I have some absolutely wild news to share. If you head down to the Agricultural Building at the Iowa State Fair this week, you won’t just see the iconic Butter Cow. Standing right alongside it inside the legendary 40 degree glass display case is a brand new, companion sculpture and it is literally me!
They captured my zen pose perfectly, complete with my sandals and crossed legs. Seeing yourself carved entirely out of pure, cream-yellow Iowa dairy is a surreal experience I never thought I’d cross off my bucket list. The plaque reads "Iowa State Fair Butter Sculpture 2026," and yes, it even earned a blue ribbon! I guess you could say my meditation practice is finally paying off in the smooth, creamy recognition it deserves.
A Quick Slice of Iowa Butter History 🧈
Seeing myself in the cooler got me thinking about how this bizarre and beautiful Midwestern tradition started in the first place. It turns out, Iowa's love affair with sculpted dairy has a rich history that spans over a century:
- The 1911 Debut: The very first life-size butter cow at the fair was sculpted back in 1911 by an artist named J.K. Daniels. It was originally started as a creative way to promote the local dairy industry.
- The Sculptors: Only a handful of artists have ever held the official title of Iowa State Fair Butter Sculptor. The most famous was Norma “Duffy” Lyon, who crafted the cows for an incredible 46 years from 1960 to 2005. Today, the tradition is carried on by Sarah Pratt and her daughters.
- The Companion Sculptures: While the cow is the main event every year, the fair started adding companion sculptures in 1984. Over the decades, artists have carved everything from Elvis Presley and characters from Toy Story to cultural figures like Caitlin Clark. This year, I am deeply honored to join that eclectic lineup!
- By the Numbers: A standard butter cow uses about 600 pounds of pure Iowa butter layered over a wood, wire, and mesh armature. That is enough dairy to spread across more than 19,000 slices of toast! Best of all, the fair actually recycles and reuses much of the butter for up to 10 years.
If you are walking the fairgrounds this year, grab a corn dog, skip the long lines if you can, and come say hello to my buttery, meditative lookalike in the Ag Building!
Of course this is made up. Why would they make a butter sculpture of Thomas Brogan?! To read about the real Butter sculptures at the Iowa State Fair, click here. It is a Fair tradition!
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