Unfortunately for Ohioans, the beloved Ohio State Fair will not be taking place this year. But lovers of the infamous butter cow are still in luck. The American Dairy Association (ADA) Mideast is bringing the butter cow home to you. The association is rolling out an at-home kit for those at home to create a mini-butter cow.
A sculpting competition launches today, July 28th, and lead butter sculptor Paul Brooke has provided step-by-step instructions to help home sculptors create their own mini-butter cow along with providing a list of materials needed, including at least two pounds of butter. Then, using the hashtag #BuildYourButterCow on the ADA Mideast’s Facebook page, you can submit your creation. The winning sculptor will be announced on August 10th and will receive a YETI cooler to keep your sculpture cool through the summer.
The cow is always the most visited attraction at the annual State Fair. In past years, the themes of the display have honored Ohio pride by celebrating Ohio State and Cavaliers’ championships, the celebrated film A Christmas Story, Ohioan Neil Armstrong’s moon landing on Apollo 11 and much more.
“While we’ll be apart this year to help everyone stay safe and healthy, we’ll still be celebrating Ohio’s dairy farm families and the annual butter cow tradition,” said Jenny Crabtree, senior vice president of communications for ADA Mideast.
In addition to the at-home sculpting, the ADA Mideast is also asking everyone to share their favorite butter cow stories and photos from years past by using the hashtag #OHButterCowHistory on social media platforms so they can keep the tradition of the sculpture alive.
For more information visit the ADA Mideast’s website at www.drink-milk.com.
This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2020.