NEW YORK STATE FAIR 800-POUND BUTTER SCULPTURE RECYCLED INTO ENERGY AT WESTERN NEW YORK DAIRY FARM

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American Dairy Association North East

Sep 07, 2022, 12:13 ET

SYRACUSE, N.Y. , Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 54^th Annual Butter Sculpture at the New York State Fair has come down, but it isn't going to waste.

Chris Noble, of Noblehurst Farms, talks about what it takes to recycle 800 pounds of butter through his farm's digester to convert it into energy.

Watch the 2022 New York State Fair Butter Sculpture be deconstructed. 800 pounds of butter will make its way to Noblehurst Farms in Livingston County (NY) to be recycled through the farm's digester, converting it into energy.

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. Ultimately, the butter – which was provided by O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia, N.Y., and was unsuitable for sale or consumption for a variety of reasons - will return to Western New York, less than 15 miles away from where it was originally produced, to be recycled at a local dairy farm.

Noblehurst Farms in Pavilion, N.Y., (Livingston County) will combine the butter with other food waste from local food manufacturers and educational institutions and run it through 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 about 350 homes for a year. Specifically, the butter from the Butter Sculpture alone will be able to power one house for three days.

"We are honored to be recycling the New York State Fair Butter Sculpture for the seventh year in a row," said dairy farmer Chris Noble of Noblehurst Farms and Craigs Creamery. "We will mix the butter sculpture with other food waste and convert it to energy over the course of about 28 days. That energy will be created into electricity which will power homes in the local community."

In recent years, Noblehurst Farms has been recognized nationally for achievements in sustainability and community partnerships to divert food waste from local landfills. The result of Noblehurst's efforts have led to diverting 200 tons of food waste from local landfills on a weekly basis.

"Our awareness of the role that dairy farmers are playing in addressing the global food waste problem has definitely heightened," said Noble. "We are hopeful that our innovative food waste reduction practices will bring additional value as New York State focuses on reducing methane and sequestering carbon in the coming years."

This year's sculpture, "Refuel Her Greatness – Celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of Title IX," spotlighted female athletes and how today's athletes refuel with chocolate milk.

SOURCE American Dairy Association North East