Flickr: Governor Tom Wolf

The 20 Most Intricate Butter Sculptures Carved by Hand

Need to relax? Butter sculpting is oddly soothing to watch.

Like the very idea of the state fair, butter sculptures are about as Heartland American it gets. Often depicting pastoral or rural scenes, mostly with a focus on dairy, the art of sculpting butter is tedious and completely overlooked. That is, until fair season rolls around. Whether you visit the Minnesota State Fair, the Pennsylvania State Fair, the New York State Fair, or the State Fair of Texas, you will, undoubtedly, find a section where butter sculptors are quietly carving into their yellow blocks in seriously cold temperatures.

If state fair butter sculptures are a given, then you can imagine the types of images spotted in butter. We've seen everything from a dairy cow or two dancing to a depiction of The Last Supper in butter. However, dairy farmers and the American Dairy Association alike sure love butter sculptors, and shouldn't we all? Across America, those who take pride in their skills show up to be judged at banquet tables in every state to take home the blue ribbon prize for butter sculptures.

Whether you're heading out to the Iowa State Fair or the Ohio State Fair this year, one cannot miss the butter sculpting competitions. The Midwest in particular has a way with the dairy products, but no matter where you are in the country, chances are you can find a contest near you. You're not going to believe the following photos are made out of butter.

1. American Gothic

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZDHFJJFlea/?tagged=buttersculpture

Made from 700 pounds of butter, this farm show butter sculpture is so life-like!

2. Calf Rescue

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYzn4H7hrp3/?tagged=buttersculpture

Now that's a dairy princess.

3. Gritty

Did someone ask for a butter mascot?

4. Family Tradition

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZM0C02hZjU/?tagged=buttersculpture

5. Darwin, of IKEA Fur Coat Fame

6. Butter Squirrel, Butterfinger

7. Proud Peacock

8. In Honor of the Chef

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXqKAM0jb0I/?tagged=buttersculpture

9. Butter on the Lake

10. The Home Cook's Butter Unicorn

This one is not winning any Olympic gold medals.

11. Moon Landing

12. Piggy Stardust

13. The Open Field

14. The Milk Man

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNZ—kVjLTz/?tagged=buttersculpture

15. Sleepy Sheep

16. The Cow Groove

17. Butternut Squash

18. Jake the Dog

19. The John Stamos of Butter

20. Butter Beach Volleyball

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKDy0KGDxru/?tagged=buttersculpture

This article was originally published on September 29, 2017

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