Fairs news
Take note of Team USA’s opening ceremony blazers. They are made with USA-grown wool. Actually, the Ralph Lauren website lists it as USA-grown Responsible Wool Standard-certified wool.
The fairs have started and my granddaughters have been busy walking, setting up, washing and trimming their four market lambs and one yearling ewe.
Wet and hot conditions in northern Illinois are impacting crop growth, as well as providing an opportunity for increased disease pressure this year.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced an intrastate testing requirement for lactating dairy cattle participating in livestock exhibitions in Illinois to minimize the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
One of the longest-running sponsorships in U.S. motorsports is also one of the largest. Hall Brothers Racing, headquartered in central Illinois, has been sponsored by the Dodge brand since 2001.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture has released a new master plan for the Illinois State Fairgrounds aimed at maintaining the core functions of the fairgrounds while increasing its year-round events.
In the southwest toe of Indiana, 25 miles north of the Ohio River and 12 miles east of the Wabash, the Seib family farm continues its legacy.
The Illinois Soybean Association will observe its 60th anniversary with special events and commemorations throughout the year.
The Illinois General Assembly approved a record $53.1 billion spending plan that included some good and bad news for agriculture-related programs.
Exceptional projects of FFA members from across the state will be highlighted during the 96th annual Illinois FFA State Convention, set for June 11-13.
Beginning with Memorial Day and ending shortly after Independence Day, we see more American flags flying than at any other time of the year.
Four well-known names in the monster truck world will roll onto the grandstand track of the Boone County Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 7, to add some horsepower to the fair’s weekday schedule.
Blue Steel will perform a concert at the Carroll County Fair on Friday, Aug. 9.
The Champaign County Fair has been a popular draw for visitors from not only east-central Illinois, but also across Illinois and Indiana for over 170 years.
Not one, but two headline acts will team up with the popular Illiana truck and tractor pulls, demolition derby and a full slate of other fun at the 98-year-old Ford County Fair.
Colton Dixon with Natalie Layne will perform during the Iroquois County Agricultural and 4-H Club Fair on Saturday, July 20.
When the Lee County Fair board of directors made a decision, after their 2021 fair, to discontinue having a carnival on the midway, they took a leap of faith.
The same year the nation was observing its centennial, a group of citizens in this Livingston County community gathered to form the Fairbury Union Agricultural Board.
Horticulture, small engines, gardening, entomology, animal science, sports fishing, small engines, welding, livestock shows, you name it, it’s all featured at the Livingston County Agricultural Fair.
It will be 700 fenceposts to the Logan County Fair on Saturday, Aug. 3, as the popular country group Diamond Rio takes the stage at the fairgrounds in Lincoln in central Illinois.
The Summerfest and Family Night at the Warren County Agricultural Fair is free with fun events for all ages on Wednesday, July 17.
A special event is planned for each day of the Richland County Fair, including the Miss Richland County Pageant on Monday, July 22.
Monsters and motorsports will dominate the midway — and the track — for the 2024 Will County Fair.
This year’s “Once Upon A-Fair” theme continues Marshall-Putnam Fair’s 103-year tradition of excellence.
The Jasper County Fair is marking its 100th anniversary with a spectacular celebration July 20-27. This milestone event promises a blend of tradition and excitement.
The LaPorte County Fair, one of the oldest and most celebrated fairs in Indiana, returns July 6-13 for its 178th year.
The 105th annual Newton County Pun’kin Vine Fair is just around the corner, taking place July 9-13.
Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, is supporting county fairs with grants to improve facilities and experiences offered to rural communities across the Upper Midwest.
This Illinois Beef Foundation announced eight young people from across the state as 2024 scholarship recipients.
Fifteen Indiana farm families will share their stories at the Indiana State Fair this summer, showcasing the diversity of agriculture in Indiana.
Indiana’s agriculture community lost a beloved member, Tim Nannet, who fought a long battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Three superior members of the Illinois Agri-Women were honored with awards during the group’s annual meeting.
For 2024 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Natalie Evans, being onstage at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield wasn’t that much different from being in a livestock show ring.
For Sandy Hoke, county fair queen pageants aren’t just gowns and crowns. “You learn poise. You learn how to write a proper bio for yourself. You learn how to be interviewed. It opens you up for a whole new direction in your life,” she said.
As a breed, miniature Hereford beef cattle have a lot going for them. They are compact, efficient, docile, easy to handle and mature quickly. They eat considerably less than their full-size counterparts and produce very tasty meat. But they also are really cute.
Alexxys Standish was crowned the 65th Indiana State Fair Queen — the first representative from Newton County to receive the honor.
The new farm bill can got kicked down the road last month with a one-year extension of the 2018 law, but Illinois Corn remains diligent in pushing for new legislation sooner rather than later.
The annual National Milk Producers Federation Cheese and Yogurt Contest recently wrapped up and it was a successful year for Prairie Farms Dairy.
The theme of the 2024 Indiana State Fair will be “The Art and Nature of Fun” presented by Newfields. The theme is a celebration of art and nature and will include immersive experiences.
Illinois high school football teams have entered the final weeks of playoffs, but one team already has a championship title.
Not only did Oct. 8 mark the final 85 days of 2023, but Prairie Farms Dairy announced that its 85th anniversary celebration will finish strong with a variety of special activities.
The month of August was very busy for this year’s Illinois Association FFA major state officers. The month kicked off with training from Andrew McCrea, a former national officer.
It’s hard to believe we are already at the end of August. We have finished sweet corn sales for 2023. This is a family project, and I believe almost all of us are OK that the time has come to wrap up.
For Eric Brammeier, who farms and owns a crop insurance business, August is about waiting for harvest — and harvest prices to be set.
Hoosier writers Beth Gormong and Susan Hayhurst are proud to present “Growing the Fruit of the Spirit: 100 Devotions for Farm Families.”
The upcoming implementation of California Proposition 12 on Jan. 1 and its ramifications is among the primary focuses of the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
The La Porte community, including more than 20 businesses and nonprofit organizations, worked together to provide local 4-H-raised protein to 29 food pantries and soup kitchens.
The 2023 Indiana State Fair Supreme Drive, hosted by Indiana Farm Bureau, was held at the Indiana State Fair. The Supreme Drive specifically highlighted female breeding animals such as gilts, ewes, heifers and cows.
Sixty young livestock exhibitors vied for the title of “Grand Champion Overall Master Showman” during the 2023 Illinois State Fair Master Showmanship Contest.
Chances are anyone who has attended a swine show at the Illinois State Fair and other Midwest shows in the last five decades has seen a Miller family member showing their entries.