All aboard the Dairy Express — the American Dairy Association North East has unveiled its latest butter sculpture at the New York State Fair, featuring an 800-pound butter sculpture.
This year’s sculpture marks the 55th year that butter has been a centerpiece of the New York State Fair. The piece depicts a train being conducted by a cow with passengers eating dairy foods. Unveiled Tuesday, the figures highlight dairy’s role in everyday products with the theme “Dairy Every Day is a Healthy Way — Keeping Kids’ Health on Track.”
The sculpture, crafted annually, was created over 11 days by sculptors using products provided by New York’s dairy farmers — of which 3,200 contribute to producing the state’s top agricultural commodity — a whopping 15 billion pounds of milk or more yearly.
After the fair, the butter will be transported to a local dairy, where it will be recycled and turned into renewable energy using a methane digester.
Fairgoers all over America enjoy annual sculptures at their state fairs. Just this week, Missouri unveiled its statue this week as well, featuring “A Good ‘Ol Cow Lick” at the Gerken Dairy Center, sponsored by Midwest Dairy.
In Illinois, fair officials unveiled their treasured Butter Cow in the Dairy Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds with the theme “Harvest the Fun.” The sculptor Sarah Pratt’s creation brings to life Illinois dairy farmer Lorilee Shultz from Mill-R-Mor Dairy in Orangeville, Illinois, harvesting milk from one of her cows.
The Ohio State Fair, which is credited with sculpting the first butter cow sculpture in 1903, unveiled its statue featuring inventors Thomas Edison, Josephine Cochran, Garrett Morgan, and James Spangler alongside some of their creations.
Next month, the Utah State Fair, Kansas State Fair, and State Fair of Texas will unveil their famous butter sculptures too.
»Related: Iowa State Fair butter sculptures feature famous Iowa athletes
