One of the top attractions at the Pennsylvania Farm Show is the butter sculpture. It’s on display in the Farm Show’s Main Hall. This year, it’s the recreation of three of the state’s most popular pro-sports mascots – Philadelphia Flyers’ Gritty, Philadelphia Eagles’ Swoop and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steely McBeam. “East Meets West at the Pennsylvania Farm Show” is the theme, with mascots from the east and the west celebrating to remind us that every day is game day with Pennsylvania dairy products!
Here are are the top three most frequently asked questions we receive about the butter sculpture.
Where does the butter for the butter sculpture come from?
The 1,000 pounds of butter used for carving the butter sculpture are donated by the Land O’Lakes plant in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The butter itself is scrap butter — butter from damaged packaging or similar circumstances that make it unsuitable for sale and consumption.
What happens to the butter after the Show?
Dairy farmers try to recycle pretty much everything they possibly can. Much like the New York State Fair butter sculpture is turned from Butter to BTUs, the Pennsylvania butter sculpture will be turned into renewable energy at Reinford Farm in Juniata County. Once it arrives on the farm, the butter will be placed in the farm’s methane digester, which converts manure and food waste into energy that helps power the farm.
Can the butter from the sculpture be eaten afterward?
The butter from the butter sculpture is inedible. In addition to being scrap butter, it’s also been handled by the sculptors in a non-sterile environment. As the sculptors work to shape the butter into the sculpture, the butter sculpture case is at about 55-degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature is lowered once the sculpture is completed to preserve it for the entirety of the Show.
