American Dairy Association North East, Wegmans unveil giant butter sculpture

The 50th annual sculpture pays tribute to New York’s hard-working dairy farmers.

American Dairy Association North East, along with Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets, unveiled the 50th annual butter sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds on Aug. 21. The sculpture pays tribute to the state's hard-working dairy farmers, the North Syracuse, N.Y.-based association said.

To illustrate just how quickly milk gets from the farm to the store, this year's sculpture features a farmer transporting milk directly from his dairy farm to a consumer in the grocery aisle — a symbolic reminder that "Your Milk Comes From A Good Place" within 48 hours. The farm's name, “Over the Moon Dairy Farm,” is a tribute to the inaugural 1969 Butter Sculpture, which originally depicted a cow jumping over the moon, American Dairy Association North East said.

"This year's butter sculpture is a great way to remind consumers that dairy products are local and responsibly produced by farmers who care about their cows, their land and their communities," said Bret Bossard of Barbland Dairy, Fabius, N.Y. "When consumers buy milk and dairy products, they are supporting the state's economy, as well as the 4,400 dairy farm families and 600,000 dairy cows that call New York home. Milk comes from a good place — your local dairy farm."

In New York state, 99% of dairy farms are family-owned and operated; New York ranks third in the nation for milk production, the association noted.

"Wegmans is proud to sponsor this year's butter sculpture, which has become an integral part of the fair," said Evelyn Ingram, director of community relations for Wegmans.

The 800-pound sculpture was fashioned over a 10-day period by artists Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken, Pa. After the fair, the sculpture will be deconstructed and recycled in a methane digester to create electricity and liquid fertilizer for crops at Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, N.Y., the association said.