Who else but Iowa?
Seriously folks, what other University do you know that will give you stories involving butter sculptures?
One of the top attractions at the Iowa State Fair held in Des Moines in August is the Butter Cow. This tradition of creating a life-sized cow literally out of butter dates all the way back to 1911 when J.K. Daniels sculpted the first butter cow. According to the State Fair’s website, this is how the traditional cow sculpture is manufactured.
The Butter Cow starts with a wood, metal, wire and steel mesh frame and about 600 lbs. of low moisture, pure cream Iowa butter. Once inside the 40-degree cooler, layers of butter are applied until a life-size butter cow emerges – measuring about 5-1/2-ft high and 8-ft long. Each year, much of the butter is recycled and can be reused for up to 10 years.
A real dairy cow weighs more than 1,000 pounds, but the butter version comes in at around 600 pounds. Did you know the butter cow would butter about 19,200 slices of toast and take an average person two lifetimes to consume? – Iowa State Fair.
The Iowa State Fair is now on its fifth butter sculptor. Sarah Pratt of West Des Moines took over in 2006 after apprenticing for 15 years!
Since 1996, the ol’ butter cow has been accompanied by a number of companion sculptures. Over the years, the butter cow has featured companions such as Elvis Presley, Harry Potter, and Tiger Woods. There’s been nods to American classics such as Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham,” Monopoly, Star Trek and Sesame Street, too.
This year, it was time for some homegrown Iowan flair. One of the three figures being depicted is none other than Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark!
Clark joins both Jack Trice and Kurt Warner in a celebration of iconic Iowa athletes. Warner is the only person inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Hall of Fame. The Super Bowl championship-winning quarterback was a 1993 Northern Iowa graduate.
Jack Trice was Iowa State’s first African American athlete and the Cyclones’ stadium is named after him. The butter sculpture for Trice is part of a series of 100-year commemorations honoring his life and legacy.
Then, there’s Clark. Hawkeye fans are well acquainted with all of the records that the West Des Moines product has been breaking. Just this past spring, Clark became the first player to register a 40-point triple-double in the NCAA Tournament. She followed it up with another 40-point performance to end South Carolina’s perfect season in the Final Four. Clark was the first women’s player to post back-to-back 40-point scoring efforts.
Here’s what the Iowa State Fair had to say about why Clark is the perfect choice to be immortalized in butter sculpture fame.
Has added countless accolades and awards to her points and assists records, but nothing is more iconic of her impact as an Iowan than being recognized with a likeness in butter at the Iowa State Fair. – Iowa State Fair.
The butter cow along with butter versions of Caitlin Clark, Kurt Warner and Jack Trice, will be featured in the John Deere Agriculture Building from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., during the Best Days Ever at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 10-20.
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