Michigan State Fair, a beloved tradition of Labor day weekend, is ready to once again dazzle residents and tourists alike. Having been held since 1849, the event delivers fun-filled experiences for people of all ages at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. This year however, the star attraction that is getting everyone talking is none other than the iconic butter cow.
At the entrance of the showplace, a unique feat of dairy artistry – a cow named Mel, completely made of butter, draws visitors’ attention. Alongside Mel, Margie the dog, Punchy the goat, and Jojo the calf, made entirely from the yellow delight, have also found their place in the buttery saga. A whopping quarter of a ton of butter, equivalent to over 500 pounds, have been sculpted into these beautiful creations by a team of four artists. The entire process spans over five days, engaging them for around 250 man-hours.
This adorable renderings come from the skilled hands at CF Burger Creamery, a local Dairy firm carrying forward the legacy of butter sculpture which can be traced back to the early 20th century. The first butter cow at the Michigan State Fair made its appearance around 1940. Post World War II, this creamy representation symbolized the comeback of the dairy industry after the rationing period.
The fair organizers believe that the butter sculptures, an absolute highlight of the event, play a unique role in welcoming the visitors. It is here where people click their first pictures, creating souvenirs to commemorate their day at the Michigan State Fair. In addition, the butter cow visualization is a way of paying homage to the flourishing Michigan Dairy industry. In fact, Michigan stands sixth in the U.S. for milk production, creating over 11 billion pounds of milk according to milkmeansmore.org.
One of the artists involved in the process, whose name is Rachel, shed some light on the butter sculpting process. “We let the 55 pound blocks of butter warm up for two days to soften before we can start molding it, much like clay,” she explained. Creating these sculptures is a cold task, as they have to be sculpted within a refrigerated case at 40 degrees. Rachel is an expert at this craft, having worked on 15 butter cows over her tenure.
Beyond butter cows, the state fair has much more to offer, from pig races to logging demos, not to mention melodious tunes from singer-songwriter Mckayla Prew.
Moreover, the butter used for these sculptures will not go to waste. A majority of it will be utilized by local farmers as nutritional feed for their livestock.
The Michigan State Fair ends this Monday. So people in and around Michigan have until then to witness these incredible butter sculptures, along with other fair attractions. To learn more, visit the official Michigan State Fair website.
