Ohio fair's butter cow a Texan at heart

We realize it isn't in Houston — nowhere near it, in fact — but we just can't help talking about the Ohio State Fair's Butter Cow. Yes, it's what you think it is: a cow made of butter meant to show off Ohio's pride in its dairy industry But the odd thing is, the butter cow is made of Texas butter. Ah, there's our local angle.

The reason the Ohio State Fair gets its butter from Texas (specifically, Keller's Creamery in Winnsboro) is that no plant in the Buckeye State makes enough unsalted butter to carve a cow from. Not knowing anything about butter sculpture, we had no idea it made any difference, but it does: Unsalted butter is easier to shape and smooth because it doesn't have the little salt granules. The best part of this story, of course (other than the thought of a thousand pounds of butter) is the idea of a Texas bovine in Ohio, given the results of a certain football game last fall.

Keller's Creamery also provides the butter for the cow at the Missouri State Fair. Turns out butter cows are a pretty big deal at state fairs throughout the Midwest — and thanks to the Internet, you can not only learn about Norma "Duffy" Lyons, America's butter cow queen, but you can watch her build a butter cow. We'll never be the same.