In the early 1900s, The Ohio State University and the dairy processors of Ohio sponsored butter sculpting contests at the Ohio State Fair. The subjects of these contests were not restricted to specific themes.

Eventually, the butter cow, and later the calf, found a permanent “home” in the Dairy Products Building, which was constructed in the 1920s. New cow and calf sculptures are sculpted each year, thus becoming a fair tradition.

Additional butter figures were added to the cow and calf display in the 1960s, and the subject changes every year.

The Dairy Products Building and the butter sculpture display are sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast, the dairy farmer-funded organization responsible for increasing sales of and demand for U.S. dairy products and ingredients in Ohio and West Virginia.

Each year, the American Dairy Association Mideast selects an icon or theme to feature in butter that is non-political, non-controversial and reflects optimism and broad audience-appeal.

A group of four Cincinnati-based free-lance technical sculptors, engaged primarily in the toy industry, completed this year’s display in approximately 370 hours (210 hours of sculpting and 160 hours of designing and planning).

A temperature of 45 degrees is maintained inside the cooler.

Approximately 500,000 fairgoers visit the Dairy Products Building annually to see the butter sculptures and enjoy real dairy products.

Many of the exhibits attract local, regional and national media coverage, including CNN Today, The Weather Channel, MSNBC, Sports Illustrated and Late Night with David Letterman.

Previous butter sculptures include: