Step aside Miss America,
Photo by Staff Sgt. Jessica Barnett, Kansas Adjutant General’s Department Public Affairs Office via Wikimedia Commons
you’ll need a bucket if you want to compete with Miss Uganda …
Photo, http://www.ugandaonline.net
a milk bucket, that is.
This year, hopefuls vying for the title of Miss Uganda had to show their talents in an unusual realm for a beauty pageant—a milking contest. And that’s not all; they also had to handle sheep and goats and answer pertinent questions about agriculture—no tapping cup tricks for these ladies … and no swimsuits.
“Why all this emphasis on farming?” you might ask. The current Ugandan president apparently thought it would be a good way to spotlight agriculture, the country’s economic backbone. “We are here to change the perception that agriculture cannot co-exist with beauty. The contestants have been taken through 25 modules of agriculture and have had their hands dirty at some points to get to know how things are done. The regional winners, together with the overall winner, will champion agricultural projects in the next one year,” said Brenda Nanyonjo, Miss Uganda spokeswoman.
You go, farmgirls!
I love this idea! Miss FarmGirl America where the contest includes miking, tractor driving, gardening, canning, and soft skills like embroidery and sewing. Of course, you and Daizy(?) take the prize! Maybe next year’s FSOTM should include some competition like Miss Uganda?? It could be a ton of fun!
I agree!
We love it! What a wonderful idea that was. They are all winners in our book.
Most of the FFA competitions do that now, altho not really as a beauty contest. Also, here in Pennsylvania, Dairy Queens and Princesses and even Milkmaids ( for the younger set) compete and spend their year of royalty travelling and promoting dairy bigtime. Most of these gals come from dairying families and farms. I know I have sent you articles on them, MaryJane.
Beauty contests are huge in Africa and a great way for underprivileged girls to get ahead, and further their education, which is out of reach for most. It is especially refreshing to see that traditional African beauty is honored, ie not lighter skin , not western” straightened” hair.
I grew up on a farm where we milked cows. We just had one or two at a time to provide milk for our family (I’m one of six siblings). As teenagers we all had our turn at milking, but my oldest sister, as a 4-H participant, was entered in the Colorado State Fair “Milkmaid Contest”. I do not know what year, but I’m guessing in the mid-50s. She had to go to compete at the fair in Pueblo, Colorado, milk a cow that she’d never milked and who didn’t know her.
She won!! She was Colorado State “Milkmaid” that year!
CJ
That is fantastic story. Any chance you’d have any memorabilia from it?
Wow CJ what a great story indeed ! See? There are milkmaid competitions. And kudos to your sister for milking a strange, unknown cow. When they get to ancy and scared it’s well nigh impossible to milk them.