Menu

Jack Fisher, executive vice president

Those of us who had the privilege of growing up on a farm share many common memories. And one of those memories, whether you’re from Ashtabula or Hamilton, Williams or Lawrence County, is the time we spent at the fair. Most of us still go, whether to watch the kids and grandkids or see a good grandstand show, or maybe just to catch up with what’s going on at the other end of the county. Ohio’s 94 county and independent fairs remain a place for farm families and friends to gather for a week or so to carry-on a tradition enjoyed by every farming generation.

The Ohio State Fair too is an annual outing enjoyed by thousands of farm families. This year’s state fair is just getting under way, and over the next couple of weeks there will be a lot of friendships made and renewed while leaning on the hog pen or sitting on the show box. For the more than 18,000 youth who will participate in livestock, agriculture, horticulture and other shows, the state fair brings plenty of chances to learn some lessons that will stick with them the rest of their lives: that competition can be fun, and sometimes disappointing; that some freedom from Mom and Dad comes with responsibility to behave appropriately; and that elephant ears and corn dogs aren’t always good ideas for breakfast.

Those of us who are old enough to qualify for the senior division can also learn some lessons during the state fair. The best chance to learn comes when we get out of the barns and head for the midway. It’s out there – among the rides, commercial buildings, concerts and food booths – that you and I have a rare opportunity to learn from our customers.

A great place to hear from those customers is the Land and Living Display, a major project undertaken by OFBF and other farm organizations for the second year in a row. The display will fill the Nationwide Ag and Hort Building, just off the midway. It’s a great place to get an education, and give one, too.

When you come to the fair, try this. Just stand around the exhibits in the building. Listen to the conversations among family members as they look at the baby chicks, the stream replica, the corn maze and other instructive displays. What you hear will at times surprise, disappoint and even entertain you. The comments made by kids and adults alike will let you know quickly what people know, don’t know and want to know about farming. Twenty minutes or so in the company of consumers will reinforce what you and I already know: We have a long way to go in building an awareness of what farms and farmers are all about.

Of course, the purpose of the Land and Living Display is to take some steps toward increasing that awareness. Likewise our "Naturally Resourceful" campaign, our metro program, and our magazine Our Ohio work toward that goal. These are our tools to whittle away at the public’s misunderstandings and misperceptions. By making agriculture interesting and relevant, we’ll reach our goal of expanding the public’s appreciation of Ohio’s farming community.