--- title: "Dairy Association Takes State Fair’s Butter Cow Tradition to Social Media" id: "50657" type: "post" slug: "dairy-association-takes-state-fairs-butter-cow-tradition-to-social-media" published_at: "2020-07-31T20:23:38+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T03:47:17+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/07/31/dairy-association-takes-state-fairs-butter-cow-tradition-to-social-media/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/07/31/dairy-association-takes-state-fairs-butter-cow-tradition-to-social-media.md" excerpt: "The Ohio State Fair has been canceled, but the American Dairy Association Mideast is still making room for butter cows via a contest on social media." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AI" - "AssociationsNow" - "Meetings" - "Social Media" - "test" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Director" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Dairy Association Takes State Fair’s Butter Cow Tradition to Social Media Just because there’s no Ohio State Fair this year doesn’t mean there won’t be an outlet for fans of the giant butter cow sculpture that traditionally gets featured at the annual event. And it’s all thanks to some clever thinking on the part of the [American Dairy Association Mideast (opens in a new tab)](https://www.drink-milk.com/) . The association is sponsoring a contest to encourage the public to make a (tiny) butter cow of their own in the throes of social distancing, and share the results on social media. [The #BuildYourButterCow contest (opens in a new tab)](https://www.drink-milk.com/diy-butter-cow-sculpting-contest/) , which started this week, will take place through August 9, with the winners of the contest announced on August 10. Unlike at the state fair, the butter cow that contestants build won’t have to be life-size. That’s a good thing, because generally, that cow takes more than 400 hours to produce in a temperature-controlled 46-degree cooler and is made using a 2,000-pound chunk of butter. (Based on some back-of-the-napkin math, buying 2,000 pounds of butter in a store would cost consumers just shy of $2,000—if they could even find that much.) Instead, the association is aiming for a more realistic metric. “The winner will be awarded based on their ability to follow the contest rules, as well as their creativity,” the association stated on its contest page. “This means we will check to make sure you have followed our social pages and used the proper ingredients to the best of our knowledge.” For those looking to start sculpting, the association created an instructional video highlighting how to produce a butter cow. (Necessary ingredients: a wood board, sculpting wire, pliers, and butter.) Paul Brooke, the lead butter cow sculptor for the Ohio State Fair, noted in a statement that the loss of the annual event created an opportunity for creativity that didn’t exist before. “It’s something I’m truly proud to be a part of and have been lucky enough to enjoy each year for a long time,” Brooke said, [according to Cleveland.com (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/07/no-ohio-state-fair-butter-cow-this-year-enter-the-diy-butter-cow-challenge-to-make-one-at-home.html) . “It will be fun to share that feeling of accomplishment with everyone this year, and I can’t wait to see how their mini butter cows come together.” Even if you don’t win, it’ll be a more interesting act of social distancing than usual. (American Dairy Association Mideast) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#AI](https://associationsnow.com/tag/ai/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) [#test](https://associationsnow.com/tag/test/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [VideoACHQ Coaching TestimonialSeptember 1, 2021](https://associationsnow.com/2021/09/01/achq-coaching-testimonial/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2020%2F07%2F31%2Fdairy-association-takes-state-fairs-butter-cow-tradition-to-social-media%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !