Harrisburg, Pa. (January 18, 2026) – With the closing of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, the 35th butter sculpture, “A Toast to Our Nation’s 250th Anniversary: Inspired by Founders. Grown by Farmers,” will be deconstructed, and the butter will be recycled into renewable energy.
The iconic 1,000-pound sculpture, which celebrated America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the growth of American agriculture, transported viewers back to 1776 Philadelphia, where Benjamin Franklin and the Founding Fathers celebrated the nation’s founding document with a celebratory toast of milk.
While the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration continues throughout the year, American Dairy Association North East and the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, in conjunction with Reinford Farms and the Friendship Community 4-H Club of Dauphin County, dismantled the 1,000-pound sculpture today at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. Dairy farmer Brett Reinford then transported the 1,000 pounds of butter to his dairy farm in Mifflintown, Pa.
Among the 1,100 acres of land and 650 cows at Reinford Farms are two methane digesters. The butter, along with thousands of pounds of food waste from nearby retailers, is broken down in the digester to create renewable energy. In the course of one year, the Reinfords divert about 60,000 tons of food waste from landfills, turning it into a resource while also reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
“It’s the perfect example of a sustainable and cyclical operation,” said Brett Reinford. “Our digesters provide an ideal solution for our farm and retailers to turn waste into energy.”
