The New York State Fair has unveiled its 2011 butter sculpture. See it now through September 5 in the NYS Fair Dairy Products Building.
The annual butter sculpture traditionally pays tribute to the state’s farm families who feed folks in their communities and beyond, but this year, New York’s farmers have turned the tables to publically thank another group dedicated to providing nutritious food: the School Nutrition professionals, who prepare more than 2.3 million meals for students every day in New York State.
Created from 800 pounds of unsalted butter, “Feeding our Future” features students selecting healthy breakfast items, such as milk, fruit, cereal and yogurt from a cafeteria line.
Fairgoers are invited to nominate their favorite school food worker for a day of pampering as an additional thank you. Details are available at the Dairy Princess Booth at the Dairy Products building or by visiting the website. The contest runs August 24-September 15th.
When the Fair is finished, the butter will once again find new life by turning corn’s best friend into fuel—biodiesel, to be exact—as part of a joint collaboration between American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc. (ADADC), and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). The sculpture is expected to yield more than 90 gallons of fuel, which will be used to transport SUNY-ESF students.
The 800 pounds of unsalted butter are provided courtesy of Wegmans Food Markets. Artists Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken created the sculpture for the 9th straight year.
Source: The American Dairy Association & Dairy Council, Inc.