Sherman teen Larsen Swan was awarded a Jersey calf through the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award.

Sherman teen Larsen Swan recently had a new calf delivered to his door from California as part of the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award (HLLA). The purpose of the HLLA is to provide an aspiring and deserving high school dairy youth a chance to own and show a female cow who has never had a calf but who has exemplary genetics for milk production at local, state and national shows including World Dairy Expo.

The Jersey calf, “Vierra Every Little Thing”, is a September daughter of World Dairy Expo Jersey Grand Champion Rivendale VIP Eloise. Swan retains 50% ownership of the calf and will raise her through the summer to go to this year’s World Dairy Expo.

The rigorous application process for this award requires an application with a suitable mentor as the first step. Swan’s mentor is experienced Vermont dairy breeder and exhibitor Seth Johnson, from Tunbridge, Vermont. Johnson is well known throughout the dairy industry as a leader, showman and judge of dairy cattle at local and national levels. The mentor/mentee relationship started years ago when Swan purchased a Guernsey calf from Johnson.

Five finalists for the award were chosen out of over 30 applicants from around the country. Each one was interviewed in March, with Swan winning the calf and the $1,000 runner-up prize going to Taryn Burns of Whiting, Vermont. The other three finalists received $500 each.

The award was created in honor of Mike Hellenbrand, who left a New York City Wall Street career to establish “City Slickers Farm” after the events of 9/11. His farm quickly became a showcase of top dairy breeds and Hellenbrand was soon on the executive board of the World Dairy Expo. His real joy was helping youth get into the dairy industry through the competitive showing of their animals. Aspiring dairymen and women point to Mike as their inspiration in starting their dairy future.

When Hellenbrand passed away in 2020, the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award was established to help dairy teens get an established start. Chautauqua County 4-H is proud to see local teen Larsen Swan awarded the HLLA in 2026.

The mission of 4-H is to connect youth to learning opportunities that help them grow into competent, caring and contributing members of society. The 4-H Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua.