Editor’s note: Since this is our World Dairy Expo issue, we thought we’d use this HERd management column to catch up with Kim Wilson, who wrote a blog for our Proud to Dairy network in 2010. She shared with us her now-husband Brandon’s creative and romantic marriage proposal at World Dairy Expo that year. Kim says she and Brandon were married on April 21, 2012. Their wedding was held on the border of the Missouri and Oklahoma. Instead of a unity candle, the couple combined soil from his family farm and soil from her family farm.
Instead of champagne, the newlyweds toasted with milk. Kim and Brandon currently live in Cumberland, Wisconsin, on his family’s farm. Kim works nearby as a DHI specialist. They will be showing at World Dairy Expo this year and hope to continue to do so with their registered Guernseys and Jerseys.Read on to see an excerpt from Kim’s blog post.
World Dairy Expo surprise
When I was flying to Madison to exhibit dairy cattle at the World Dairy Expo, I would have never thought that Expo 2010 would be something more than just cattle and good dairy friends, but a special surprise was behind my boyfriend’s door.
Prior to traveling, Brandon told me one day to bring “fancy” clothes. Since we didn’t get to see each other on our four-month anniversary, Brandon wanted to take me out to a nice fancy dinner. We went to downtown Madison to a little romantic Italian restaurant, Porta Belle. We had dinner early so we could milk the cows and finish chores for the evening.
We were supposed to head to the camper to change into chore clothes, when he stopped in the parking lot at the Expo center and said we were going for a walk. Now after walking downtown in uncomfortable heels, taking a stroll at this time was not on my “to do” list. Let’s just say, I threw a little fit.
He finally convinced me to walk because he parked a little closer to where we would be walking. The place of the walk, was none other than the famous Willow Tree ponds.
As we walked down the sidewalk, we got closer to the pond and standing there was a close friend, Jaci Peterson, holding a Guernsey calf all dolled out with pink ribbons. Jaci handed me the calf, and Brandon pulled a box out of a basket that was hung from the calf’s neck. He proceeded to get down on his knee, and opened the box and asked the big question, “Will you marry me?”
I was just in shock ... and, of course, I said YES!! All this time Jaci was capturing every moment by camera. My fiancé had every moment just planned so perfectly. The whole package of the proposal just fit the two of us so perfectly.
How do two dairy enthusiasts get engaged? Simple ... World Dairy Expo!! PD
PHOTO
The couple’s relationship began at World Dairy Expo four years ago when Brandon had an interest in purchasing Kim’s cow, Mi-Wil Tiller Malibu. It’s become a family joke that Brandon decided instead of buying the cow, it would be cheaper to put a ring on Kim’s finger. Photo courtesy Kim Wilson.
