Fair season is always a fun time; there’s always delicious food to eat, fun rides, animals to look at, music playing and did we mention delicious food to eat? However, to you, it’s more than just fun. It’s part of a business strategy.
When attendees get to a fair they see all of the above, perhaps not knowing the hard work and preparation from exhibitors—especially farmers. When you exhibit at a county fair, you don’t just show up with your produce or livestock. There are numerous steps that take place beforehand from reserving a booth, getting livestock ready and even getting fair insurance.
Whether you’re a farmer going to your first county fair, or are just curious what it takes for farmers to get ready for the county fair, keep reading to see what’s going on right now as exhibitors prepare for the upcoming fair season.
Schedule Your Fair Season
If you haven’t already take a look at the schedule for state and county fairs in your area. Take a look at this list of Ohio fair dates or this one of Indiana fair dates. Visit the websites of the fairs you plan to attend and review their exhibitor information and deadlines. You already manage a full schedule in running your farm, so be sure to work these important dates into your plan for the season.
Livestock
Animals are a popular attraction at county fairs. It’s not enough just to put animals in their trailer and bring them to the event. Farmers have to vaccinate animals beforehand to decrease the odds of catching a disease from another animal.
Farmers should also check their animals’ health to make sure they aren’t at risk of getting other animals sick. Some fairs and shows require veterinarians check an animal’s health before the fair, so make sure you know if each fair’s rules. If any of your livestock gets sick during the fair, quarantine them immediately and contact a vet.
Also remember to clean any equipment like manure rakes and shovels, buckets and brushes before you bring them to the fair. Disinfect the animals’ trailers and do not transport animals with other farms’ livestock—doing so increases the likelihood of contamination.
Produce
If you plan to show produce at a county fair, make sure to prepare! This means knowing the rules and following them precisely. If a contest’s guidelines say display four of an item, display four, not three or five. Make sure your vegetables are clean and displayed as the rules states—a fair may require you leave your carrots’ tops on for example.
After you decide you want to enter your produce in the fair, you have to take extra special care of those vegetables. That means proper fertilization and keeping produce free of disease and insects. Also, if the rules allow, don’t be afraid to show a little creativity. Dress up your display to catch the judges’ eyes.
The Details
There’s a fair–no pun intended–amount of technical steps farmers have to take leading up to the event. First, register as soon as you decide you want to attend the fair. When you register early, you might get a sneak peek at the fair’s layout, which could help you get an ideal booth location. If you get to pick your booth, look for the pathways that will get the most foot traffic—preferably near food venues. This will almost guarantee your good attendance.
Another great way to get visitors is to advertise your location. You could buy ads or simply mention your booth location on your social media accounts. You can also boost attendance numbers by promoting some sort of giveaway—people enjoy getting prizes, especially at a fair!
Although you hope you’ll never have to use it, get vendor insurance. The last thing you want is for an accident to occur and claim filed against you and you’re uninsured. You’d be responsible for legal fees and other fees, which can get expensive quickly.
Conclusion
Yes, as a farmer, there’s a lot of preparation you’ll have to do leading up to a county fair. However, the end result is worth it when you consider the prep leads to healthy livestock, a well –attended booth and maybe even a blue ribbon if you decided to enter your produce! With these preparation tips, you’re almost guaranteed a great day at the fair.
PHOTO: Pixabay / CC0 Public Domain