Three days of fun and once again there is something for everyone at this years Seed Show

 

March 7, 2018

This year's seed show is dedicated to the memory of Virda Klindworth, who taught school and farmed with her family in the Hogeland area. She was a member of the seed show committee from 1993-2011 and served as bread show chairman during part of that time.

Montana's oldest running seed show is set to run March 8-10. The 69th Montana Seed Show begins on Thursday and runs through Saturday evening. The three-day event has ag and non-ag related exhibits, health screenings, competitions of all sorts and a closing banquet with a speaker connected to Montana's biggest economic sector, agriculture. Seed show activities are in and around the Harlem High School. There is a charge for the closing banquet and drug screenings, all other events are open to the public with no charge.

Paul Rasmussen chairs the Seed Show committee again this year. Asked how long he's served as chair of the 'winter fair' event, he said, "At least a decade plus several years on the planning committee before that." He said this year's show has regular events and competitions that have proven most popular over the years. You can find the schedule of events on Facebook (search for Montana Seed Show). There are also printed seed show programs available at various businesses in the area.

Last year's planning committee dedicated the show to the Blaine County 4-H and FFA members, a recognition of how the young people have helped assure a successful fair over the years. This year's dedication is to Virda (Harmon) Klindworth who lived in the Hogeland area and was active in many aspects of the Big Flat community. She served on the seed show committee from 1993-2010 and was bread show chairman during part of that time. She passed away in November, 2017. Her three children, their spouses, nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren survive her.

Three days with something for the entire family

Thursday is opening day and much of the day is devoted to receiving various entries for the competitions and setting up the commercial exhibits. At 1pm the fleeces are judged, woodworking is judged at 2pm. The Beef Cook-Off, a big hit last year, will be held at 6pm and is open to the public. Paulette Keller, who is an officer with the North Central Montana Cattlewomen's group, and Kellie Rasmussen, who formerly worked with the chili cook-off, will oversee the beef cook-off. Contestants are asked to bring a recipe to accompany their beef dish. Plans are to create a beef cook book at some point. See the seed show program book for rules and prizes related to the cook-off.

On Friday breakfast will be served from 6:30am-9am in the commons area of the high school. Health screenings also begin at 6:30am. Folks can find a list of available screenings, and fees for the tests, in the seed show program. Or, call Sandi Bell at 252-3225, for a list of screenings, information about fasting for certain tests and general questions. Bell is with Western Screening, out of Billings, that will be doing the health screenings both days of the seed show.

The art show entries set up in the morning, 8am-10am, and pies and breads can also be entered from 8:30am-9:30am. The commercial exhibits will be open in the gym from 8am-6pm. The quilt show runs 10am-6pm. From 2pm-5pm there will be a pie and bread auction and periodic drawings for merchandise donated by exhibitors. Lunch is served 10am-2pm and there will be a pancake supper in the Vo-Ag annex from 4:30pm-6:30pm. The art auction will begin at 7pm. The exhibit building, where booths can be viewed, is open from 8am to 6pm.

Saturday's early schedule is basically the same as Friday's-breakfast, health screenings, the quilt show, art and woodwork viewings and the exhibit hall open all day with lunch in the commons area.

From 10am -2pm there will be hands-on Kids' Activities offered in the side hallway of the school. The activities, materials and demonstrations are coordinated by the Lodge Pole Powwow organizing committee. Parents bring the kids.

Mid-day, 10am-4pm, there will be a sheep to shawl demonstration in the main exhibit hall. Out in the Vo-Ag room the Classic Car Show is open from 10am-4pm. The pie and bread auctions, with more merchandise drawings, will be 1pm-3pm Saturday afternoon.

Before lunch there will be an interest meeting presented by Montana Actors' Theatre. The community theatre group has been doing productions for twenty-five years. Most productions are on the campus of MSU-Northern. At the interest meeting an ensemble of actors, and likely with some audience participation, will tell the story of the theatrical group and share information about upcoming productions.

At 4pm the exhibit hall will shut down as exhibits are removed and the evening banquet is set up. The banquet begins at 7pm. Banquet tickets are on sale at selected locations around Harlem or during the seed show in the exhibit hall (high school gym). Tickets have been sold out in prior years and show organizers recommend purchasing a ticket before Saturday evening. In addition to a great meal and an interesting speaker there will be additional auctions with auctioneer Bob Siverstsen at the microphone. Awards from the various competitions will also be announced and presented.

The banquet speaker is Colter Brown with Northern Ag Network where he's served as Ag Director since 2017. Brown graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman with a degree in ag business and economics. After college he worked as a loan officer for Northwest Farm Credit Services financing producers raising cattle, small grains, pulse corps and sugar beets throughout eastern Montana. He and his family live in Laurel.

Plan to visit the Montana Seed Show, "the oldest running seed show' in the state. The show is a celebration of agriculture and life in north central Montana. See you at the seed show!

 
 

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