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Category Archives: Fair
Governor announces appointments to the Kansas State Fair Board
Governor Laura Kelly appointed John Bottenberg to the Kansas State Fair Board, and reappointed Harmon Bliss, Nick Ketzner and Robert Atkisson.
The purpose of the Board is to promote and showcase Kansas agriculture, industry and culture; to create opportunity for commercial activity; and to provide an educational and entertaining experience that is the pride of all Kansans.
“The Fair provides tremendous opportunities for commerce, entertainment and education in Kansas each year,” Kelly said. “I feel confident that these appointees will ensure the success of the Fair through their service on the Board.”
Bottenberg, Topeka, served on the board previously and was appointed to an at-large seat. He is a former state representative.
Bliss, Jetmore, is the current Board president and was reappointed to the seat reserved for a representative from the southwest agriculture extension district.
Ketzner, Bird City, was reappointed to the northwest agriculture extension district seat.
Atkisson, Stockton, was reappointed to the seat reserved for a representative from the Kansas Fairs Association.
Authors Needed For Writing Festival and Fair Oct. 19
The Fort Scott Writing Festival and Author Fair will be held October 19, 2019 at the Lowell Milken Center. The festival is co-sponsored by the following: Bourbon County Arts Council, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, Lowell Milken Center, Books and Grannies and Hedgehog.INK!
Morning Workshops session (8:50-12:00) – includes workshops by published authors for adults, college and high school students. The cost of the morning activities is $35 with pre-registration due by October 14. Late registration is $45. College students and high school students are free with school identification.
Afternoon Author’s Fair (1:30-3:30) – is free to the public. Authors may sign up for a space to promote their published works. The cost for each table is $10*. The author is responsible for bringing their own books, collecting money and paying taxes as required by the state of Kansas or use the event tax id#. Authors need to bring their own table (card table size) and folding chair. Authors may set-up during the lunch break from 12:00-1:30.
Author space will be available on a first-come basis. Please fill out the attached form and return to Jan Hedges at Hedgehog.INK! 16 S. Main Fort Scott, KS 66701 (hedgesbookstore.com) to reserve your spot. Please include the following information:
Name _____________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________
Phone _________________________ Email __________________________
Tax ID# (for event taxes information) ___________________ $10 paid ______
Genre (Brief description of your published work:)
*If you attend the morning workshops, there will not be a charge for your table for the Author Fair.
Kansas State Fair – State Fun, Local Flavor
Submitted by: Carla Nemecek
Kansas 4-H members ages nine and up are eligible to enter projects at the Kansas State Fair, but only eligible after first earning the top award in the project category at the county fair. That means 4-H entries at the Fair come with high praise, and also means seeing the various projects in 4-H Centennial Hall may inspire others to join 4-H and learn by doing, choosing a new 4-H project (if already involved in 4-H programs) or provide the nudge that’s needed to complete a hobby project or try something new.
Kansas 4-H offers more than 30 educational 4-H projects and seeing the completed projects under one roof is testimony to experiential learning in 4-H.
The 2019 Kansas State Fair will open Sept. 6 and continue through Sept. 15. While attending the annual event is a tradition for many, seasoned as well as first-time fairgoers are encouraged to visit 4-H Centennial Hall to view 4-H projects that have earned the top awards at our local county fairs.
4-H Centennial Hall is located at the north end of the fairgrounds, and will house the majority of the more than 11,000 4-H project exhibits during the fair. The Southwind Extension District will be well represented, with exhibits entered from Allen, Bourbon, Woodson and Neosho Counties.
The 4-H building is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., from Sept. 6-Sept. 14, and, on Sept. 15 (closing day) from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
“Celebrating All Things Kansas” is the theme for the 2019 Kansas State Fair, so I certainly want to mention some of our most grassroots projects – the livestock. Southwind 4-H members will also be exhibiting horses, sheep, swine, meat goats and cattle at the south end of the Fairgrounds. Horse project members who previously qualified at the District Horse Show will compete the second weekend of the State Fair, while livestock exhibitors will show the first weekend as part of the Grand Drive. Youth enrolled in the Dog project will also compete the second weekend.
Information on daily schedules and admission can be found on the Kansas State Fair website, www.kansasstatefair.com
If you are looking for results from our local 4-H members, those can be found by clicking on the link at www.kansas4-h.org, or stop by the Southwind Extension District website, www.southwind.ksu.edu and we will direct you to those 4-H results that will be updated on a daily basis.
From the fun fried foods that can be found on the mid-way to the open and youth exhibits across the fairgrounds, there are opportunities for the young and old alike. I encourage you to put on your best walking shoes and make a trip to Hutchinson, KS September 6-15, 2019 and “Celebrate All Things Kansas” at the 2019 Kansas State Fair!
Peerless Expands Assembly Lines: Needs More Workers
Peerless Products, 2403 S. Main, is the largest employer in Fort Scott with 420 workers.
And they need more assembly lines to grow their business, according to Dave Elliott, Peerless Products Culture and Morale Manager.
Founded in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1952, they manufacturer high-performance aluminum architectural and commercial windows for new construction, replacement and historical construction, according to their website.http://www.peerlessproducts.com/Corporate/About-Peerless
“We need to have the capacity to run more products through, to continue to grow,” Elliott said.
“We purchased the old American Standard warehouse in Nevada (MO) on I-49, we will use that as a staging warehouse,” Elliott said. “That frees up space in the Fort Scott facility for another assembly line.”
The employees the company is looking for?
“Somebody that has a good work ethic and a willingness to learn and grow,” Elliott said. In addition, applicants must have a valid driver’s license, and a high school diploma or GED.
The starting-out wage at the plant is $11 per hour, and “they usually work more than 40 hours a week.”
Day shift is from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
“The hours on Friday depends on how much of the product is complete,” Elliott said.
Peerless offers a benefits package that offers health insurance, life insurance, a 401K and an “astounding profit-sharing program,” Elliot said.
Peerless also offers “employee care” activities such as chair massage a couple of times a year and currently are giving employees 20 lb. meat bundles. This processed beef and pork comes from what the company purchases at county fairs of 4-H animals.
Today, Aug. 9, Elliot and Karen Contreras will be at the Ellis Fine Art Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College for a job fair.
From 2-6 p.m. interested applicants are asked to bring their resume and come for a visit with the two Peerless Products representatives.
Bourbon County Fair: Rewards for Projects
The 2019 Bourbon County Fair is in full swing this week, highlighting the work of 4-Hers and others in many different categories of projects.
Over 1,000 special awards are given by merchants and individuals for all open class prizes, Open Class Superintendent Jackie Warren, said. “Not counting the livestock,” Superintendent Terri Williams said.
Highlighted in photos are the top ranking winners in each category.
Congratulations to all who did their best and earned top places.
Chamber Coffee at County Fair July 18
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WEEKLY CHAMBER COFFEE REMINDER
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Fair Time!
The annual event that allows 4-Her’s to showcase their hard work is the county fair.
The Bourbon County Fair is July 12-20 at the fairgrounds located across from Fort Scott Community College on South Horton.
The week includes animal shows, a fashion revue, a livestock sale, open class and 4-H exhibits along with grandstand events.
New this year, the Bourbon County Fair is hosting a professional rodeo at 8 p.m. on July 12-13 at the fairgrounds, by the Hampton Rodeo Company, a consistent top-rated International Pro Rodeo Association (IPRA) contractor.
“The big thing is the professional rodeo we are having Friday and Saturday starting the fair,” Diane Brillhart, treasurer for the fair board, said.
Tickets are $10 adults, $5 youth and five and under, free is purchased before the rodeos, $12 and $7 at the gate.
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There will be a calf scramble, bull poker, beer garden and a live band, in addition.
Contact Steward Gulager, 620-215-5302 for more information.
Brillhart also encourages the public to notice the newly painted sheep and dairy barns.
“Thanks to a Fort Scott Area Community Foundation Grant and the Bourbon County Jail Inmates, we were able to paint the Sheep and Dairy Barn,” Brillhart said.
See information on both the fair and rodeo below.
Get Ready For Bourbon County Fair Open Class
The 2019 Bourbon County Fair will be July 13 through July 20 at the Bourbon County Fair Grounds. It is time to start thinking of what you are going to enter in the Open Class exhibits. King Arthur Flour continues to sponsor a baking contest for both adult and youth and will donate nice prizes. Recipes and King Arthur Flour will be available to the contestants. A registration form will be in the fair paper or contact Jackie Warren for more information.
There will also be a Table Runner Contest. Please contact Jackie Warren for the instructions for this year’s contest. Don’t forget the new categories that were introduced in the Quilts Division last year: Mug Rug, Hexagons (any size), Holiday Item, Wool Applique and a Quilt on a Stick.
A new category of “Lego’s” will be added to the Arts and Crafts Division. This should be a fun category as different types of creations can be exhibited. Make any kind of Christmas ornament and you can enter it in the new category “Christmas Ornament”, also in Arts and Crafts.
Don’t forget the Small Hay Bale Contest and the Scarecrow Contest. Please contact Terri Williams to register for these so we can have a hay bale ready for you, or a bucket of sand for your scarecrow.
If you haven’t purchased a copy of the Posters of the Bourbon County Fair dated 1886, you may do so during the fair. All remaining posters are now priced at $5.00.
There are so many exhibits to visit during the Bourbon County Fair, both Open Class and 4-H. In addition to exhibits there will be programs in the Myers Building on Wednesday, July 17. These are presented by members of FCE (Family and Community Education).
More information will be in the Fair Book which will be printed by the Fort Scott Tribune in early May.
We are grateful for the sponsors and supporters of the Bourbon County Fair. All the prize monies for the special contests and awards are donated by sponsors. We appreciate these sponsors and volunteers. There would not be a Bourbon County Fair without these wonderful people.
Please contact Jackie Warren, 620-224-8161, Jackiewar@cebridge.net or Terri Williams, 620-215-3202 for more information or questions.
4-H Youth Livestock Skills
With county fair season upon us, youth livestock exhibitors in the Southwind District are busy working with their animals in preparation to show them at their very best. Not only are they practicing to drive their hogs, brace their sheep and goats and set up their cattle, they are working hard to keep them cool and on feed during the hot month of July.
Animals that will be, or have been exhibited (the Woodson & Bourbon County Fairs are already complete!) at the fair did not just appear overnight. Southwind District 4-H members with cattle care for and own their animals for about 280 days, and youth with sheep, meat goats and hogs care for and own their livestock for about 100 days. The time spent with animals teaches basic life skills and eventually help them develop into better citizens.
Following are some life skills that youth livestock project members can gain:
- How to get along with people. A large number of people in society quit or lose their jobs because
they cannot get along with others. 4-H members who show livestock are around people they
have never met but have similar interests. They learn to communicate with these people.
- Sportsmanship. At a livestock show, there is only one Grand Champion. However, there are many
winners. Most 4-H members who show livestock for any period of time usually experience the
extreme high feeling of an exceptional effort and the extreme disappointment of a project that didn’t turn out as well as was expected. Normally, win or lose, the competitors in the show can be seen after the show talking and enjoying life together.
- Responsibility. Feeding and daily chores in a 4-H livestock project teach responsibility. Top
feeders follow the time clock in their daily efforts. This is a good habit to start at a young age and may
reap youngster’s substantial benefits in a career later in their lives.
- Attend to details. Most young people take care of major items in a 4-H livestock project
like fencing, feeding, etc. However many times it’s the little things that make a different: keeping water
tanks and feed troughs clean, working on grooming and showmanship several months before the show,
keeping pens clean and close observation for sickness and disease. Paying attention to details is
beneficial in almost everything we do in life.
- Decision making. Decision making is never easy at any point in our lives. 4-H livestock
projects require several key decisions be made: selection of project animals, selection of feeding
method, care and management decisions, fitting and grooming techniques, etc.
- Goal setting. For every successful 4-H livestock project, there is usually a good plan. Most
details and plans for the project on selection, feeding and management of the project have been planned well in advance. Goal setting is important for everyone regardless of future endeavors.
Next time you are at a livestock show, study the kids instead of the animals. You will notice that most
classes have several winners, not just the one standing in first place.
Wednesday At The Fair
The Bourbon County Fair continues until Saturday, July 21.
Here are some highlights from a stroll through the 4-H Buildings on Wednesday, featuring some of the grand champion winners work.
Tomorrow is the swine judging, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Weekly Coffee in the Myer’s Building and the 4-H Fashion Revue at Fort Scott Community College’s Bailey Academic Building.
Using Solar Energy To Water Cattle
In past generations, farmers used windmills to bring water to their livestock, using one of Kansas’ resources-wind. There are still a few relics around today.
Now, farmers are being encouraged to water their animals with water pumped by a solar panel, which uses another resource Kansas has much of- solar energy.
The purpose of this watering system is to keep surface water from being contaminated by animal feces, which naturally happens when animals are allowed into streams, ponds, and rivers to drink.
“The solar pump helps producers move livestock away from streams and ponds as their only water source,” Herschel George, Southeast Kansas Watershed Specialist for Kansas State University, said.
This week George is at the Bourbon County Fair to demonstrate the solar-powered water delivery system and visit with interested cattlemen and others about it.
“We pump out of a well or a pond into a tank,” George said Monday afternoon at the fair. “This helps keep manure out of the Marmaton River.”
The Marmaton River traverses from west to east through Bourbon County towards Missouri and is the recipient of water from streams in the county.
These streams are on private property and some have animals that get their needed water from those streams.
While at the water source, animals defecate and urinate into the streams and ponds and rivers.
This system is to rectify that problem of water quality.
Much of George’s time as a K-State Watershed Specialist is spent developing and installing water plans for livestock alternative water systems, according to the to https://www.kcare.k-state.edu/staff/Watershed_specialists.html
He installs concrete and tire tank livestock water supply lines to ponds full of water and solar water pumping systems. He also assists farmers in finding cost-share solutions to improving water quality, according to the website. Additionally, he assists to bring them into compliance with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
George can be reached on his cell phone at 913-294-6021 or via email at hgeorge@k-state.edu.
George will be demonstrating at the Bourbon County Fair Wednesday through Thursday, July 18-19, located near the Merchant’s Building and also Friday through Sunday at the Four State Farm Show, south of Pittsburg in booth 280.