Cooperative Living September 2014 - 15

the statewide culmination of those shows.
Each year at the fair, winning youth receive
as much as $70,000 in scholarship money.
" These livestock shows are a time-honored
tradition, and I know the shows are an
important part of many people's State Fair
experience, " says Virginia Farm Bureau
Federation President Wayne F. Pryor. " We
were thrilled to bring the competitions back
so we can continue to provide youth scholarship
money and educate fairgoers about
livestock. "
The livestock shows traditionally had
been held at the State Fair but moved to
Rockingham County in 2012 to ensure continuity
after SFVA Inc., the not-for-profit
organization that produced the State Fair of
Virginia, announced Chapter 7 bankruptcy
liquidation in December 2011. The State
Fair ceased operations on March 7, 2012.
The fate of the fair hung in limbo for a
couple of months until it was bought at
auction that May by Tennessee-based
Universal Fairs. The Virginia Farm Bureau
Federation wanted to preserve the event's
agricultural heritage and, in July, signed an
agreement to purchase a 50 percent share of
The Meadow Event Park in Caroline
County and the State Fair operation.
" The fair is a vital tool for helping the
public understand the importance of the
agriculture industry, " Pryor says.
Farm Group and Fair Were Natural Fit
When the announcement about the
partnership was made that summer, thenGov.
Bob McDonnell noted that, for more
than a century, " The State Fair has educated
and entertained millions of Virginians.
Today's announcement helps to ensure that
future generations of Virginians will continue
to experience the best of what the fair
has to offer.
" In addition, the Farm Bureau's investment
will guarantee that agriculture,
Virginia's largest industry, will be featured
prominently - as it should be - at the fair
for years to come. "
In early 2013, Farm Bureau bought
Universal Fairs' share of the operation and
became the sole owner of the 331-acre
Meadow Event Park and the State Fair of
Virginia. That's when the youth livestock
competitions returned to the fair, and they
will be held there again this year. The cattle
will be housed in the new 40,000-square-foot
First Bank & Trust Pavilion. When not in
use for the fair, the open-sided structure will
provide a covered arena for horse shows,
rodeos, dog agility shows and other events.
" Construction of this pavilion represents
continued commitment to the State Fair of
Virginia by the Virginia Farm Bureau
Federation, " which paid for the building,
says Jeff Dillon, SFVA president.
The livestock pavilion is just one example
of Farm Bureau's commitment to ensuring
that agriculture remains the backbone of
the fair.
In addition to livestock shows, there are
a plethora of equine events during the fair,
including a professional rodeo, mounted
cowboy shooting demonstrations and
miniature horse, draft horse and mule
shows.
Last year, a home vegetable garden and a
commercial row crops plot were planted in
Harvest Landing. Visitors found sorghum,
corn, soybeans and peanuts growing alongside
the children's Ferris wheel. Caroline
County Farm Bureau's president, Lynwood
Broaddus, spent a good part of each day at
the fair talking to visitors and answering
their questions about the crops. The commercial
and vegetable plots have been planted
again this year, and a collection of urbanstyle
raised-bed gardens have been planted
as well.
Fairgoers Want Agriculture as Part of
the Experience
Fairgoer surveys in recent years found
that 84 percent of attendees experienced
animal agriculture at the event, and 72 percent
toured general agriculture exhibits.
" Farm Bureau has been a key partner in
those educational efforts over the years, "
Pryor says. " The State Fair's unique combination
of hands-on exhibits, animals and
programs, nostalgia and family-friendly
entertainment made it a perfect teaching
tool for future generations to learn about
farming. "
It was a natural fit for the state's largest
farm advocacy group. " Having as part of
our mission the preservation of agriculture,
we felt it was paramount to step up to the
plate and assist with the fair, " Pryor says.
Goats, Chickens and Rabbits, Oh My!
In addition to the livestock competitions,
the State Fair offers a variety of other
ag-related contests. The giant pumpkin contest
is always a crowd favorite, and this year
there will be added emphasis on giant
watermelons.
In the Young MacDonald's Farm tent,
which houses farm animal exhibits, visitors
can watch fuzzy ducklings waddle up a
ramp and slide down a sliding board into a
pool in an attempt to snag a treat, examine
cows and calves from a variety of cattle
breeds and observe pigs, alpacas and
donkeys.
In a separate poultry and rabbit tent,
fairgoers can take a selfie with a Silkie and
examine green eggs laid by Ameraucana
chickens. Or they can marvel at the fuzzy
mane around the faces of Lionhead rabbits
and be amazed by the Alice in Wonderlandstyle
white New Zealand rabbits.
Fair Is Large Outdoor Classroom
Students from schools near and far take
field trips to the fair. In the Meadow
Pavilion, which showcases Virginia agricultural
commodities, children watch the
workings of a beehive and find out how
peanuts are grown. They also see farm animals
up close, pan for gold and observe the
principles of physics on midway rides.
Many of the exhibits included in the fair's
Educational Exposition coincide with the
state's Standards of Learning.
" There is a very good reason to call the
fair 'Virginia's Largest Outdoor Classroom,' "
says Betsy Foster, coordinator of the Ed
Expo, which draws about 14,000 students
to the fair annually.
There also are youth who visit prior to
the fair to prepare student gardens for 4-H
and FFA competitions. The 2014 theme is
" Southern Hospitality, " and their gardens
will be interpretations of the theme. Student
gardens are judged at the beginning of the
fair and remain on display throughout the
10 days.
This year hay bale and Christmas tree
decorating contests were added. Groups
have been invited to come out before the
fair and decorate large round bales of hay
and freshly cut evergreens. The decorated
bales will be located throughout the
September 2014/www.co-opliving.com
13
Cooperative Living September 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living September 2014
