Butter Up! Amateur butter sculpture contest returns for 2022 Farm Show

A 20-pound mini butter sculpture of the 2022 Harvesting More logo, sculpted by PA Garret McCall, winner of the 2021 Butter Up! competition held during the virtual 2021 PA Farm Show, is pictured at Vale Wood Farms in Loretto on Thursday, September 16, 2021.

Harrisburg, PA – For a second year, the Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Farm Show invite Pennsylvanians to Butter Up! and try their hands at crafting a do-it-yourself butter sculpture. The contest, conducted on social media, will be open for submissions from Friday, December 3 through Friday, December 17, 2021 at 12:00 PM.

“Every year, millions tune in to see the unveiling of a 1,000-pound sculpture to kick off our annual Pennsylvania Farm Show,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “The butter sculpture shines a spotlight on the goodness of Pennsylvania dairy and the hardworking people who keep nutritious products on our tables year-round. Now everyone can get in the act and show off their artistic flair with one of Pennsylvania’s favorite products.”

Winning sculptors from each age group will receive gift cards from Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) members and one-day parking passes for the 2022 Farm Show. PFMA members The GIANT Company, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Wegmans, Square One Markets and Giant Eagle/GetGo have donated $50 and $25 gift cards for winners and runners up in each age group.

“The Butter Up! contest is a perfect opportunity to engage the public in one of the most beloved traditions of the Pennsylvania Farm Show. We had great participation and amazing submissions last year,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of the PFMA. “PFMA is grateful for this collaboration that highlights our friends at the Farm Show and in the dairy industry. And thank you to our generous members for donating contest prizes.”

Butter Up! contest guidelines include:

• Individuals can use up to 5 pounds of butter;
• Are allowed to use chicken wire, sculpting wire, and a base to support the design;
• Cannot use food dye or coloring of any kind to enhance the butter; and
• Sculptures must be unique, individual work of the entrants.

While not a requirement, the department suggests using local butter, to support Pennsylvania’s dairy industry. Pennsylvania butter can be identified by looking for the PA Preferred^® logo, plant code 42, or purchasing directly from a local farm market that sources from a Pennsylvania dairy.

Entrants will be judged in six age groups: five and under, elementary school (ages five to 10), middle school (ages 11-13), high school (ages 14-18), adult (ages 19-64), and senior (ages 65+).

Winners and runners up will be judged by fans of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Facebook page by total reactions (likes, loves, wows, cares, etc.).

Complete guidelines, rules and regulations are online at farmshow.pa.gov.

In September, Redding unveiled the 2022 Farm Show theme, Harvesting More, with help from Garret McCall, winner of the first Butter Up! competition held during the virtual 2021 PA Farm Show. McCall’s entry, The Good Shepherd, garnered the most engagement in the social media contest.

In honor of the 2022 show, McCall sculpted a 20-pound mini butter sculpture of the 2022 Harvesting More logo.

A 20-pound mini butter sculpture of the 2022 Harvesting More Farm Show logo, sculpted by PA Garret McCall, winner of the 2021 Butter Up! competition held during the virtual 2021 PA Farm Show. (photo)Opens In A New Window

The 2022 Pennsylvania Farm Show will feature a return of fan-favorites like the 1,000-pound butter sculpture, famous Farm Show Food Court, bunny hopping and sheep shearing competitions (among hundreds of other competitive agricultural events), cooking demonstrations at the PA Preferred^® Culinary Connection, and more than one million square feet of hands-on agriculture education opportunities and chances to engage with the people who power Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry.

Pennsylvanians can also tune in on the Pennsylvania Farm Show FacebookOpens In A New Window and InstagramOpens In A New Window accounts for a sampling of virtual farm tours, STEM demos for kids, Farm Show trivia and stories of agriculture.

To stay up to date on PA Farm Show news, visit farmshow.pa.gov or follow the Pennsylvania Farm Show on FacebookOpens In A New Window and InstagramOpens In A New Window.