Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Last updated
Katie Miron, Princess Kay of the Milky Way, 2010, was a 19-year-old student at the University of Minnesota. Princess Kay-20100830-crop.JPG
Katie Miron, Princess Kay of the Milky Way, 2010, was a 19-year-old student at the University of Minnesota.

Princess Kay of the Milky Way is the title awarded to the winner of the statewide Minnesota Dairy Princess Program, an annual competition organized by the Midwest Dairy Association. During her one-year term, the Princess Kay of the Milky Way serves as official good-will ambassador for the Minnesota dairy industry. The Princess is crowned every year at the Minnesota State Fair, and receives a scholarship. The crowning of Princess Kay annually garners statewide as well as national media coverage. [2]

Contents

The competition was the idea of Lew Conlon, who managed the Minnesota Dairy Industry Committee. [2] The name "Princess Kay of the Milky Way" was selected from over 10,000 entries in a 1954 contest to name the Minnesota dairy princess. [3]

Princess Program

2010 Princess Kay of the Milky Way sits for a butter sculptor at the Minnesota State Fair PrincessKay.jpg
2010 Princess Kay of the Milky Way sits for a butter sculptor at the Minnesota State Fair

Individual counties in Minnesota may select Dairy Princesses who meet the eligibility requirements listed below. These Princesses may then advance to the Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists competition held each spring. Of the nearly 100 princesses in the competition, 10 finalists are selected, and are then required to take on public relations roles at the Minnesota State Fair. The new Princess Kay is selected just before the State Fair, and the coronation takes place the night before the State Fair opens. The crowned Princess Kay then makes numerous media and public appearances during the Fair's 12 days and throughout the coming year on behalf of Minnesota dairy farmers.

Contestants must be U.S. citizens, and their parents, guardians, or siblings must be actively involved in the production of dairy products. They must also have completed a high school education, be under the age of 24, and be unmarried with no children. Candidates are judged on "communication skills, personality, general knowledge of the dairy industry and its products, and their commitment to dairy promotion." [4]

Butter sculptures

Since 1965, sculptures of the winning Princess Kay and other finalists have been carved, one per day, at the Minnesota State Fair. Recent butter sculptures have been carved out of a 90-pound block of Grade A butter, in a walk-in, glass-walled refrigerator. The butter is manufactured by Associated Milk Producers in New Ulm, Minnesota. The butter carving booth is one of the most popular exhibits at the Fair. The carving of the butter sculpture takes 6–8 hours per finalist. For nearly 40 years, Linda Christensen has sculpted the Princesses' butter sculptures. Princesses take their butter sculpture home with them at the end of the Fair. [5]

Princesses

YearNameCountyTown
1954Eleanor Maley Thatcher Mower County Grand Meadow
1955Ruth Marie Peterson Faber Mower County Lansing
1956Barbara Bossus Bohrer Crow Wing County Brainerd
1957Judy Merritt Dakota County Lakeville
1958Diane Schroeder Dunn Polk County Fertile
1959Betty Jax Cole Mower County Adams
1960Marilyn Christianson Styve Freeborn County Corning
1961Diane Kramer Nobles County Worthington
1962Kathy Hjelle Martens Marshall County Argyle
1963Audrey Meyer Carlsen Freeborn County Clarks Grove
1964Karen Bracken Geier Lincoln County Verdi
1965Mary Ann Titrud Springer Todd County Clarissa
1966Linda Kottke McLeod County Glencoe
1967Carla Rae Larson Moll Lyon County Minneota
1968Linda Louwagie Brisbane Lyon County Marshall
1969Janelle Gatzke Hahn Fillmore County Preston
1970Gayle Krogstad Solum Norman County Ada
1971Mary Ann Glawe Hardy Becker County Detroit Lakes
1972Madge Stapleton Johnson Houston County Caledonia
1973Lori Anshus Redmer Yellow Medicine County Canby
1974Juliet Tessmer Garbow Hennepin County Rogers
1975Wanda Ponto Sackter Kanabec County Mora
1976Kathy Zeman Steele County Owatonna
1977Beth Aarsvold Olson Winona County Peterson
1978Kari Schroht Reuvers Steele County Owatonna
1979Tamara Pennings Goehring Kandiyohi County Blomkest
1980Jean Lindig Kessler Pine County Pine City
1981Jill Jensen Douglas Martin County East Chain
1982Janet Forner Bosch Carver County Chaska
1983Lisa Schaffer Coyne Dakota County Cannon Falls
1984Barbara Bianchi Clayton Nicollet County Gibbon
1985Stephanie Dickey Bjella Clearwater County Leonard
1986Yvonne Moerke Devito Grant County Ashby
1987Amy Polikowsky Mesenburg Olmsted County Byron
1988Marie Dick Cottonwood County Bingham Lake
1989Katie Scott Johnson Otter Tail County Battle Lake
1990Beth Mesenbring-Mastre Carver County Cologne
1991Julie Felger Mulford Kanabec County Mora
1992Bridget Hendrickson Jacobson Fillmore County Preston
1993Ann Erickson Gibbs Otter Tail County Battle Lake
1994Julie Sauber Antonutti Dakota County Lakeville
1995Kimberly Mallery Gusick Chisago County Shafer
1996Kristi Ann Pettis Osterlund Sibley County Winthrop
1997Kari Skiba Stanek Anoka/Isanti North Branch
1998Jenny Kinnunen Schlauderaff Wadena County Menahga
1999Renae Jorgens Gebhart Yellow Medicine County Boyd
2000Bridget Hollermann Klein Pope County Farewell
2001Kelsey Olson Fillmore County Spring Valley
2002Sarah Olson Schmidt McLeod County Hutchinson
2003Tae Vander Kooi Nordby Nobles County Worthington
2004Christina Rettmann Renville County Buffalo Lake
2005Rebekah Dammann Reuter McLeod County Lester Prairie
2006Audrey Mohr Brown County New Ulm
2007Ann Miron Washington County Hugo
2008Kristy Mussman Steele County Claremont
2009Elizabeth Olson McLeod County Hutchinson
2010Katie Miron Washington County Hugo
2011Mary Zahurones Morrison County Pierz
2012Christine Reitsma Stearns County Sauk Centre
2013MarJenna McWilliam Koehler Polk County Winger
2014Jeni Haler Carver County Norwood Young America
2015Kyla Mauk Wright County Howard Lake
2016Haley Hinrichs Goodhue County Goodhue
2017Emily Annexstad Nicollet County St. Peter
2018Rebekka Paskewitz Todd County Browerville
2019Amy Kyllo Olmsted County Byron
2020Brenna Connelly Olmsted County Byron [6]
2021Anna Euerle Meeker County Litchfield
2022Rachel Rynda LeSueur County Montgomery [7]
2023Emma Kuball Rice County Waterville [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butter</span> Dairy product

Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment, and used as a fat in baking, sauce-making, pan frying, and other cooking procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood carving</span> Form of working wood by means of a cutting tool

Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object. The phrase may also refer to the finished product, from individual sculptures to hand-worked mouldings composing part of a tracery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalecarlian horse</span> Traditional Swedish carved, painted wooden horse statuette

A Dalecarlian horse or Dala horse is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). In the old days the Dalecarlian horse was mostly used as a toy for children; in modern times it has become a symbol of Dalarna, as well as of Sweden in general. Several types of Dalecarlian horses are made, with distinguishing features common to the locality of the site where they are produced. One particular style has, however, become much more common and widespread than others. It is stoutly carved and painted bright red with details and a harness in white, green, yellow and blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Fair</span> Annual event in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice sculpture</span>

Ice sculpture is a form of sculpture that uses ice as the raw material. Sculptures from ice can be abstract or realistic and can be functional or purely decorative. Ice sculptures are generally associated with special or extravagant events because of their limited lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow sculpture</span>

Snow sculpture, snow carving or snow art is a sculpture form comparable to sand sculpture or ice sculpture in that most of it is now practiced outdoors often in full view of spectators, thus giving it kinship to performance art. The materials and the tools differ widely, but often include hand tools such as shovels, pickle forks, homemade tools, and saws. Snow sculptures are usually carved out of a single block of snow about 6–15 ft (1.8–4.6 m) on each side and weighing about 20–30 tons. The snow is densely packed into a form after having been produced by artificial means or collected from the ground after a snowfall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Fair</span> 13-day showcase of agriculture and technology

The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New York's largest annual event and an end-of-summer tradition for hundreds of thousands of families from all corners of the state. The first fair took place in Syracuse in 1841, and took permanent residence there in 1890. It is the oldest and one of the largest state fairs in the United States, with over one million visitors annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Paul Winter Carnival</span> Annual festival in Minnesota, United States

The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is an annual festival in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Minnesota USA</span> Beauty pageant competition

The Miss Minnesota USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Minnesota in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since its inception in 1995, which also directs the state pageants for Colorado, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butter sculpture</span> Sculptural technique

Butter sculptures are three-dimensional works of art created with butter, a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. The works often depict animals, people, buildings and other objects. They are best known as attractions at state fairs in the United States as lifesize cows and people, but can also be found on banquet tables and even small decorative butter pats. Butter carving was an ancient craft in Tibet, Babylon, Roman Britain and elsewhere. The earliest documented butter sculptures date from Europe in 1536, where they were used on banquet tables. The earliest pieces in the modern sense as public art date from ca. 1870s America, created by Caroline Shawk Brooks, a farm woman from Helena, Arkansas. The heyday of butter sculpturing was about 1890–1930, but butter sculptures are still a popular attraction at agricultural fairs, banquet tables and as decorative butter patties.

The Miss North Dakota competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of North Dakota in the Miss America pageant. The first Miss North Dakota to compete at Miss America was Kitty Page in 1949. In 2017, Cara Mund became the first North Dakotan to win the Miss America title, when she won the Miss America 2018 pageant.

The Miss Oregon competition is a regional scholarship competition that selects the representative for the US state of Oregon in the Miss America pageant. The annual event includes contestants from across the state and awards scholarships to the participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone sculpture</span>

A stone sculpture is an object made of stone which has been shaped, usually by carving, or assembled to form a visually interesting three-dimensional shape. Stone is more durable than most alternative materials, making it especially important in architectural sculpture on the outside of buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of Minnesota</span>

The cuisine of Minnesota is a type of Midwestern cuisine found throughout the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. It was heavily influenced by Slavic, German, Vietnamese, and Scandinavian cuisine.

<i>Butter</i> (2011 film) 2011 film by Jim Field Smith

Butter is a 2011 American comedy film directed by Jim Field Smith, from a screenplay by Jason Micallef, starring Yara Shahidi, Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Rob Corddry, Ashley Greene, Alicia Silverstone, and Hugh Jackman. The film is about an Iowa State Fair butter sculpture contest and the competitors and onlookers who attend said contest. It premiered at the 2011 Telluride Film Festival on September 4, 2011, and was released on October 5, 2012 by The Weinstein Company through its RADiUS-TWC distribution arm. The film is said to be a satire of the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. Butter received mixed reviews from critics, who questioned Smith's direction of the film's script in terms of humor and satire and the performances from the ensemble cast. The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $175,706 worldwide against a production budget of $10.8 million.

Norma Duffield Stong "Duffy" Lyon was an American farmer and artist nicknamed The Butter Cow Lady. She was known for creating elaborate butter sculptures at the Iowa State Fair from 1960 until 2006, when she retired. She also produced sculptures on commission for politicians and celebrities, as well as for other state fairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Shawk Brooks</span> American sculptor

Caroline Shawk Brooks was an American sculptor. Well known for her work sculpting in the medium of butter, she also worked with more traditional materials such as marble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Christensen</span> American butter artist

Linda Christensen is believed to be the only butter carver in the United States who works with live models. She is known for carving the likeness of Princess Kay of the Milky Way along with the 11 Princess Kay finalists out of 90-pound blocks of butter at the annual Minnesota State Fair. Each year, her work draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Dairy Building, where the Midwest Dairy Association sponsors the butter carving in front of fair goers. The newly crowned Princess Kay and 11 finalists each spend about six hours with Christensen in the rotating 40-degree butter booth, as Christensen carves their likenesses out of butter. Princess Kay sits in the booth on the first day of the fair while the 11 finalists get their likenesses carved over the remaining days of the state fair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk Queen</span>

Milk Queen is the title awarded to the winner of regularly-organized competitions by Dairy Associations in many countries.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a producer of cheese curds located in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. It has retail locations in Ellsworth and Menomonie, Wi. The cooperative ships throughout the United States and Ellsworth Cheese Curds are found in grocery store chains in the upper Midwest. Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is also a milk processing and whey drying plant.

References

  1. "Katie Miron of Hugo named 57th Princess Kay of the Milky Way". Pioneer Press. Media News Group. August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Marling, Karal Ann (1990). Blue Ribbon: A Social and Pictorial History of the Minnesota State Fair. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press. pp. 136–137. ISBN   978-0-87351-252-7.
  3. Baranauckas, Carla (August 27, 2005). "Minnesota State Fair Journal; A Dairy Queen, Oops, Princess, in All Her Buttery Glory". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2023. after the official title Princess Kay of the Milky Way was chosen from 10,000 entries in a statewide contest
  4. "Midwest Dairy Association". Archived from the original on 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  5. Mincer, Jilian (August 26, 2010). "When It Comes to Butter Carving, There's No Margarine for Error". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  6. "University of Minnesota student from Byron, Minn., named next Princess Kay". Star Tribune .
  7. "Minnesota New Princess Kay of the Milky Way Crowned". Star Tribune .
  8. "2023 Princess Kay of the Milky Way crowned". Star Tribune . August 23, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.