Agricultural Shows

Warrigal

SF VIP
An advertisement for the Sydney Royal Agricultural Show has caused me to reminisce about childhood visits to "The Show".

We were taken each year by our mum who grew up in country towns and loved animals. We would trek through all the animal pavilions before anything else. My favourites were the horses, goats and the sows with piglets.

Then we would go to the produce pavilion where each rural region competed for the best artistic display using their local produce. They were spectacular and the range was educational.

Lunch was usually fried chips made from Tasmanian potatoes - cheap and tasty. After lunch we took up seats in the stands to watch the Grand Parade of prize animals, the ride of the mounted police, the camp draft and the sheep dogs performing their work rounding up the sheep.

Before we headed home we went to the show bags pavilion and were allowed to buy two bags, mostly filled with lollies, which we would consume over the next two weeks at home.

I almost forgot - there was also sideshow alley with a ghost train, merry-go-round and other delights. Again, we were limited to two rides so we had to choose carefully.

Does anyone else remember going to an ag show as a child? Anyone ever taken part?
 

I haven't been to an agricultural show for many years now, they seem to be in decline here in the UK. When I lived in Devon, though, there were three I used to visit ... The Royal Cornwall show at Wadebridge, The Devon County Show at Exeter and The Bath and West Show at Shepton Mallet. Like you, there was the usual shows of livestock with competitions, fairground rides and displays by stunt riders, monster trucks etc. AND the free food sampling tent for cheeses, pies and home produce.

And yes, I have taken part in a couple. I used to work in the feed analysis laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and ran a portable Dry Matter analysis lab, testing the degree of 'wilt' for various grass cutting machines which were being demonstrated, prior to ensiling the grass.

http://www.devoncountyshow.co.uk/
 
The largest ag show here in PA is the Pennsylvania Farm Show held each January at the Far Show Building in Harrisburg. http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/ I missed going this year because we experienced a very cold winter and I just didn't feel like going out. They have several shows and exhibits and even a rodeo all free. Each car is charged $10.00 to park, but there is no admission. So many people attend that they have to park us about 2-3 miles away and then bus us back and forth from the parking lots. BTW, everything in the show is either raised, grown or made in Pennsylvania.

Pigs.JPG Peeps.JPG Turkeys.JPG Laying Chicks.JPG Apples.JPG
 

We took livestock to the Iowa State Fair almost every year when I was a kid. In addition to row crops we ran some cattle and hogs. We usually took a couple of our best bulls or hogs and showed them at the fair.
 
Went to the Ohio State Fair back in the 60s on a date. It was huge! I remember they even had a separate section for rabbits.
 
Oh yes, Warrigal. here in New England, we have "The Big E" or Eastern States Exposition. I haven't been there for a number of years now, but it's fabulous to see all the animals, produce, crafts, etc. There are also smaller state fairs. Now, I resolved to get to the next Big E !
 
I always went to the State Fair and to many Farm and Agriculture shows. Went because I worked in the industry and because i enjoyed seeing the live stock and new equipment on the market
 
Plenty of agricultural shows to choose from up here in Cumbria. North Londsale, Penrith, Skelton, Keswick, Cartmel to name a few. Nearest one to me is about 12 miles away. Not been for a long time, might take my grandson this July.
 
Sorry but the images of the animals in those pens just makes me sad. They all look so sparkling clean and 'well' but that is never the reality is it?
 


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