SYRACUSE -- It is one of the most highly-anticipated events of the New York State Fair: the unveiling of the butter sculpture.
This year’s sculpture is a tribute to Greek Yogurt. It's featured in the setting of the Olympics.
Jim Victor and Marie Pelton say it took them 10 days to craft the 800 pounds of unsalted butter into a depiction of two children in athletic clothes carrying torches and medals in front of a large yogurt cup holding the Olympic flame. There's also a toga-clad cow holding the state flag.
Stepped up production of Greek-style yogurt over the past decade has created a major market for New York's dairy farmers.
Making Greek style yogurt has become a big business in upstate New York. Earlier this month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo hosted a "yogurt summit" to find ways the state can help increase New York's share of the growing trade.
View the videoFor more than 40 years, the butter sculpture has been a big attraction at the Dairy Products building. Past sculptures have featured Santa Claus, Family Milkman, the Pride of New York, and a small farming community.
Last year's butter sculpture, "Feeding our Future," honored the School Nutritional professionals who prepare more than 2.3 million meals for students every day across the state.
(Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.)
