Dairy Day at the state fair is a day to celebrate New York’s dairy industry and a chance to thank farmers. You’ll also notice dairy ambassadors from different counties on the grounds today participating in numerous “dairy” events.

It’s a busy time of the year for Gabrielle Taylor, 19, from Wayne County. Not only is she at the fair getting her Holstein beets ready for competition, but she’s also starting her junior year at St. Bonaventure.

Growing up on a dairy farm in a family that has always owned cows, the dairy industry has been important to Gabby since she was a child. When she was just 10, she got involved with Wayne County’s dairy promotion program, became a county dairy princess and then an ambassador.

Last year, she was named the New York State Dairy Ambassador.

“I got to do some really cool stuff. And then there’s some radio and then there’s also some news and radio interviews that you get to do,” Taylor said. “Basically, just being that educator, being that advocate for the industry is what it’s all about.”

Although Gabby has since graduated from her “ambassador” status, she’s still very much involved with the industry. Her experience owning her own cows and working at El-VI Farms in Newark has inspired her to stick with it.

“I have been working on the farm a little bit. Mostly, more with the communications. Working on the farm newsletter, which we send out 12,000 copies around the farm every four months, so that’s kind of a big undertaking,” she said.

Her experience communicating with people as a dairy representative has helped her set her career goals.

“I’d love to work in agricultural communications or agricultural policy. And one of the other big pieces of the fair is about educating our fairgoers, and I’ve always loved that aspect of this, and that’s why I want to continue doing it, with our communities and with our legislators so we can help farmers do what they need to do every single day,” Taylor said.

Her family members say they are proud of her charisma and direction. Her grandmother Eileen owned a dairy farm for several years and served as the 4-H youth superintendent at the fair for 25 years.

“It’s way up there. I couldn’t be more proud because of all the things she’s accomplished at such a young age and she’s doing so well with handling all of them," said Eileen Taylor.

And while Gabby has a lot on her plate, she’s never too busy to stop to educate people about the industry.

“People in agriculture only make up about 1% of the United States population. So it’s really important for us to advocate for what we need as farmers in order to do our job every day, and to feed the billions of people on this planet,” Gabby said.

Taylor said she will always have great memories of serving as the state’s Dairy Ambassador. Some of her favorite events include the Butter Sculpture Unveiling and Dairy Day at the fair.

She said she will continue to inspire young farmers to get more involved with their local dairy programs.