(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Fair will share something in common with the Iowa State Fair… a butter sculpture. While the Iowa State Fair promotes the famous “butter cow,” sculptor Sarah Pratt of West Des Moines tells what she has created for the Plymouth County Fair.
This is the first time Plymouth County Fair will feature a butter sculpture.
Pratt says the butter replica of the round barn’s dimensions will be about 18 inches in diameter and nearly 18 inches in height, and she needed more than 15 pounds of butter. Pratt says she prefers to use butter containing low moisture.
In addition to creating works of art from butter at the Iowa State Fair, Pratt says she has followed in the footsteps of her mentor, Norma “Duffy” Lyons, and has been asked to create butter sculptures at the Illinois State Fair, as well as as the Kansas State Fair.
Although Pratt has performed other butter sculptures that have greater detail than Plymouth County’s famous Tonsfeldt round barn, she admits the round barn does present some unique challenges.
The famous butter cow at the Iowa State Fair will be joined by Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Cookie Monster as well as other characters from Sesame Street.
Pratt says she hopes to be able to create several of the popular children’s television show characters.
The “Butter Lady” talks about the amount of butter to be used for this year’s butter sculpture at the Iowa State Fair.
Through the years, Pratt has created butter figures of the American Gothic, singer Garth Brooks, the Peanuts cartoon characters, as well as a host of other figures. However, she says last year’s Waterloo Boy tractor may have been her most difficult piece.
What has been the people’s choice or favorite butter sculpture?
The butter sculpture of the round barn can be viewed inside the round barn as part of the agriculture education exhibit during the Plymouth County Fair.
(photos contributed.)
