Butter cow sculpting underway at Illinois State Fair

Posted on July 20, 2021
The 2019 butter cow was designed to highlight construction work throughout the state. (Photo courtesy: Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Blake Haas and RFD

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Fair is just around the corner, and that means the sculpting of the state fair butter cow is underway.

Sculptor Sarah Pratt from Iowa is crafting this year’s life-sized cow made from 500 pounds of unsalted butter.

“Prairie Farms donates the butter, and they asked me if we wanted to get all new butter this year,” said Kendra Anderson with the Midwest Dairy Association. “Sarah does not like to sculpt with new butter because it’s harder to work with, so we are still using our same recycled butter that is stored in Decatur.”

The butter cow will be unveiled on Aug. 11 and will be on display throughout the state fair.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…