After N.Y. State Fair, 800 Pounds of Butter Goes to Fuel Homes

After 13 days on display at the New York State Fair, the 57th Annual Butter Sculpture is off to be recycled at a Western New York dairy farm.

American Dairy Association North East, in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and Noblehurst Farms, dismantled the 800-pound sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds. The butter, supplied by O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia, New York, and unsuitable for sale or consumption for a variety of reasons, will return to Western New York — less than 15 miles from its origin –for recycling.

Noblehurst Farms in Livingston County will combine the butter with other food waste from local grocery stores, cafeterias, and manufacturers, along with manure, and process it in the farm’s digester, converting it into energy. The digester breaks down the material and creates enough electricity to power the farm, the farm’s on-site creamery and more than 600 homes for a year.

“We are extremely honored to be the ‘official’ recycler of the New York State Fair’s butter sculpture,” said Jack Klapper, co-owner of Noblehurst Farms. “At Noblehurst Farms we take pride in being good stewards of the land. Recycling 800 pounds of butter is just another opportunity to showcase how we are sustainable by diverting food waste from landfills and creating renewable energy.”

This is Noblehurst Farm’s 10th year recycling the butter sculpture. During that time, the farm has recycled 8,000 pounds, or four tons, of butter in their digester, creating enough energy to power one home for about a month. In a typical year, the 800 pounds of butter can generate enough electricity to power one home for three to five days.

In recent years, Noblehurst Farms has been recognized nationally for achievements in sustainability and community partnerships to divert food waste from local landfills. When the farm started its recycling program in 2015, they were recycling about 500 tons of food waste per month. Now, with the help of a new modern recycling system, Noblehurst Farms is recycling over 100 tons per day and has more than doubled its electricity production.

“Dairy farmers are resourceful at recycling. We try not to let anything go to waste,” said Klapper. “Focusing on how we can be sustainable and being environmental stewards is very important to the team at Noblehurst Farms.”

This year’s sculpture, “Dairy For Good: Nourish. Grow. Thrive.,” celebrated the joy and nourishment dairy provides at every stage of life, and was inspired by the 125th Anniversary of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book.