Fairest 2010-2023

Meet Katelyn King of Brownsville, the 2023 Fond du Lac County Fairest of the Fair!

Attending Purdue University, Katelyn studies Agribusiness with goals to promote agriculture to others and help farmers with the knowledge she will gain. On campus, Katelyn is involved in the National Agri-Marketing Association, Sigma Alpha Sorority, Agriculture Future of America, and more. She is preparing herself for her future career by working in the Purdue Agricultural Economics Department, which has been complemented by her employment at Helena Agri-Enterprises and Ryan Vu Dairy. Additionally, Katelyn is proud to share that she is the marketing intern at Grande Cheese Company - a longtime sponsor of the Fond du Lac County Fair. Her summer internship coupled with her coursework, extracurricular activities, and work experience are a great asset to her as she serves as Fond du Lac County's 55th Fairest of the Fair.

Katelyn's fair experience stacks up with serving on the Market Livestock Committee, mentoring youth for the Special Final Drive Event, and leading the South Byron 4-H Club as President. She takes pride in her decade of exhibiting swine, while also showing dairy, photography, arts, and foods over the years. Katelyn also attained the coveted American FFA Degree, where her roots grew from the ground up while serving as President for the Lomira FFA.

Outside of working, college, and farming with her family, Katelyn enjoys all things outdoors - lake days and skiing, especially! She also has a passion to travel and recently traveled to Italy and France where she learned about international production agriculture. Katelyn can also be found baking in the kitchen with her mom. She is the 20 year old daughter of Janel and Rob King.

Katelyn will serve as the official hostess of the 2023 Fond du Lac County Fair taking place July 19-23! Be sure to join her for the Grande Cheese Dollar Ride Day taking place Wednesday, July 19. As Fairest, she will also make appearances at various events across the county over the next year. You can follow her adventures on Facebook or Instagram (@fdlfairestofthefair). In January 2024, Katelyn will represent the FDL Fair at the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Annual Convention where she will compete for the title of Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs. The four day competition includes multiple rounds of interviews, on-stage speaking opportunities, professional development, and a deeper dive into Wisconsin's fair industry.

Kaylee Mess, 20, of Rosendale is the 2022 Fond du Lac County Fairest of the Fair.

The daughter of Austin and Debbie Mess, Kaylee is a 2020 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Laconia High School and currently attends the University of Wisconsin-Platteville majoring in Agriculture Education and Technology Education. On campus she is involved in many agriculture related organizations, including Pioneer Dairy Club, Platteville Agriculture Education Society, Platteville Agriculture Student Council, Collegiate Farm Bureau and Ceres Women’s Fraternity.

On campus, Kaylee serves as a Resident Assistant and was named the Staff Member of the Semester twice. When she is at home, she works on her family’s farm, Just-R-Mess Dairy, where she helps milk cows, feed calves, maintain records and much more. Kaylee enjoys caring for the cattle and celebrating the successes that come along the way, as well as appreciates the opportunity to continue to grow her dairy herd.

During her 4-H career, Kaylee was involved in the dairy, swine, arts and crafts, photography, foods and nutrition, youth leadership, and dairy management projects. Outside of 4-H, she is very involved in the Fond du Lac County Junior Holstein Association and Laconia FFA.

In her spare time, Kaylee enjoys making crafts, watching movies and baking. She also enjoys having conversations with others about agriculture and the dairy industry.

Throughout her time as Fairest, Kaylee will have the opportunity to represent the Fond du Lac County Fair at the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Annual Convention in January 2023, where she will vie for the title of Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs. At the competition, she will go through multiple rounds of interviews, on-stage speaking opportunities, a semi-finals and finals competition. In addition, she will make several appearances throughout the county and serve as the official host of the Fond du Lac County Fair.

Parker Schmitz, 20, of North Fond du Lac has been selected as the 2021 Fond du Lac County Fairest of the Fair.

The daughter of Nicole Schmitz and Nathan Gustavus, Parker is a 2019 high honor roll graduate of Winnebago Lutheran Academy and currently attends the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee where she is a sophomore majoring in Architecture. She has been on the Dean’s List and involved in the Lady’s Pirate Crew”, completing tasks around campus while having a chance to network and develop communication skills.

For the last three years, Parker has been a drafter at RA Pinno & Sons Construction. She takes sketches and ideas from the salesman and their customers and turns them into CAD drawings, while also working on project ordering and invoicing.

During her 4-H career, Parker was involved in the dairy project, arts and crafts, baking, vegetables, rabbits and more. Parker has been a volunteer for the Oakfield FFA as well as Pheasants Forever fundraiser.

In her spare time, Parker enjoys hunting pheasants with her father, fishing with friends, sketching, reading and playing with her new puppy.

Parker will have the opportunity to represent the Fond du Lac County Fair at the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Annual Convention in January 2022, where she will vie for the title of Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs.

Come see Parker at the 2021 Fond du Lac County Fair, July 14-18!

Cayley Vande Berg of Eldorado was named the 2019 Fond du Lac County Fairest of the Fair on Satuday, June 1, 2019. Cayley, the 19 year old daughter of Chad and Tammy Vande Berg is currently a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls where she is studying Dairy Business and Agricultural Business. Upon college graduation, Cayley plans to pursue a career where she can work with both cattle and people as she has a passion for both. At school, she is actively involved in Dairy Club, a Falcon Premier Sale Volunteer and Collegiate Farm Bureau.

Cayley is currently employed with Milk Source, LLC in Rosendale as well as interning with Foremost Farms USA as a part of their Member Services team.

In her spare time, Cayley enjoys hunting and fishing with family, playing volleyball and practicing the violin. She also enjoys visiting other farms and agricultural businesses to learn about new and innovative practices in the industry.

Franke is the 19 year old daughter of Scott and Laura Franke of Oakfield. She will be a sophomore this Fall at the University of Wisconsin – Madison where she is majoring in Dairy Science. There, she is a member of the Association of Women in Agriculture, Badger Dairy Club and Collegiate Farm Bureau. Franke was a long time member of the Green Valley 4-H Club and Oakfield FFA where she served in numerous leadership roles.

A long time Fair exhibitor, Franke is now looking forward to sharing her passion for agriculture and the Fair with others. She hopes to spread the message that the Fair has something to offer every member of the family, and that while agriculture is a big part of the Fair, there is so much more to do and see.

Franke will be the recipient of a $750 scholarship provided by Horicon Bank as she represents the Fond du Lac County Fair for the next year. In January, she will represent the county in the Wisconsin Association of Fairs State Fairest of the Fair competition, where she will go through multiple rounds of interviews, on-stage speaking opportunities, a semi-finals and finals competition.

Kati Kindschuh is the 22 year old daughter of David and Dianne Kindschuh of Brownsville, WI. She grew up on her family's 60 cow Registered Holstein and Jersey farm where they also farm 600 acres of crops. Kindschuh is a 2014 graduate of Lomira High School, earned her Associate's Degree at UW-Fond du Lac in 2016 and is currently a senior at UW-River Falls majoring in Agricultural Marketing Communications. Kindschuh served as the 2014-2015 WI State FFA Reporter, the 2016 Wisconsin Holstein Princess and was crowned the 2017 Fond du Lac County Fairest of the Fair. In her free time, Kindschuh enjoys freelance writing for agricultural publications, spending time with her nephew and coaching at her local CrossFit gym.