Custom Sales Book - 5

Hart to Heart

Growing great memories at the State Fair

by Barry Hart

t’s August in Missouri, and that means the corn has tassled, the heat and humidity are up and the fish have gone to deeper water. That can only mean one thing: It’s time for the Missouri State Fair! Dr. Jon Hagler, Missouri’s Director of Agriculture; Mark Wolfe, our State Fair Director and his staff; and the Missouri State Fair Commission have put together the best fair ever! This year’s fair runs from Aug. 12-22. Electric co-op members have their own special day at the fair, Aug. 20. On that day, stop by the Missouri’s Electric Cooperatives Building for a free energy-saving CFL bulb. You won’t want to miss the fair on Aug. 19, either, as our first lady Georganne Nixon is having a pie contest. Bring your favorite pie and maybe you will win first prize! The rules and forms are on the fair’s website. Veteran state fairgoers have a routine they follow when they arrive at the fair. A good game plan might go like this: Park the car and head to the Agriculture Building. Grab a ham biscuit from Alewel’s Country Meats. Eat it while you check out who grew the largest watermelon and pumpkin, winning the $100 prize from Rural Missouri. It’s too early for ice cream from the Missouri Beekeepers Associa-

tion, but that will come later. Next stop is the Conservation Building, where you can imagine tangling with that giant bass in the tank. No visit to the fair would be complete without paying your respects to Otto, the Talking Highway Patrol Car, who delivers a vital safety message in an amusing way. Woe to any parent driving to the fair without their seat belt on or maybe just a little too fast! MoDOT has a lot of new construction going on, and you can find out all details at their building. What’s even more fun is to spend some time relaxing in the roadside garden outside the building. By now, you’re probably getting hungry. I recommend skipping the funnel cakes and other fair food and

heading straight to the eating places hosted by Missouri’s cattlemen, pork and poultry producers. Making the rounds of the livestock barns, the farm machinery and the vendors in the Commercial and Varied Industries buildings leads back to State Fair Boulevard and the Missouri Farm Bureau Building, newly renovated for 2010. Maybe this will be the year you win that John Deere lawn mower. By now you are probably ready for a nice, cool break. The best place for that is the electric cooperatives building, where you can browse the displays in air-conditioned comfort. The “coolest spot at the fair” will be packed with many new exhibits, including the latest in energy-saving ideas.

“With concerns about the economy and family budgets, this is a great year for us to get our family fun vacationing at the Missouri State Fair!” Barry Hart

You may see someone you recognize from your local electric cooperative as staff from electric co-ops around the state will be on hand to answer your questions. You can also meet the staff of Rural Missouri, which brings “People from our Pages” back to the fair. A major focus will again be on the Our Energy, Our Future campaign. We hope you will join the crusade to protect Missouri’s affordable electric rates as Congress debates the climate change issue. Turn to page 10 for more details on what to expect at the MEC Building during this year’s fair. The State Fair began as a way to showcase farm and rural life, and that mission continues more than 100 years later. At the fair, city folks will get an opportunity to better understand the challenges that face rural people. Our best — whether it’s a pumpkin or a power provider — will be there for all to see. With concerns about the economy and family budgets, this is a great year for us to get our family fun vacationing at the Missouri State Fair! If you want to see all the activities planned each day during the fair, go to www. mostatefair.com. Hart is the executive vice president of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.

Guest Column

Vacation bargains begin in Missouri
on’t let the economy cut into your late summer or fall weekend activities. Missouri offers loads of fun and stimulating pastimes, and you don’t have to travel far to enjoy them. To paraphrase our slogan: Don’t take less of a weekend; have a great weekend for less — in Missouri. Now is a wonderful time for families to reconnect after a hectic summer. The heat may still be here, but the evenings are cool and calm. The crowds have dwindled and there is an abundance of close-to-home activities where families can get to know each other all over again. Don’t just take my word for it, do some research on your own. Go to www.VisitMO.com and make your own travel choice. For each season, Missouri offers stellar exhibitions, performances, festivals and other events that highlight the region’s authenticity, diversity and vitality. The variety is outstanding, ranging from festivals to fishing tournaments; historic reenactments to fairs; nature and children’s events to barbecues; and cook-offs,

by Katie Steele Danner

live shows and concerts. The best part: Most charge no admission fee, and if there is a fee included, you will find our Missouri prices irresistible. Festivals offer a myriad of ways to celebrate life, liberty, family and country, while having a really good time — and no two are alike. They generally include food and drink stands, craft vendors, carnival rides and live music. There are more than 50 fall festivals from which to choose, specializing in themes ranging from pirates and fairies to harvests and pies, turkeys, wine, mules,

music for every taste, arts and crafts and even shrimp. I am confident there literally is something for everyone. Rather plan your own outdoor outing instead of going to a pre-organized event? VisitMO.com will help you there as well. The great Missouri outdoors offers endless possibilities at state and national parks, campgrounds, and hiking and biking trails. The list goes on and on. Missouri offers an abundance of easygoing trips that can last an hour, a day, a gas tank or, well, as long as you wish. Canoe and float-

“Missouri offers an abundance of easygoing trips that can last an hour, a day, a gas tank, or, well, as long as you wish.” Katie Steele Danner
RURAL MISSOURI

ing outfitters operate on 29 rivers and streams throughout Missouri. Whether it’s slow and meandering or swift and exhilarating, there is no better way to experience the late summer clouds, the dazzling autumn colors and the true sounds of nature, just as the American Indians did more than 200 years ago. Floating down a clear Missouri stream will quickly wash away the trials and tribulations of the work week. Pitch a tent and watch the natural, eternal fireworks of the star-filled sky. A relaxing vacation, weekend or day doesn’t have to take you far from home. It doesn’t need to be complicated or crowded. It also doesn’t require weeks of planning. Families can enjoy just being a family again, right here in Missouri. Details for these and numerous other year-round activities are found on VisitMO.com, where endless possibilities are just a click away. Enjoy! Danner is director of the Missouri Division of Tourism. For more Missouri travel-related information and questions, or to request the Travel Guide, you can call 800-519-2100.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Custom Sales Book

Custom Sales Book
Contents
Comments
Columns
Ghosts of the Grasslands
Out of the Way Eats
Mail Bag
Best of Rural Missouri
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
What’s Old is New Again
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Missouri’s Horse
Neighbors
Look for the Dinosaur
Just4Kids

Custom Sales Book