Moon is made of butter
Ohio State Fair’s annual sculpture unveiling is out of this world
The cow that jumped over the moon is taking center stage with the astronauts who landed on it.
The Ohio State Fair’s popular butter sculpture this year features its usual cow and calf, as well as the crew of Apollo 11. The display is meant to celebrate Ohio’s connection to the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The State Fair opens today.
The themed display portrays distinct moments from the first moon landing. A life-size sculpture of Wapakoneta native Neil Armstrong salutes the American flag after planting it on the moon’s surface, next to the lunar module Eagle.
It also includes the Apollo 11 emblem and a life-size sculpture of the entire space crew. Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins sit beside the butter cow and calf.
Honoring the historic event, the dairy cow wears a cattle ID tag with a raised “11” on it, while her calf has “Apollo” on its ear tag.
A mural of the lunar surface, painted by Ted Hendrick, hangs behind the carved butter display.
Scott Higgins, CEO of the American Dairy Association Mideast, unveiled the sculptures Tuesday in the Dairy Products Building at the state fairgrounds.
Higgins was spotted drinking a bottle of milk before revealing the sculptures. He thanked the dairy farmers, processors and artists who helped create “historic moments we can celebrate in butter.”
Five artists worked together to create the display, including lead sculptors Paul Brooke and Alex Balz of Cincinnati. The team of artists worked about 500 hours to craft the sculptures in time for Wednesday’s fair opening.
Sculpting with butter is like using soft clay, but “it’s even better than that,” Balz said. He has worked on the state fair butter sculptures for 20 years.
During the sculpting process, the artists wear nitrate gloves because the butter breaks down other materials such as latex. They use typical clay sculpting tools, like metal chisels and scrapers, but much of the process is done with their hands.
The butter cow debuted at the State Fair in the early 1900s and found a permanent home in the Dairy Products Building in the 1920s. Themed sculptures, chosen by the American Dairy Association Mideast, were added in the 1960s.
The butter sculptures are stored in a cooler at 46 degrees Fahrenheit, keeping the 2,200 pounds of butter solid.
But you won’t want to taste these works of art. The butter, donated in part by Dairy Farmers of America, is past its expiration date and will be recycled after the fair.
The spoiled butter can be refined and used in products such as biodiesel, animal feed, tires and cosmetics. The Ohio State Fair runs through Aug. 4 at the Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave., west of Interstate 71. Maps, parking guides and performance schedules are available on the fair’s website at https:// ohiostatefair.com. The fairground gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. Concession stands begin serving food at 10 a.m.
The 2019 fair features new entertainers, like FLIPPIN, an aerial acrobatic comedy show. The group will perform near the south end of Mountain Dew Midway.
For the first time, human cannonball Brian Miser will be shot 40 feet high and 100 feet forward as fairgoers safely watch from below.
From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Wick Pavilion, excluding Aug. 4, visitors can witness live births and visit baby animals and expectant cows. Along with this educational attraction, you can milk a cow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the Dairy Products Building.