud to see Maggie become the incredible woman she is. I love to see her at her appearances interacting with everyone.

Katie:
I am very proud to be Maggie's older sister.  The appearances she has done show just what an amazing person she is.  Though I know it has been a long and hard journey for her, she has worked incredibly hard to get where she is and I know she will shine in the Miss South Dakota pageant.  I love her and hope the best for her.

Laura:
It makes me very proud to call Maggie my older sister, she is an amazing girl and a hard worker.  Having Maggie be crowned Miss Brookings really opened my eyes to the Miss America Organization and all the hard work they do. Seeing Maggie do appearances all across Brookings just shows what a hard worker and amazing lady she is. I am so glad I get to be on this journey with her.

I am so lucky to have such as amazing family and support system behind me! I know that no matter how it turns out, they will still be cheering like the crazy fans they are and I love.

Why pageants and the Miss America system?

When I was 18 years old, Betty Thompson, Miss Oklahoma 2011 and 1st Runner Up to Miss America 2012, came and spoke to a room full of Minnesota county Dairy Princesses at our May Event. We were all so taken back that this gorgeous beauty queen was a farm girl and promoting milk, just like us. She instantly became a celebriting to me and someone I aspired to be. Although after that, the Miss America Organization got pushed to the back of my mind because I was so focused on being a dairy princess and then a college student. However, Betty Thompson did tweet back at me with some bottled milk resource links for a speech I did in school, I was pretty pumped!

When Betty Thompson spoke at May Event.

Then one day I overheard some girls at school talking about the Miss SDSU pageant. I thought "huh, that sounds fun" and I thought of the great stories I had heard at May Event from the wonderful Miss America contestant. But then I went home, saw cookies and decided I did not want to diet. So again, it slipped my mind, until unfortunately my best friend's mom passed away and my boyfriend's aunt was injured at work. I was driving home from the funeral when it hit me, life is so short and I need to make the most of it for myself and those around me. So I contacted the director of the pageant, which was a week away, and she was thrilled to have another girl sign up.

I love getting to work with the older generations.

At South Dakota's Miss Amazing pageant!

Why is this pageant system for this farm girl who's a tomboy? Because I love helping people and promoting chocolate milk. The joy that it brings me when I get to see the people around me light up simply because a queen stopped to talk to them, is priceless. The countless hours I get to go to the gym and work my body is so good for my overall health and confidence. I am so lucky to be able to use my fully functioning body. And of course, the scholarship I will receive for being Miss Brookings will help me to fund part of my education at South Dakota State next year! I also hope to inspire young women to follow their passions like Betty Thompson inspired me. So after reading this, my question to you is why not?

Why Chocolate Milk?

The second question I get asked the most is why I chose my platform, "Chocolate Milk: Building Healthy Bodies and Kids One Glass at a Time?"

When I first signed up to compete for Miss Brookings, I asked a friend who had done pageants, how do people choose a platform? She said to pick something you are passionate about, as well as know a ton about because the judges will ask you a lot of questions on it. Once she said that, I knew immediately that I was going to do something within the dairy industry. Then I got to thinking and realized that I had to do chocolate milk.

My own running shoes with my great #buildit lases!

Chocolate milk. Why so specific? Because chocolate milk tends to get a bad reputation. Often, people consider it to be too high in sugar to do any good. So I decided that it was my job to help people understand that chocolate milk, on average, only has 24 grams of sugar, which puts it right in the middle of all of your fruit juices and sports drinks, while still containing milk's 9 essential nutrients. It also has less than half the amount of sugar than one can of Mountain Dew. And studies have shown when chocolate milk is taken out of schools, overall milk consumption drops 35%! I had to fix that problem! I also knew that I needed to get the word out about the amazing refueling power that chocolate milk has. It has a scientifically proven 3 grams of carbohydrates to 1 gram of protein needed for ideal protein degradation in the body. So if you want to use your protein as efficiently as possible, you need to drink chocolate milk. I, myself, have been refueling with chocolate milk after I workout every single day and I am so thrilled with the results of my hard work!

Who doesn't love a cow selfie?

I also picked chocolate milk because I wanted to help promote the dairy industry I love so much! Farmers and cows have taught and given me so much, it is the least I can do for the industry I am so proud to be a part of! So drink up that amazing chocolate milk! If you want more information about chocolate milk, visit builtwithchocolatemilk.com.

Why Miss South Dakota?

Being born and raised in Minnesota, I get this question a lot "Why Miss South Dakota?"

Have you ever visited a place and thought "this is where I want to spend the rest of my life?" In high school, most of my classmates would visit well known cities such as Paris and Rome, I even visited there myself. They would return saying that they could live there their whole life. I returned grateful for the knowledge that I had gained, but ready for an American burger and shake. Where I am going with this is when I was sixteen, my family traveled to South Dakota for a family vacation. It was gorgeous! I loved seeing the magnificent badlands and the historic Mount Rushmore. Not to mention the beautiful landscape of Sylvan Lake. But honestly my favorite part was all the cows on the drive through the state, and also the buffalo (I tried real hard to convince my parents to get buffalo after our trip.)

Notice my "I <3 Buffalo Shirt" :) from our trip to SD in 2010.

Where I was born and raised was my parents decision, and yes, I thank my parents for raising me in Minnesota, it was a great up bringing. However, where I go to college and spend the rest of my life is my choice. And there is no where I would rather obtain my education and eventually raise my cows and kids. It is a state that is devoted to supporting its number one industry, Agriculture. It also provides such a great environment for businesses to grow and develop. Of course, it is also home to my beloved South Dakota State University and that is a big vote in its favor. Lastly, the people of South Dakota are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. The feeling of neighborly love is so strong in this state, as I have seen so much in my three years living here.

They say "home is where the presets on your radio are." My home has been Brookings, SD for three years and I hope I will call South Dakota home for many, many more years.

(Sorry Mom, Dad and family, hope you like Highway 14.)

TBT: I Wanted to Get Out There and Sparkle

In honor of June Dairy Month, I took this throw back Thursday to 2012. At the age of 18, I got the opportunity to compete for Princess Kay of the Milky Way. In May of 2012, I was selected as a finalist, qualifying me to be a part of Princess Kay Coronation in August. I had to get a dress for this wonderful event and I wanted to shine. I wanted to walk out on stage (the moment I had been dreaming of since I was a little girl) and just sparkle in front of the hundreds of people. I did a lot of online shopping and found a gold, sequenced dress at Glitz at the Mall of America. So my mom and I drove down only to find out that they only had the white/silver version of it and only one left. But to my surprise, the one they had left was just my size and fit me perfectly. From the moment I tried it on, I knew it was THE DRESS!

Signing an autograph for my amazing cousin Michael who travelled all the way from California!

I will never forget the moment when I stepped out on stage and the more than fifty people in purple shirts, who were there to support me, jumped and screamed my name. When I got off stage, I almost cried because I was taken so aback by the wonderful flood of support from my family and friends. I am so lucky and grateful for all the amazing people in my life. I do not know where I'd be without them!

Success: Learning to Lose

The fourth point of the crown I am going to talk about is Success. And I believe in order to be a truly successful person, you need to learn how to lose and keep moving forward.

This past Saturday, I learned a very valuable lesson about not only success, but also what to do when you do not accomplish your definition of short term success. I helped out at the South Dakota Special Olympics Summer Games in Brookings. I was able to hand out awards all day long and it was such an amazing experience to see these kids triumph. But it was also so great to be able to see how they handled disappointment. The special olympics to these individuals is something that they look forward to and love to compete in, so when they don't achieve their goal (or their idea of success), it can be very disappointing. There were some amazing kids that looked on the bright side and were happy for their friends or for just the ribbon they got. Although not everyone can handle losing that gracefully. I know throughout my life I have struggled with this as I am naturally a competitive person, like many of these athletes. A handful of them were telling themselves things like "be happy with what you got," or "you're okay," both very useful when trying to smile for pictures after a disappointment. Then they would tell me about their next event and we would talk about how they still had more chances to bring home the gold. They would forget the past and look towards the future.

This experience is definitely going to be one that I will remember for the rest of my life and will help me the week I am out in Hot Springs. As a rookie, I am very nervous, to be completely honest. But I am going to stifle, just a little bit, the competitive Maggie and let the good times roll. After all, I am told that the week in Hot Springs is so fun and I will be able to hang out with fifteen amazing young women with such a variety of interests and experiences. I look forward to getting to know each of them better and learn about their passions. I am going to take the week one day at a time and soak up every second of the experience because at the end of the week, I will know Miss South Dakota, whether it is one of my amazing Miss SD Class of 2015 sisters or by some chance, myself. And how many people can say that they personally know one of the girls on the Miss America stage? Not many! I am also going to take the strategies from the amazing young men and women of the special olympics and look forward. No matter what happens June 20th, I still have a crown that I get to promote chocolate milk with and that is all that is UDDERLY important! (cow pun!;))

Happy June Dairy Month!

Today is the start of June Dairy Month! June is dedicated as a month to promote the dairy industry all across the United States and I am so happy to be a part of this! The past years I have posted something every day and this year will be no different. I will be posting on my Instagram and Twitter accounts a fun fact everyday of the month or just a fun dairy thing I see! You can follow me at @maggiejo20 on both of those accounts!

 Tonight I am staying in quite a nice hotel and they have a picture up of Holsteins on the wall. I thought, "wow only in Wisconsin would I find dairy cows in a nice hotel." So I snapped a picture of the picture and that was my June Dairy Month post for today on Instagram.

And today's tweet was all about my internship. This summer I am doing a study that involves manure and I have to clean the manure then squeeze out the water and weigh it. So as I was doing this, the farmer walked by and gave me the weirdest look. I couldn't help but laugh because I love doing research and being in the barn and he was just so disgusted.

I hope you keep up with all my posts and enjoy everyone else's June Dairy Month posts that you can find at #junedairymonth.

TBT: Totes Ma Goats!

My sisters and I with our first goats, Jack and Gus.

I talk a lot about how much I love cows, which I do truly enjoy their company, but they were not the only four legged creatures that I spent a lot of time with as a child and young adult. I also enjoyed spending a lot of my time showing and breeding goats. My mom had always wanted goats, but my grandfather had told her, it was him or the goats, so she never got one. About two years after his passing when I was nine, we had a speaker come talk to our 4-H club about goats. My sister and I, being the go-getter little girls we were, of coursed wanted to show all the livestock species we could, we easily convinced our parents to let us get goats. They were cheaper and safer than cattle and my mom had always wanted them, so it wasn't too hard. Jack and Gus (after the Cinderella mice) were our first goats. They were the friendliest and most loving creatures. We were immediately hooked and have been raising goats ever since.

Over the years we have had some amazing and colorful creatures. The black beauty in the picture above in Yaoz. Before I even picked out Yaoz, I googled Y names (this was the year that every one of my 4-H animals had to start with a Y.) The name Yaoz popped up and it said it meant "he will be mighty." Little did I know this would be the perfect name for him. He ended up weighing 106 pounds at the county fair, almost over weight. Actually at the state fair, he could not weigh more than 108 lbs. So just like the beauty pageant contestants, he went on a running workout to turn his fat to muscle, we ran at least two miles a day. He weighed 103 at the state fair. I was so proud of this amazing guy. He also had the personality of a king.

This next picture was my last goat that I showed in 4-H. His name was Mufasa. Often while running I would say come on Mufasa, muuuuve fasta! (playing fun at his name.) But he was a little bundle of joy and would dance with me like he was doing in the picture above.

Goats have taught me so much about keeping a positive attitude about everything. They are so happy most of the time. But they also taught me that some times its ok to be dramatic, maybe don't ball like a baby like they do, but do not be afraid to show your emotions. And finally, they taught me that you can't get a rocking body by sitting on the couch being lazy, you have to get out there jump those hurdles and run those miles because skinny and fat goats don't win, muscular ones do.

Style: Uniquely Mine

The third point of the crown that I am going to talk about is Style. Style, you'd think that since it is almost my last name (Stiles;)) and as a Queen, I'd have it all figured out, right? Well I don't, haha. But my style is a little bit of everything, yet pretty simple. I like comfy clothes, I like stiff professional clothes. I like blue jeans, I like dress shorts. I like flowy tank tops, I like tight v-necks. I pretty much like everything, but my main obsession is shoes! I love shoes and often will make an outfit just based on the shoes I want to wear. My go to everyday shoes are cowboy boots and Sperrys in the spring and summer, cowboy boots and riding boots in the fall, and those two plus Uggs in the winter. Then I love heels so much and enjoy wearing them when I can. However, I am not a fan of sandals. I think I honestly like shoes so much because they cover up feet, so a shoe that still shows my feet isn't really my style.

My favorite thing to wear is a smile. This may sound cheesy, but it is the part of me that truly shines and shows everyday too, also my parents paid for the wonderful braces to fix these pearly whites, which I am so grateful for. It is a look into who I am and how I am doing. In my senior pictures, my photographer tried to take those sexy no smile pictures, but I completely failed on all of them because it was so natural to smile. I guess I am just a goofy person, not a sexy mysterious one. Haha

A Memorial Day Message and Thank You!

According to http://www.usmemorialday.org, "Memorial Day started off as a somber day of remembrance; a day when Americans went to cemeteries and placed flags or flowers on the graves of our war dead. It was a day to remember ancestors, family members, and loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice." Now it has changed into days on lakes, huge sales in malls, and whatever else our commercialized world can think of. However in my family, we keep the tradition and we spend the late morning into afternoon at the cemetery honoring all of the fallen heroes, including my grandfather, as well as the other loved ones we lost. We stand around telling stories and jokes from all of the amazing people who are no longer with us, while we wait for the band to come play. Then more importantly, we listen as the band plays the national anthem, the VFW and ladies auxiliary speak, and then tabs is played to conclude the memorial.

My amazing grandfather, James Madden, in uniform.

Today it was chilly and cloudy, but a wonderful chance to honor the people who have gone before us and given up so much for our freedom. I would like to take this chance to thank everyone who has served and all of their families. It is because of your bravery and sacrifice that I am able to write this blog and exercise all of my other freedoms. So thank you for keeping our country free and the way our founding fathers wanted it to be. I am so proud to be an American!

TBT: California and Finding Independence

Today I got very nostalgic as my second internship for Cargill is now full swing, thinking back to my time spent in California with Cargill last summer. I traveled almost 2,000 miles from all of my family and friends to pursue my dream internship; performing research on hundreds of calves and working with dairy producers to help improve their farms. I ended up meeting the most amazing people and put 9,000 miles on my vehicle, but learned so much as I travelled parts of California, Utah and Idaho.

I always thought that I was an independent person, but I never learned true independence until I had to find my way alone in so many strange cities, including Oakland (because of course I had to visit another Major League Baseball stadium.) I learned to be strong and stand up for my friend at midnight in a sketchy emergency room because they would not listen to us. I learned to take peoples' harsh words (because I was a white girl from the Midwest on their farm) with a grain of salt. But more importantly, I learned that no matter where I go, I want to help dairy farmers more than anything. They are my inspiration and my heroes. I hope that one day I can truly impact all of America's dairy farmers with my promotion or my research.

Scholarship: Go Big, Go Blue, Go Jacks!

Another one of the points of the crown is scholarship. The Miss America Organization is actually the largest provider of scholarships to young women across the nation and this is a reason most girls find the Miss America Organization in the beginning. So this Tuesday, I am going to go more in-depth on my school experiences and why I chose South Dakota State.

I started at South Dakota State University in August of 2012, but that is not where my SDSU Journey began. When I was a freshman in high school, my mom went to the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, SD. While she was at the show, she stopped by the SDSU Dairy Science booth. She thought it looked like something I would be interested and brought me home a packet of information. I was so excited about the details about the school that I saw. The dairy science department had 100% job placement in the students' field of six months after graduation, with salaries starting at $45,000, almost $100,000 in scholarships each year, and it was going to only cost me $15,000 a year. To top it off even more, it was in the beautiful and Agriculture based South Dakota and they made their own ice cream (the reason my dad was hooked when we visit.) I immediately emailed the head of the dairy science department and have never looked back.

I only ever wanted to be a Jackrabbit, I only applied to be a Jackrabbit, and I am so proud to be a Jackrabbit. This school has done so much for me and has brought me out of my shell, helping me become the woman I am today. Never have I ever regretted coming to this amazing school and am so thankful for all of the amazing memories I have made and look forward to making so many more! Go big, go blue, go Jacks!

What a Weekend!

This past weekend was our Pre Pageant weekend for the Miss South Dakota Pageant. With this only a month away, we got the chance to learn all of our production dances (or for the non-dancers like myself, at least try to), do a set of mock interviews, check over paperwork, get wardrobe help, and more importantly, get to know each other better. To top it all off, we got the amazing opportunity to speak with South Dakota's Secretary of State and former Miss South Dakota, Shantel Krebs, and Attorney General, Marty Jackley. After both of those talks, I can definitely see myself one day becoming a part of South Dakota politics and making a difference on the legislative side for the Dairy Industry. It was such an honor to hear them speak about the on goings at the Capital in Pierre and their personal stories, including how they got to be so successful in this great state.

Miss South Dakota and the Class of 2015 with SD Attorney General, Marty Jackley.

All of the events of this weekend have me so excited and nervous for June. It truly showed me all of the progress I have made so far, but also all of the things I still need to keep working on before the pageant. And no matter the results on June 20th, I have just been so thrilled with the experience so far and only foresee more positive things for the rest of my year as Miss Brookings.