Pair of area young ladies vying for crown of 2022 Allamakee County Dairy Princess at Saturday banquet

The 2022 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet is scheduled to be held this Saturday, April 2 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Food service will start at 7 p.m. and the program will begin at 8 p.m. Banquet tickets can be purchased at the door.

The annual celebration recognizes the importance of the dairy industry in Allamakee County and the contributions dairy families make to this important industry. Every year, top producers from the county are recognized at the banquet. In addition, several other awards are presented that evening, some of which include the following:

• Outstanding Young Dairy Family Award
• Pioneer Dairyman
• Distinguished Dairy Family Award
• Service to Dairy Industry Award
• Golden Butter Knife Award.

Also a highlight of the evening's festivities, the 2022 Allamakee County Dairy Princess will be crowned. Two Allamakee County young ladies - Kiersten Gibbs and Emma Palmer - are vying for this year’s Allamakee County Dairy Princess crown. Photos and biographies of each candidate are below.

Kiersten Gibbs -
Kiersten Gibbs is the 17-year-old daughter of Chris and Kerri Gibbs of Waterville. She is currently a junior at Waukon High School. Kiersten is actively involved in FFA, currently serving as the 2021-2022 Little Switzerland Chapter Secretary at Waukon High School. She also participates on the FFA dairy judging evaluation team and biotechnology teams. In the fall, she is a member of the high school volleyball team and was recently selected as a member of the National Honor Society. Kiersten and her family live on a dairy farm outside of Waterville where they milk an average of 480 Holstein cows in a double 16 parallel parlor. Kiersten is especially invested in the welfare and health of the calves, which is where her time is primarily spent working on the farm. In her free time, Kiersten enjoys hunting, fishing, kayaking and spending time with her friends. She also enjoys showing cattle at the county fair in the summer. Kiersten’s future plans include attending a four-year university to major in medical science. Her sponsor is Waukon Veterinary Clinic.

Emma Palmer -
Emma Palmer is the 17-year-old daughter of Stephanie and Eric Palmer of Waukon. Her family milks 165 registered Holstein cows in a step-up parlor while raising their own replacement heifers and feed. They market their milk through Foremost Farms. Emma’s farm responsibilities include milking, feeding calves and heifers, and helping with field work by hauling loads and raking hay. Off the farm, Emma is involved in volleyball, basketball, track and field, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and National Honor Society at Waukon High School. She also is a member of the Elon PMC 4-H Club, Allamakee 4-H County Council, Allamakee County 4-H Dairy Judging Team, and St. John’s Lutheran Church Youth Handbell Choir. Emma has received academic award letters and was the winner of the local Voice of Democracy Essay contest in 2021. Through 4-H, Emma has been awarded the Donald Kerndt Memorial Award, Senior Achievement in Family and Consumer Sciences, and County Livestock Champion honors. She has achieved varsity letters in both basketball and track and field. In addition, she was named to the First Team All-Conference and All-District basketball teams for the 2022 season. When Emma is not busy at school or on the farm, she enjoys reading, photography, showing dairy cattle at various shows, and volunteering with youth basketball programs. Emma’s future plans include attending Iowa State University for an undecided major. Her sponsor is Select Sires.