Olympians Celebrated in 2016 Butter Sculpture

By Debra J. Groom

Celebrating the Summer Olympics athletes is the theme of this year’s butter sculpture at the New York State Fair.

The Milk Life campaign sponsored Team USA in the recently completed Rio Olympics so this year’s sculpture pays tribute to Team USA and athletes from New York state.

The sculpture, done again this year by Jim Victor and Marie Pelton, of Conshohocken, Pa., shows a female basketball player, male volleyball player, male swimmer and female runner.

Celebrating the Olympians

Diana Dibble, vice president of consumer communications for the American Dairy Association North East, said milk is a natural nutrient powerhouse “that has always been on Olympians’ tables.”

“In fact, nine out of 10 (Olympians) said they drank milk while growing up,” she said.

Made of 800 pounds of salted butter from a milk plant in Batavia, Genesee County, the sculpture was  done over a period of 10 days. This is the 14^th year Victor and Pelton have sculpted the showcase of the Dairy Products Building.

The sculpture is one of the most popular sites to visit during the 12-day New York State Fair. It is in the Dairy Products Building at the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes. 

The fair opens Thursday, Aug. 25 and goes through Labor Day, Sept. 5. This is the 48th annual butter sculpture at the state fair.

“On behalf of dairy farmers producing the nutrient-rich milk that helps fuel Olympic athletes, I am so pleased that Milk Life is a sponsor of Team USA,” said Chris Noble, vice president of Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, Livingston County.

“I’m thrilled that this year’s butter sculpture provides us the means to celebrate that sponsorship,” he said.

Noble also said once the fair is over, the butter will be brought to his dairy farm, mixed with food waste and manure and then put into the anaerobic digester on the farm to convert it to methane gas and electricity.

The American Dairy Association North East also is sponsoring a selfie contest during the New York State Fair. Go to the Dairy Princess Booth in the Dairy Products Building and get a patriotic red, white and blue mustache.

Put the mustache on and then snap a selfie with your favorite dairy product. Tag the photo #milkUSA and post on Instagram.

The grand prize winner will receive a Buffalo Bills prize pack. Second prize is an Apple watch and daily prizes of $50 gift cards for dairy products also will be awarded.

Go to www.adadc.com for more contest information and rules.