Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Howard Lake girl’s love of dairy carries past her crown



Wrapping up her second year as Wright County Dairy Princess, Amy Kozitka of Howard Lake has enjoyed every moment.

Who wouldn’t want to spend summers eating ice cream and riding in parades?

But, as Kozitka will attest, there is more to being dairy princess than eating ice cream and walking around with a milk mustache.

“It’s a good experience to teach people about dairy,” Kozitka said.

Kozitka and Wright County Dairy Princess Michelle Beaudry of Albertville spent time at community events, going to schools, and of course, serving ice cream.

But even after Kozitka dons her tiara for the last time at the Wright County Dairy Association banquet Saturday, April 22, dairy will still be a big part of her life.

Milking cows for the last five years on the dairy farm owned by her grandparents, Melvin and Ardis Kottke, located south of Howard Lake, has kept this princess busy.

Sometimes rising at 5 a.m. to milk, heading off to classes at St. Cloud State University, and then milking in the evening has Kozitka studying dairy all day long.

She is in her fifth year as a biology student at the university. After graduation, she will continue on to graduate school to become a large animal veterinarian.

She is hoping to work with mostly cows, although she might deal with a horse or two.

Her love for cows started long before her milking days, as she would spend time on her grandparents farm and help them out.

“You are never doing the same thing on a dairy farm, there are so many different things to do,” Kozitka said, who also enjoys raising chickens.

Now that her reign is coming to an end, Kozitka is excited to have more time to put into cows.

Show cows, that is. She will be showing some of her grandparents’ cows at the Wright County Fair, something she has always enjoyed doing as part of 4-H.

This may not be the last the Wright County Dairy Association will see of the Kozitka name.

Kozitka, who spent one year as a Wright County dairy ambassador before being crowned princess, has sparked the interest in her younger sister, Bethany.

Although Bethany is only 10 years old, Kozitka believes she might carry on the tradition her older sister started.

Wright County Dairy banquet Saturday

Amy Kozitka will pass on her crown at the Annual Wright County Dairy Princess Banquet and Coronation Saturday, April 22 at the Annandale High School.

There will be a 7:30 p.m. social time, dinner will be at 8 p.m., with the coronation to follow in the auditorium.

Brittani Boehlke of Waverly will be one of the girls vying for Kozitka’s crown.

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