TOO. >> I DO. I’M GOING TO WORK ON IT. OKAY. I’M GOING TO WORK ON
IT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, MINUTES
AGO, AN ANNUAL TRADITION IN THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN OPENED ITS
GATES FOR SOME LABOR DAY
WEEKEND. FUN THE MICHIGAN STATE
FAIR IS NOW UNDERWAY AT THE
COLLECTION AT THE SUBURBAN
COLLECTION SHOWPLACE IN NOVI.
>> AND OUR APRIL MORTON IS
THERE WITH A LOOK AT WHAT’S
HAPPENING. HI, APRIL.
>> HEY. HEY, GUYS. SO ONCE
AGAIN, THIS IS THE MICHIGAN
STATE FAIR AND IT’S OPEN NOW
THROUGH LABOR DAY HERE AT THE
SUBURBAN SHOWCASE IN NOVI. HEY
JOHN AND TOSS, DID YOU GUYS
KNOW THAT THE STATE FAIR
ACTUALLY DATES BACK TO 1849?
WOW. YES NO, AND I’M HERE TO
TALK TO ME ALL ABOUT THE STATE
FAIR. IS ELISA RIFFE WITH THE
STATE FAIR. GOOD MORNING, LISA.
GOOD MORNING.
>> THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US SO
THIS DATES BACK TO 1949.
>> I MEAN, I’M SORRY, 1849. WOW
BUT YOU GUYS ACTUALLY HAVE SOME
NEW THINGS HAPPENING IN
ADDITION TO SOME TRADITIONAL
THINGS. ABSOLUTELY.
>> SO, I MEAN, IT STARTED
MICHIGAN WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST
STATE FAIR AND IT STARTED WITH
FARMERS WANTING TO BRING THEIR
ANIMALS TO THE BIG CITY TO SHOW
THEM OFF.
>> AND WHILE WE STILL HAVE
ANIMAL COMPETITIONS, WE’VE HAD
A LOT OF GREAT THINGS. SO FAIR
FOOD CARNIVALS CIRCA. YES. BUT
THIS AREA, THE MID MICHIGAN
FARMLAND, IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE FAIR ATTENDEES TO LEARN A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT AGRICULTURE
AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE
OUR VIRTUAL TRACTOR SIMULATOR
SO YOU CAN PLANT A FIELD OF
CORN. WE’LL SHOW YOU BEING ABLE
TO MILK A PLASTIC COW. BUT THIS
AREA IS REALLY FOCUSED ON
HELPING CONSUMERS CONNECT WITH
AGRICULTURE. MICHIGAN IS NUMBER
TWO IN DIVERSITY FOR
AGRICULTURE. SO WE HAVE A LOT
OF GREAT THINGS THAT WE GROW
HERE IN MICHIGAN, EVERYTHING
FROM CHIPPING POTATOES TO
PICKING CUCUMBERS AND GERANIUMS
. SO WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF
THINGS HERE IN MICHIGAN TO
OFFER. SO IT’S KIND OF FUN TO
BE ABLE TO CONNECT CONSUMERS
WITH THAT.
>> AND WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT
FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ATTRACTIONS
LIKE THIS?
>> THERE’S A LOT OF GREAT
REASONS. AND MICHIGAN STATE
FAIR IS ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN
WITH YOUR FAMILY. AND WE’RE ALL
CONNECTED TO AGRICULTURE. IF WE
ARE EATING OR USING THE FIBER
GROWN BY FARMERS, THEN YOU’RE
CONNECTED TO AGRICULTURE. AND
SO IT’S A GREAT WAY TO
HIGHLIGHT ONE MORE WONDERFUL
THING ABOUT THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN, AND THIS IS A PERFECT
FIT.
>> ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE SAW THE
SIMULATOR FOR THE TRACTOR AND
YOU SAY THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE
A SIMULATOR FOR MILKING A COW.
YES. OKAY. THIS IS AMAZING,
BUTTERCUP. HI, BUTTERCUP.
>> VERY TAME, OBVIOUSLY.
>> OKAY.
>> YOU CAN COME HERE TO MY
MICHIGAN FARM LAND AND LEARN
HOW TO MILK A COW. SO YOU’LL
JUST PULL DOWN HERE. AND THAT’S
HOW WE MILK A COW. SO PEOPLE,
WHEN THEY COME HERE, THEY CAN
ACTUALLY DO THIS? ABSOLUTELY.
AND IT’S JUST KIND OF A FUN WAY
. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN’T
HAVE ANY ANYBODY COMING WITH IN
CONTACT WITH A REAL COW. AND SO
THIS IS THE NEXT BEST THING AND
A SAFE WAY TO, YOU KNOW,
CONNECT A LITTLE BIT WITH WHERE
OUR DAIRY COMES FROM AND SOME
OF THE GREAT AG PRODUCTS THAT
WE HAVE HERE IN MICHIGAN.
>> I THINK THAT’S SO COOL.
OKAY. SO FROM BUTTERCUP, OUR
VIRTUAL COW TO A REAL COW OVER
HERE, THIS IS ACTUALLY A BABY,
A CALF, AND IS SO ADORABLE.
TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT WE’RE
GOING TO SEE NOW.
>> SO THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE
BREED OF COW IS CALLED A
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER. AND SHE
HER NAME IS BUFFY AND SHE’S
ABOUT A MONTH OLD. AND SO THIS
PARTICULAR BREED, THEY’VE GOT
LONGER HAIR AND THEY’RE JUST
REALLY CUTE. SO SHE’LL BE HERE
FOR THE DURATION OF THE FAIR,
ENTERTAINING ALL OF US AS WE
COME THROUGH THE MY MICHIGAN
FARMLAND.
>> OKAY. SO WE JUST FOUND
BUFFY. SO HERE WE GO. SO NOW WE
HAVE THE CAMERA ON BUFFY. ISN’T
SHE ADORABLE? OH, MY GOODNESS.
HOW OLD IS SHE? SHE’S ABOUT A
MONTH OLD.
>> SO SHE ACTUALLY HAD A BOTTLE
ABOUT 25 MINUTES AGO, AND SHE’S
JUST ENJOYING ALL THE THINGS
HERE AT THE STATE FAIR.
>> I LOVE THAT SHE HAD A
BOTTLE. I WISH I COULD HAVE FED
HER. OH, MY GOSH. SO PEOPLE ARE
OUT THERE LOVING BUFFY. WE’RE
LOVING ALL THE ANIMALS OUT
HERE. WE HAVE MUCH MORE TO
COME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LISA,
FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
AND WE’RE GOING TO BE BACK
SHORTLY WITH MORE TO SEE WHAT
YOU HAVE TO OFFER HERE AT THE
STATE FAIR.
>> VERY COOL. VERY COOL. WE’RE
EXCITED TO SEE IT ALL. APRIL,
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE I
WANT TO ADOPT THE
HOW NOW SHE’S WITH ANOTHER FAMOUS COW. WHAT’S GOING ON, APRIL? ALL RIGHT, JOHN, IT’S SO
THIS COW IS GOING TO BE THE
BIGGEST SELFIE STATION AREA OUT
HERE. IT’S THE BUTTER COW.
JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT IT IS
DEAN GOT THE CHAIRMAN AND
PRESIDENT OF CF BURGER CREAMERY
AND TWIN PINES FARM DAIRY. GOOD
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, APRIL. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR VISITING US
HERE AT THE STATE FAIR. BUTTER
COW.
>> THIS IS SO COOL. SO THIS IS
THE BUTTER COW. SO THE COW IS
ACTUALLY MADE OF BUTTER?
>> YEAH, THAT IS A PURE BUTTER
. 100% PURE BUTTER COW. AND IT
TAKES THE ARTIST S FIVE DAYS
AND THERE’S FOUR ARTISTS THAT
DO THIS AND THEY JUST FINISHED
UP LAST NIGHT AND. AND THAT’S
AN AWFUL LOT OF BUTTER. THERE’S
ALMOST A QUARTER TON OF BUTTER
INVOLVED IN MAKING THIS ALL OF
THESE SCULPTURES, A QUARTER A
TON OF BUTTER.
>> AND THEY JUST FINISHED THIS
MORNING, CORRECT?
>> THEY’RE ALWAYS HARD AT IT.
IT’S A VERY AUTHENTIC RENDITION
OF A JERSEY COW. AND WE HAVE
THE MOTHER, THE CALF, AND WE
HAVE A MISCHIEVOUS, MISCHIEVOUS
LITTLE GOAT THAT’S ALWAYS
GETTING IN TROUBLE EVERY YEAR
CHEWING ON SOMETHING. AND THIS
YEAR THEY’RE CHEWING ON
CARTONS. OH MY GOSH, THOSE
LITTLE MISCHIEVOUS CALVES.
>> SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
SOMEWHAT THE STAR OF THE SHOW
EVERY YEAR. TELL US A LITTLE
BIT MORE ABOUT THE TRADITION OF
THE BUTTER COW. WELL THE BUTTER
COW HAS BEEN A FEATURE FOR
GENERATIONS AT THE MICHIGAN
STATE FAIR.
>> UH, IT IT MADE ITS DEBUT
SOMETIME IN THE 1940S. AND BY
1949, IT WAS A PERMANENT
FIXTURE OF THE STATE FAIR. AND
WE’VE ALWAYS HAD IT. AND WHEN
THE FAIR ENDED AND THEN STARTED
AGAIN BACK HERE AT THE SUBURBAN
COLLECTION SHOWPLACE, WE
VOLUNTEERED TO HELP IN ANY WAY.
AND AT THE VERY FIRST MEETING
THEY SAID, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE
BUTTER COW. CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE
IT HAPPEN? AND SO SOMEHOW WE
DID IT AND HERE WE ARE. I LOVE
THAT.
>> SO YOUR FAMILY HAS DEEP
ROOTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE
STATE FAIR. SO WE KNOW THAT
THIS IS A TRADITIONAL FAIR THAT
CREATES MANY MEMORIES FOR
FAMILIES. BUT THERE’S ALSO A
LOT OF NEW THINGS GOING ON. CAN
YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT SOME OF
THE OTHER THINGS THAT’S
HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND?
>> OH, THERE’S SO MUCH I MEAN,
IT’S A TRUE STATE FAIR, RIGHT?
SO WE’VE GOT ALL OF THE
LIVESTOCK HERE FOR PEOPLE TO BE
ABLE TO VISIT BECAUSE PEOPLE
DON’T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY. THE
ARTS AND CRAFTS, THERE’S THE
PUMPKIN WEIGHING CON TEST. THEN
AFTER YOU GET THROUGH ALL OF
THE WONDERFUL ARTS AND CRAFTS,
THEN GOING OUT TO THE MIDWAY
AND ALL THE FANTASTIC RIDES
THAT THEY HAVE, AND THEN THE
WORLD FAMOUS SHRINE CIRCUS AND
THEY DO THREE SHOWS A DAY AND
IT’S UNDER THE BIG TOP AND IT’S
UNDER THE WORLD’S LARGEST,
LARGEST AIR CONDITIONED, BIG
TOP. SO PEOPLE CAN BE IN GREAT
COMFORT AS THEY SEE ONE OF THE
GREAT SHOWS.
>> AND I LOVE HOW THINGS ARE IN
AND OUTDOORS BECAUSE THIS
WEEKEND WE HEARD IT’S GOING TO
GET PRETTY HOT.
>> YEAH, BUT THAT’S GOING TO BE
WONDERFUL BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT
YOU WANT. THIS IS THE LAST GASP
OF SUMMER AND YOU COULDN’T ASK
FOR BETTER WEATHER JUST FOR
THAT.
>> I LOVE THAT. AND SO THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING. DEAN THANK YOU. OKAY.
SO YOU GUYS ARE ALSO OFFERING
FREE SAMPLES OF GUYS. I KNOW
IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS, BUT THIS IS
EGGNOG AND YOU CAN GET IT FOR
FREE HERE WHEN YOU COME AND SEE
THE BUTTER COW.
>> HEY, CHRISTMAS IN SEPTEMBER.
WHY NOT? WHY NOT APRIL? THANK
YOU. YEP. ALL RIGHT. FOR MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT TICKET
PRICING ATTRACTIONS AND
EXHIBITIONS, GO TO THE WEBSITE