Sharing her dairy tale

MANANNAH — Although Claudia Frenchick lives in town, she wished for a Jersey calf for her fourth birthday, and her wish came true. Ever since, Frenchick has continued to grow her own herd of dairy cattle, which are housed at a neighboring farm.

“I love going out to the farm and work(ing) with my animals,” Frenchick said. “I am so passionate about the dairy industry.”

Frenchick, the daughter of Amanda Frenchick, is one of the 10 Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists. She currently owns six dairy animals, which are managed with the herd at John and Julie Schmitz’s farm, Manannah Valley, near Manannah. She owns one Holstein, one Red & White Holstein and four Jerseys. She shows some, while the rest are bred and managed primarily for production.

“I am very hands on with selecting the sires for my cows and showing them,” Frenchick said. “I plan to grow my show herd and production herds, but I am still in college, so that makes it harder. But I still plan on continuing my herd.”

In the fall, Frenchick will be a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she is majoring in animal science with a pre-vet emphasis. In the future, Frenchick would like to become a large animal veterinarian.

Frenchick grew up in the town of St. Martin, but would visit her grandparents, George and Lynda Frenchick, at their farm, Gemeo, where they milk 30 registered Jersey cows. The Frenchicks farm near Paynesville.

“As I got older, I started to help milk the cows and learned that this is something I am really passionate about,” Frenchick said.

As Frenchick’s herd grew, they moved to John and Julie Schmitz’s farm, and Frenchick’s work on the farm moved to the Schmitz farm as well.

As a youth, Frenchick got involved with 4-H and FFA, where she showed her cattle at the county and state fair, and participated in dairy project bowl and dairy judging. She has been a Meeker County dairy princess for the past three years.

“It is because of my animals that I have had all these opportunities,” Frenchick said. “I love representing the dairy industry and want to motivate others about the importance of dairy.”

When the announcement was made about the top 10 finalists, Frenchick was at home with her mom, where they watched the video together.

“I was so nervous about running for finalist that I didn’t tell very many people,” Frenchick said. “When it was announced that I was a finalist, a lot of people were genuinely surprised.”

While Frenchick has not decided what to do with her butterhead, she wants to share it with her community.

“I would love to give back to the community in some fun and exciting way as a thank you to those who have helped me,” Frenchick said.

Frenchick said for her, growing up in town while working on the farm helped grow her passion for the dairy industry.

“I had to make a bigger effort to go out to the farm every day versus if I just lived on a farm,” Frenchick said. “I love being able to show my animals and have a production herd. You never know where different opportunities are going to lead you in life.”