Bright Spot: Meet Doris Mold, a friend of dairy

Doris Mold's journey began on her family’s dairy farm near Harris, Minnesota, where her passion for cows sparked at an early age. She said, “When I got started, it wasn't typical, for at least the females in my family to be directly involved in the barn kind of work and my dad couldn’t shake me. I loved cows, I loved calves.”

Her early experiences with 4-H and FFA ignited a lifelong dedication to dairy, leading her to judge dairy cattle at the University of Minnesota and establish the Gopher Dairy Club.

Founding the Moo Booth

While working at the Minnesota State Fair, Mold noticed visitors were eager to learn more about cows. This insight inspired her to create the Moo Booth in 1991. Through demonstrations and hands-on activities, fair-goers can engage directly with farmers and dairy professionals.

Mold recalled a defining moment with a blind man while she was in 4H. "I had the opportunity to help him kind of feel his way along the cow and explain what he was touching and talk to him just about cows and how they work, and I could see his his face change in our conversation changed as we moved from the head of the cow all the way to the back."

The Moo Booth’s success has been driven by countless volunteers—high school students, retired farmers, veterinarians, and more. Mold's commitment to educating the public transformed the Moo Booth into a Minnesota State Fair staple.

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Minnesota Milk

Advocating for women in farming

Mold has been a strong voice for recognizing the contributions of women in agriculture, encouraging them to claim their identities as farmers. Through her advocacy on the USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Advisory Committee, she pushed for changes to the 2017 Agricultural Census, ensuring that women farmers were accurately represented.

"I really think that in many operations, the women are critical to the operation, but society and sometimes the women themselves don't always give themselves the credit for being a farmer. They'll say, ‘Well, my husband's a farmer’ or ‘I'm a farmer's wife,’ and that's fine, if that's the role that you play. But I just wanted to encourage the women out there that if you're out there feeding calves, you're keeping the books, you're making decisions on what land to buy... you're a farmer too.”

The Bruce Cottington Friend of Dairy Award

Doris will be honored this February with the Bruce Cottington Friend of Dairy Award, which is presented each year by the Minnesota Milk Producers Association. Doris said, “His love for dairy was so expansive and to be honored with an award named after him and then also seeing who else has been honored with the award prior to my receiving it, really, truly is humbling.”

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The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.