The 1,000-pound masterpiece that served as the centerpiece of the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show is preparing for its final transformation. While it took artists Jim Victor and Marie Pelton thirteen days to carve the patriotic tribute to America’s 250th anniversary, its deconstruction will take just a fraction of that time.
As the 110th Pennsylvania Farm Show concludes this weekend, the sculpture—this year featuring Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, and the Liberty Bell—won’t be headed to a dinner table or a freezer. Instead, it is destined for a far more high-tech future: renewable energy.
Once the doors close on the 2026 show, members of the 4-H Club of Dauphin County will assist in the deconstruction process, carefully scraping the 1,000 pounds of Land O’ Lakes butter from its internal wire and wood frame.
The butter will then be transported to Reinford Farms in Juniata County. There, it will be fed into a methane digester, a massive “stomach-like” tank that processes organic waste. The butter is heated to approximately 100°F and mixed with cow manure and other food waste.
This mixture creates methane gas, which is captured and used to run generators. The energy generated from the sculpture alone is enough to power one home for about three days. On a larger scale, Reinford Farms uses this technology to power roughly 600 local homes daily.
This “waste-to-watts” program has become a staple of the Farm Show’s closing ceremonies. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding noted that the process perfectly mirrors this year’s theme, “Growing a Nation,” by showcasing how Pennsylvania dairy farmers are leading the way in sustainable innovation.
“It’s the perfect example of a sustainable and cyclical operation,” said dairy farmer Brett Reinford. “We take a product that has served its purpose as art and turn it into a resource for the community, keeping it out of a landfill.”
