On a humid morning in early June, Allegheny County’s newly crowned (and first ever) Dairy Princess visited the 80 goats living at Goat Rodeo, one of the few dairy farms in the county she represents. The farm visit was one of several ways Elsie Ely, Bethany Drive, is promoting and supporting the dairy industry — her main responsibility as Dairy Princess.

The 17-year-old senior at Mt. Lebanon High School may live in a tightly populated suburb with no cows or goats in sight, but she’s no stranger to farm life. Her grandfather, John Grice, is a first-generation farmer with a degree in dairy science and started Folly Hollow Farm in Washington County more than 50 years ago. The farm sold milk to major brands, including Schneider’s and Turner’s. “He had about 130 milking cows at the beginning,” said Ely.

Grice has since retired, but the family farm remains active. Today, the farm has 175 cows, which Ely has been involved in showing and raising since she was 5 years old, when she walked her first cow. During the past year, she has become more involved in the various aspects of farm life.

“After COVID eased up, I got back into it,” said Ely. As an active member of her 4-H, she raises dairy heifers and market hogs, sews and models clothing, and learns business record keeping. Outside of the farm, Ely is a barista at Starbucks, where she sees firsthand “lots of misconceptions about the dairy industry.”

“In Allegheny County, there’s not a lot of farming,” Ely explained. “It’s just not a thing many people know about.”

Dairy Princess titles are awarded to young women by Pennsylvania Dairy Princess & Promotion Services, Inc., so they can serve as spokeswomen for the industry. Pageants are a large part of the program. Ely’s one-year term expires in June, 2025.

At a recent pageant, Ely delivered a speech on the importance of dairy and performed a skit. During her skit, she did a Google search for milk, wherein the first result was almond milk. She proceeds to show the definition of milk — which comes from mammary glands — and uses humor to show how an almond can’t be milked. Dairy princesses are also judged on their poster boards, knowledge of dairy facts, their own dairy-based recipe, and an interview with a panel of judges.

Additionally, Ely participates in the Washington County Fair, which features milk chugging contests, competitive livestock events and ribbon ceremonies. It’s hard work, according to Ely, as she must be “down at the farm at 6 a.m. washing cows during show days.” Closer to home, she hosted a table at several August Uptown Farmers Markets, explaining the benefits of dairy products.

During the Goat Rodeo tour, Ely learned both similarities and differences between goat and cow dairy production. These goats produce a gallon of milk per day, which sounds like a lot until you learn that cows yield six to seven gallons during the same time. Goat Rodeo opened in 2015 and solely produces cheese. The operation has five full-time employees, a 360-gallon cheese vat, aging rooms for the cheese, and 80 goats. Three breeds live at the farm in a rural area of Allison Park — Nubians, Alpines and Lamanchas.

As one of the only active dairy farms in the county, Ely chose to tour and spotlight Goat Rodeo to “represent all of the dairy industry of Allegheny County.”