There may be no better way to celebrate the history of World Dairy Expo than by opening a time capsule — especially when that time capsule is a milk can.
Former World Dairy Expo General Manager Tom McKittrick helped create the special time capsule thirty years ago to mark the show’s 30th anniversary. The plan was to open it during the 60th anniversary celebration. The contents, picked by exhibitors, cattle breeders, and breed association members, got a moment in the spotlight during a special ceremony at this year’s Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
Inside were pieces of dairy history from 1996, including a news release from Alice in Dairyland, an FFA proficiency award, a signed T-shirt, a Holstein registration paper, and a news release from then-Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Don McDowell.
“It’s kind of a fun look at the way things were different back then,” McKittrick said. “But in some ways, it’s still the same idea.”
And the container itself may be the best part.
Do not open this milk can until 2026
Instead of burying the memories in a traditional box, organizers chose something that fit the dairy industry. A milk can.
McKittrick asked his neighbor, Madison-area artist Ed McCartan, to transform the can into a piece of dairy art. One side features a farmhouse and barn. Another shows Holstein cows grazing in a pasture. The other sides feature the World Dairy Expo name and a message: “Do Not Open Until 2026.”
McCartan even freehand painted the Expo logo on top.
“He just kind of caught the vibe of a dairy farm and a dairy herd,” McKittrick explained.
Now, 30 years later, the milk can is open, and it’s giving visitors a little glimpse into the people, agriculture, and memories that helped shape World Dairy Expo.
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