A 90-pound block of butter. A 38-degree chamber. And decades of delightful butter busts.

Every year, when the Greatest Get Together of Them All - a.k.a. the Minnesota State Fair - rolls around, we get to indulge in a slew of iconic traditions: eating all the foods on sticks, glancing at mesmerizing displays of artistry made from seeds, sitting atop at least one tractor and watching the "Butter Lady" sculpt the busts of all the Princess of the Milky Way finalists. Better known as Linda Chistensen, the "Butter Lady" - or sculptor, which may be more apropos - carves the young women's likenesses out of 90-pound blocks of butter specifically poured for the Minnesota State Fair; and she does her work in a wintery room that's set at 38 degrees.

As spokespeople of the dairy industry, the Princesses Kay of the Milky Way work hard on their families' dairy farms - and Christensen's busts of their likenesses provide them with a little dash of glamour and delight.

A graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, she has had her own line of gift cards, and has even created a bust of Conan O'Brien from bacon and white chocolate. Unlike other sculptors who use wire or wooden frames to form busts, she strips away material from a solid block, which is why she likens her process to carving instead of sculpture. She is also the only butter carver in the nation to work with live models.

Minnesota Music in This Segment: Ann Reed and Mary Ellen Childs

MN Original (MNO) is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.