The 52nd Annual Butter Sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds is coming down, but it isn’t going to waste.

American Dairy Association North East partnered with Noblehurst Farms to transport and recycle the deconstructed 800-pound sculpture, which was created using “scrap butter” - butter from damaged packaging or similar circumstances that make it unsuitable for sale and consumption.

Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, N.Y., (Livingston County) will now recycle the butter in the dairy farm’s methane digester and convert it into renewable energy. In addition to the receiving the deconstructed butter sculpture annually, the digester at Noblehurst Farms receives up to 200 tons of food waste each week, diverting it from landfills. The digester creates enough energy to power homes in the community and the farm’s onsite creamery which provides dairy ingredients to manufacturers of cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and many other delicious dairy products.

“We are honored to be recycling the New York State Fair Butter Sculpture for the fifth year in a row,” said dairy farmer Chris Noble of Noblehurst Farms and Craigs Creamery . “We plan to mix the butter sculpture with other food waste collected from food retailers and manufacturers to create a delicious recipe for the anaerobic bacteria in our digester to munch on in order to create renewable energy.”

Noblehurst Farms has been recognized for achievements in sustainability and community partnerships to divert food waste from local landfills.

This year’s sculpture, “Nourishing Our Future,” paid tribute to those who ensure our children are nourished and learning - whether in school or at home - including dairy farmers, school nutrition staff, teachers and parents. The two-sided, butter masterpiece featured a dairy farmer providing milk - to a child learning from home with his mother and “virtual” teacher, present in the laptop screen - to a child learning in school, with a school nutrition worker delivering a meal tray to the classroom.