Sarah Rohe of Onondaga County Named 2017-18 New York State Dairy Princess

Sarah Rohe

Sarah Rohe of Onondaga County was named the New York State Dairy Princess for 2017-18 at the conclusion of the dairy princess contest Tuesday night outside Syracuse.

Sydney Parkin of Orange County was named first alternate and Grace Harrigan of Clinton County was named second alternate.

Rohe is a senior at Marcellus High School and the daughter of Steven and Patricia Rohe of the town of Onondaga. She is a member of 4-H, Junior Holsteins and volunteers at K.C. Heffernan Elementary School in Marcellus. She has been involved in dairy promotion for 11 years.

The Rohe family is no stranger to dairy royalty. Sarah's older sisters, Erica, Caitlin and Meghan, wore the Onondaga County dairy princess crown as well. Caitlin went on to become the 2006-07 New York State Dairy Princess. Meghan was first alternate state dairy princess in the 2013-14 year.

The New York State Dairy Princess contest concluded Tuesday with the crowning after a two days of judging at the Holiday Inn in Salina, north of Syracuse. 

Sydney Parkin

A total of 27 girls who had already won their county dairy princess contests participated in the state pageant. They had to take tests to judge their dairy knowledge and writing skills, go through intensive interviews with the three judges, give both impromptu and prepared speeches and also were judged on their informal interaction with others.
 
Judges evaluate contestants on communication skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality. 

Grace Harrigan

About 30 teens competed for the title. Miss Ooms will serve as New York State Dairy Princess for one year and will promote dairy farmers and dairy products throughout the state in schools, industries, companies and at special events.

The big event for the dairy princess each year is the New York State Fair in Geddes, west of Syracuse. She and other county dairy princesses man the dairy princess booth inside the Dairy Products building and make special appearances throughout Dairy Day on the first Monday of the fair.

The new princess takes over for Emily Ooms of Columbia County,  who was New York State Dairy Princess for 2016-17.