HARRISBURG, Pa. — The PA Farm Show may be over for the year, but the story of its iconic butter sculpture is not finished.

Students from the Friendship Community 4-H Club of Dauphin County spent Sunday morning carefully deconstructing the sculpture, a 1,000-pound centerpiece that celebrates America’s 250th anniversary.

The sculpture, titled “A Toast to Our Nation’s 250th Anniversary,” featured symbols like the Liberty Bell and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

While sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton spent two weeks bringing it to life inside a refrigerated display, the sculpture’s final job comes after the show ends.

“It’s kind of hard work,” said Hadley, a Friendship Community 4-H Club of Dauphin County member helping with the teardown. “But if I was describing it to someone, I’d say it’s pretty fun, but some people might describe it as kind of gross.”

The butter is not being tossed out. Instead, it’s headed to Reinford Farms in Juniata County, where it will be recycled into renewable energy.

“We will take this butter back to our farm and in about an hour of getting home, all this butter will be in a big giant tank that it will already be melted down,” said Brett Reinford of Reinford Farms. “Inside this tank, there’s a process that converts the butter, as well as manure and other food waste, into methane. We have specialized motors that run on methane and a generator that produces power.”

Reinford says this process will help power hundreds of homes, turning a beloved PA Farm Show tradition into an example of sustainability.

For Reinford, the annual project is also a way to teach kids and the public about modern dairy farming.

“It’s something that we get to tell a story about dairies that isn’t often told, which is the sustainability part” Reinford said.

From entertaining kids at the PA Farm Show to helping generate electricity across Pennsylvania, the butter sculpture’s last job may be its most important.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The PA Farm Show may be over for the year, but the story of its iconic butter sculpture is not finished.

Students from the Friendship Community 4-H Club of Dauphin County spent Sunday morning carefully deconstructing the sculpture, a 1,000-pound centerpiece that celebrates America’s 250th anniversary.

The sculpture, titled “A Toast to Our Nation’s 250th Anniversary,” featured symbols like the Liberty Bell and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

While sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton spent two weeks bringing it to life inside a refrigerated display, the sculpture’s final job comes after the show ends.

“It’s kind of hard work,” said Hadley, a Friendship Community 4-H Club of Dauphin County member helping with the teardown. “But if I was describing it to someone, I’d say it’s pretty fun, but some people might describe it as kind of gross.”

The butter is not being tossed out. Instead, it’s headed to Reinford Farms in Juniata County, where it will be recycled into renewable energy.

“We will take this butter back to our farm and in about an hour of getting home, all this butter will be in a big giant tank that it will already be melted down,” said Brett Reinford of Reinford Farms. “Inside this tank, there’s a process that converts the butter, as well as manure and other food waste, into methane. We have specialized motors that run on methane and a generator that produces power.”

Reinford says this process will help power hundreds of homes, turning a beloved PA Farm Show tradition into an example of sustainability.

For Reinford, the annual project is also a way to teach kids and the public about modern dairy farming.

“It’s something that we get to tell a story about dairies that isn’t often told, which is the sustainability part” Reinford said.

From entertaining kids at the PA Farm Show to helping generate electricity across Pennsylvania, the butter sculpture’s last job may be its most important.