Butter cow unveiled at Illinois State Fair

Posted on August 7, 2019
The cow’s wearing a hard hat and stands among traffic cones and the word FUTURE, all in butter. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – No matter what other states do, you can count on seeing a cow made out of butter at the Illinois State Fair.

Ohio’s fair had butter astronauts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, as well as the Buckeye State’s legacy as the cradle of astronauts. One year, Iowa had a butter Harry Potter.

But Illinois always has a cow. Always.

“Our tradition here (is to) keep the focus on agriculture, which is what the fair was originally designed for,” said Illinois Department of Agriculture director John Sullivan. “If we can get dairy and cows involved into a sculpture like that, I think it’s a positive thing.”

Sculptor Sarah Pratt used about 800 pounds of butter to create the cow, which wears a construction had and stands among traffic cones and the word FUTURE, all of which symbolize the state fair’s theme, “Building Our Future.”

The fair begins Thursday and continues through Aug. 18.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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