Ten young women were named as finalists for the 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way. This past weekend, dairy princesses from across the state gathered for the annual May Leadership Event held May 15-16 at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis. The weekend included opportunities for networking, leadership workshops and a chance to compete for a finalist spot for Princess Kay of the Milky Way for young women rooted with a passion for dairy. This year’s theme of “The Power of You,” provided attendees with confidence in their leadership skills and knowledge through various inspiring and educational sessions.
To compete to be a finalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way, each princess submitted an application, participated in a professional interview, prepared and delivered a speech and participated in a mock media interview. Princess Kay candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for promoting dairy.
Of the participants, ten finalists were named and will go on to compete for the title of Minnesota’s 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way in late August of 2026.
This year’s finalists include:
- Kalley Christen; Lester Prairie; daughter of Keith and Angela Christen; representing McLeod County
- Elizabeth Coudron; Milroy; daughter of Ron and Jennifer Coudron; representing Redwood County
- Stephanie Dykstra; Bigelow; daughter of Steve and Esther Dykstra; representing Nobles County
- Claudia Frenchick; St. Martin; daughter of Amanda Frenchick; representing Meeker County
- Jena Hanson; Owatonna; daughter of Steve and Suzie Hanson; representing Steele County
- Morgan Morrow; Princeton; daughter of Jim and Tina Morrow; representing Benton County
- Isabella Schiffler; Albany; daughter of John and Kristie Schiffler; representing Stearns County
- Gracie Sellner; Sleepy Eye; daughter of Loran and Heidi Sellner; representing Brown County
- Jaiden Smith; Melrose; daughter of Jeremey and Emily Smith; representing Stearns County
- Daisy Zimmermann; Sauk Centre; daughter of Mike and Lori Zimmermann; representing Stearns County
These ten young women will have their likenesses carved in butter during the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.
Midwest Dairy sponsors the Princess Kay of the Milky Way program, which is funded by dairy farmers through their promotion checkoff.
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Midwest Dairy® represents 3,600 dairy farm families and works on their behalf to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in our products and production practices. We are committed to Bringing Dairy to Life! by giving Consumers an Excellent Dairy Experience and are funded by farmers across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit MidwestDairy.com, and follow us on Facebook and YouTube.