Revised Fair Format Taught Some Promising Points
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The 2020 Blaine County Fair took place in a revised format that provided data from which the Blaine County MSU-Extension Office has begun to assess the event for what worked and what didn't. Ag/4-H Extension Agent, Juli Snedigar described the format as successful in some respects with ideas they will use again, while other aspects were less productive. Snedigar also reported that Natalie Richman, who is the daughter of Tim and Hilary Richman, was the Frances Pitsch Memorial Overall 4-H Project Winner.
Named after the mother of Karolee Cronk and sponsored by the Lee Cronk Family, the Frances Pitsch Award is presented to the Indoor Project exhibitor who shows the most promise and ambition. Because Richman exhibited such a wide variety of entries-from cooking to cats and visual arts to leathercraft-that were all good, the judges deemed her the winner.
Regarding the revised fair format, Snedigar said the small animal shows were all held in the Commercial Building on August 9-a venue that she would like to see used in the future. "That much cooler space allowed everyone present to see and to hear without growing overheated. We definitely would like to use that venue again for our indoor project exhibits," she stated.
Sneidgar considered additional elements of the revised fair as worth repeating. "Showing all of the animals outside worked really well, as did the advertising we did ahead of time for the youth and their livestock sale. We also livestreamed various events, and many people who live outside the area-like grandparents or extended family members-were able to watch on Facebook. They commented on their pleasure at getting to see the kids perform."
Other aspects left the participants wanting. Even though the competitions were small, intimate, and quiet, the competitors missed the crowds and interacting with large groups. Furthermore, some logistical pieces created frustration. "We have a limited number of committed volunteers who had to take on extra work to organize events and set-up venues. We wanted to ensure we kept everything spaced out yet still condensed to as few days as possible. Those helpful few were patient and understanding, but the extra work was occasionally grueling," Snedigar reported.
The Extension Office was working short-handed because their Family and Consumer Science/4-H Agent, Sarah Johnson returned to Minnesota after working her last day on July 31.
Overall, Snedigar was hopeful and satisfied, saying: "So, we survived, and we learned some things that we otherwise would not have known. As far as next year, we'll be back and better than ever!"
She ended the interview with a reminder to all 4-H members that record books are due at the end of September.
