A buttery dynasty of dairy royalty

Most Minnesotans bring jello salad or a relish tray to family reunions. Maybe some banana bread.

The Hupf family spread was more unusual, yet undeniably Minnesotan, at one of their gatherings at the farm near Randolph. They brought butter sculptures.

With seven past finalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way among the daughters and granddaughters and at least four remaining butter sculptures -- all carved over the years at the State Fair -- it seemed only fitting to throw a "Butterhead Bash."

"Growing up on a dairy farm, as a girl, you dream about it," said Libby Tate of Rosemount, the second of the seven dairy princesses. She followed in the footsteps of her older sister, now known as Mary Nelson and living on a dairy farm in Winthrop. "It's sort of like our Miss USA," Libby said

They are clearly amused by the buttery collection amassed over the years and stored in family freezers around the state, but they are completely serious about the mission of the Princess Kay program: sharing their experiences and promoting the dairy industry.

"The love starts right at the farm," said Krista Sheehan, a princess finalist in 2005. "I just wanted to represent my parents and what they do -- let other people know what goes on on a farm."

The Hupf dairy dynasty started at the family farm near Randolph, home to Olive and Vernon Hupf since the 1960s. They milked 70 cows and tended 160 acres of cropland to feed them until about a decade ago. They had six children, four girls and two boys.

Daughter Mary brought home the first butter sculpture as a 1979 finalist for Princess Kay. She was followed by younger sister Libby in 1993.

Their niece, Kelly Sheehan, now Kelly Kendall, was next in 2000. Then, Kelly's sister, Krista Sheehan, and cousin, Tracy Nelson, Mary's daughter, came along in 2005. Another cousin, Molly Neil, followed in 2007.

The dairy nobility count grew when Tracy's brother married Megan Kappers, a 2003 Princess Kay finalist.

"My mother was thrilled when we got another butterhead in the family," Mary Nelson said, laughing.

Matriarch Olive Hupf is obviously tickled that the ladies of the family took a shining to being ambassadors for the dairy industry. "We think the world of all of them, and we're very proud of what they've done."

Sherry Newell, director of communications for the Midwest Dairy Association, the organization that sponsors the Princess Kay program, said family connections among finalists aren't unusual, given the relatively small dairy farming community.

Still, the extended Hupf family stands out for their decades of dedication to the program.

"There have been lots of changes in dairying over the years, so the fact that you have that kind of tradition over several generations is phenomenal," Newell said.

And they have reaped their rewards in butter.

The first butter sculpture -- Mary Nelson's likeness -- served as a centerpiece for her parents' 25th wedding anniversary and is now long gone.

Libby Tate donated her sculpture to an artist yearning to practice with butter as a medium, but not before a chunk went to good use at a family sweet corn feed.

"We shaved my shoulders off and put them in a Crock-Pot," Tate said, laughing.

The younger girls have been more hesitant to part with their butter sculptures, opting instead to store them in their parents' freezers, taking them out for celebrations or opportunities to talk about the dairy industry.

"I'm trying to convince her it needs to be used," Mary Nelson said of her daughter Tracy's buttery likeness.

The finalists also get to take home the scraps cut from the 90-pound block of butter as longtime sculptor Linda Christensen does her work. All of that has been put to use, for corn feeds or cookies.

"It made really good cookies. It's almost like we could taste the difference," Krista Sheehan said. "Maybe it was the princess magic in them."

None of the Hupf family finalists was ever bestowed the title of Princess Kay, but that doesn't dampen their enthusiasm.

Molly Neil said she hopes the tradition continues when more little girls come along in the family. Almost all of the women are still connected to the dairy industry, through farming, agriculture education or industry publicity.

"I'm hoping that if I have little girls they'll be interested," Neil said. "We will always be dairy princesses in our hearts."

Katie Humphrey • 952-882-9056