An early Christmas Surprise

SHERRILL, Iowa — On Christmas Day, Olmar Rocket Surprise will turn 3-months-old at her new home with 3-year-old Gracie Dupont, the youngest of three kids. Gracie is the winner of this year’s Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Giveaway.

“She’s excited,” said Josh Dupont who is Gracie’s dad. “She is only 3 though, so she doesn’t exactly understand everything that is going on.”

Surprise’s dam is Olmar Helix Sansi, who comes from a line of Excellent and Very Good dams going back 11 generations. Surprise is sired by Terra-Linda Rocket-ET.

Gracie is the daughter of Josh and Ashley, who farm with Josh’s parents, Mark and Cathy. Mark was the one who registered all the kids — Brayden, Bryce and Gracie — for the heifer giveaway.

The family’s barn is currently filled with Holsteins, so Surprise will fit right in. The Duponts milk 150 cows in a double-8 parlor.

Gracie’s parents both have off-the-farm jobs, but Josh works on the farm every morning and night. The family lives off the farm, but Dupont hopes to get his family more involved once they move onto the dairy.

“In the next five years I’m guessing (we will be on the farm),” Dupont said. “I always enjoyed it when I was younger. It is always something different every day, always a challenge.”

The oldest Dupont children help with calf chores and milking when they are at the farm. Gracie also comes out to the farm.

“(Gracie) likes the calves,” Dupont said. “She doesn’t like to be in the parlor too much yet. She likes to be around the calves, cats and the dog.”

When the Dupont children found out Gracie had won the calf, they were all eager to meet the newest addition to the farm. Surprise was welcomed to the dairy Dec. 17.

“They (were) excited to see it,” Dupont said. “Brayden (was) probably the most excited.”

Surprise was introduced to the family and settled into her new home with the calves similar to her age in group housing. She will stay with this group until they reach 4-5 months old, and then she will join a group of 25-30 heifers.

The family is considering showing cattle in the future as the kids start to express interest. Jill Nelson, who bred and raised Surprise at her dairy, Olmar Farms near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, said Surprise should be a productive cow in the herd and check the boxes as a show animal.

The adult cash prize of the Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Giveaway has also found a winner. Brittany Hellermann of Melrose, Minnesota, never had a lot of luck when it came to winning drawings. However, Hellermann’s luck changed this December when she was announced as the winner of the cash prize.

“I’m usually not very lucky,” Hellermann said. “My husband usually has the horseshoe.”

Hellermann registered for the drawing at Leedstone in Melrose after running some errands with her husband, Tony.

“The day I registered, my husband brought our old Christmas tree to (CURA of Melrose) for me to decorate for the residents to enjoy,” Hellermann said. “I went with him on my break … and while he was checking out, I saw the sign-up box and thought, ‘Why not?’”

Hellermann works full time at the care center but makes time to help out at the farm when she is not at work. Her role is to help with milking and chores. In the summer, she will also haul bales if extra help is needed.

On the farm, the Hellermanns can be found with their daughter, Madison Ainali, and Hellermann’s in-laws, Donnie and Debbie. Together the family milks 65 cows in a tiestall barn.

“Many family members come to help out with various tasks throughout the year,” Hellermann said. “(We) couldn’t do it without them. It is definitely a family affair.”

Hellermann said she is thankful that she won. She is not sure what she will do with the prize money yet.

“(I’m going to) take all five of us out to eat one night for starters,” Hellerman said. “I wasn’t expecting to win.”