Dairy Princess Gabriella Miyoshi honored by Orange County Legislature

All hail Gabriella Miyoshi, the 2019-20 Orange County Dairy Princess!
Gabby is a junior in the Valley Central School District. Her duties include giving speeches about the local dairy industry and educating people about the value of its products.
The princess refuels with chocolate milk at 5K runs and many community events as she does her promotional work.
Gabby wants everyone to like the Orange County Dairy Promotion page on Facebook. Follow her on Facebook and contact her if you'd like her to attend an event.
"I was happy to be with the Orange County Legislators on June 6, to receive the Dairy Month proclamation, and to have the members of the legislature do taste tests of different flavors of milk shakes to see which they liked best," Gabby said. "My favorite part of becoming the Orange County Dairy Princess is to be able to promote the local dairy farmers and the industry."
Gabby said she wants to educate others about the struggles dairy farmers face. Some farms are being forced out of business as production costs rise and milk prices fall.
"While New York state remains third place in the nation for milk production, hundreds of farms are shutting down every year," she said. "Unfortunately, over the past ten years, Orange County alone has lost over 30 family-owned dairy farms due to the low milk prices and high prices of staying in the industry.
"My goal is to educated the communities about our farmers and the dairy industry. During National Dairy Month, and every month of the year, I urge each and everyone to please drink more milk, to enjoy more dairy products, buy local — and remember to thank a farmer."
She says her cows, Sprucegate Holsteins Sunnie and Bree, are her favorites.
“I love my cows," she said. "My cows are more than anything else in this world. They’re like having a second-best friend. I don’t see them as my pets. I see them as my equals because they’re incredibly intelligent and they form emotional attachments.”
The Orange County Dairy Princess program is made possible through the support of the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, the local planning and management organization funded by dairy farmers.