Butter artifacts exhibit is Minnesota-heavy

Wisconsin proclaims itself "America's Dairyland," but a new museum exhibit might just bring that title into question.

"Butterworld," a travelling exhibition that opens Nov. 8 at the Wise Traditions Conference in Atlanta, includes more items from Minnesota than any other state, said curator Sandeep Agarwal.

Among the bottles, cream separators, churns, crates, molds, advertising and what Agarwal calls "one of the largest collection of hydrogenated vegetable shortening containers in the world" are no fewer than nine items from Minnesota creameries, plus a 1961 Time magazine cover featuring University of Minnesota physiologist Ancel Keys.

The Minnesota creameries whose wares are on display include Albion Center, Deer Creek Co-Op, Finlayson, Hyland, Larson, Mentor, Middle River, Rose Brand and Star.

And that's not all. "We also have some milk bottles caps from Minnesota [not in the exhibit]," Agarwal said via email, "but I don't have the details right now."