Stamford Teen Is New Delaware County Dairy Ambassador

STAMFORD - 2024 Delaware County Dairy Ambassador Delaney McCann (left) crowned the new 2025 Delaware County Dairy Ambassador Lillian Eklund (right) during the annual Delaware County Dairy Dinner last Friday at the Andes Hotel. 

Members of the 2025 Delaware County Promotion Team include, from left: Laney Mondore, Emma Smith, Jordan Odell, Emma Mason, all junior ambassadors, 2024 Delaware County Dairy Ambassador Delaney McCann, 2025 Delaware County Dairy Ambassador Lillian Eklund, Madelyn Eklund, Addyson Olsen and Darby Mondore, junior ambassadors.

ANDES   – Lillian Eklund was crowned the new Delaware County Dairy Ambassador during the annual Delaware County Dairy Dinner last Friday at the Andes Hotel. She is the daughter of Jim and Megan Eklund, of Stamford. She will be joined by a bevy of junior dairy ambassadors to promote dairy products and the dairy industry over the next year. She wants to promote milk and the dairy industry for all of the hardworking farmers.

She brings experience to her ambassador reign as a three-year member of the county promotion team as a junior dairy ambassador. It is that experience that has prompted her to lead dairy promotions this year. She is active in 4-H and will be a sophomore at Stamford Central School next fall where she is a member of the Student Council, Jr. Honor Society, Sources of Strength and band. She enjoys all athletics and plays soccer, softball and her favorite sport, basketball. 

"I live on an organic dairy farm in Stamford," she told the audience in her speech. "I have had the opportunity to be a part of dairy promotion for the past three years and I am looking forward to taking on a larger role and becoming this year's dairy ambassador."

The theme for the evening on Friday was "Winners Drink Milk" and the ambassadors will be utilizing that theme throughout the coming year as they travel the county and beyond to promote all things dairy. She said the  theme especially fits the promotion team's school program and it is a way for her entire "team", all of them athletes, to bring this important message to others. They placed gold medals and trophies as favors for the table settings.

"Everyone, from farmers and veterinarians who care for the animals, to the truck drivers who transport and deliver the milk, is part of the team who helps make these winning products that we enjoy. This theme is also a great way to incorporate the 'Refuel with the Chocolate Milk' program. It helps encourage athletes to drink milk after being active because of the protein, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and hydration that drinking chocolate milk gives you. Drinking milk helps lead our athletes to success.

"While we are on the topic of success, New York State is first in the production of cottage cheese, yogurt and sour cream. And Delaware County is where commercial milk pasteurization first took place. Again showing Delaware County farmers are winners. Winning is only important if the goodness of milk is being shared, which is the message our team hopes to promote in the coming year."

Their first promotion gig will be the Meredith Dairy Fest this coming weekend, June 7 and 8.

Eklund succeeds 2024 Ambassador Delaney McCann, who gave her farewell speech to end a very successful year of dairy promotion. She will be a senior at Delaware Academy next fall and plans to attend SUNY Cobleskill for Dairy Production and Management when she graduates. She would like to become a dairy nutritionist.

The team of junior dairy ambassadors for 2025, includes: Madelyn Eklund, of Stamford, younger sister of Lillian; Madison Losie, daughter of Christina and Shannon Losie, of Davenport; Laney and Darbey Mondore, daughters of Amber and Jason Mondore, of Andes; Jordan Odell, daughter of Danielle and Lance Odell of Oneonta; Addyson Olsen, daughter of Jackie Gray and Jason Olsen, of Bloomville; Emma Mason, daughter of Traci and Cody Mason, of Stamford; Emma  Smith, daughter of Janet Beken and Steve Smith, of Bloomville. Not present for the pageant but also part of the team is Angie Cerosaletti, of Davenport, Amelia Groh, of Delhi and Alexa Scofield, of Walton.

The team is now in place and ready for milk punch receptions, parades, school programs and other public appearances to promote all things dairy.

Members of the Delaware County Dairy Committee include: Barb Hanselman, chairman; Amy Cerosaletti, Megan Eklund, Stephanie McCann, Amber Darling Mondore and Danielle Odell.

Hanselman, who served as emcee of the evening, thanked the members of her committee, who help with the promotion throughout the year. The support for their annual cheese sale which funds the promotion activities, Huff Ice Cream which donates the ice cream used in the giant ice cream sundae each year at the Delaware County Fair. They have been doing that, said Hanselman, for the past 34 years. And the support of the Delaware County Farm Bureau. Stewarts also donated the ice cream for the evening finale, which is to make your own sundae and enjoy cookies and ice cream. She also thanked Derek Curl of the Andes Hotel, Heather Magnan of the Watershed Ag Council and Clark Farms for the milk.

Hanselman also introduced this year's Outstanding Young Farm Family (See separate story).