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.
