County Fair Podcast The County Fair Podcast

This week, your host is joined by Dr. Tara Urbano, DVM from UC Davis!
 
Dr. Tara Urbano is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis. She has an extensive background in livestock practice, including reproductive health, preventive medicine, and food safety. She attended UC Davis, earning a BS in Animal Science (2011) and DVM (2016) as well as completing a clinical residency. She achieved Diplomacy in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in 2019.
 
Originally from Reedley, CA, Dr. Urbano was involved in FFA with swine, caprine, poultry, and equine projects; and served as Resident Shepherd at the UC Davis Sheep Facility during her undergraduate studies. Currently, she is a Staff Veterinarian for the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's Livestock Reproduction and Herd Health service, where she serves as a clinician for a diverse client base that includes youth showman, seedstock and show animal producers, backyard operations, large-scale commercial operations, and many fairs throughout Northern California. In her spare time, Dr. Urbano enjoys camping, yoga, reading, and hiking with her labrador.

Christina and Dr. Urbano discuss the work of veterinarians and their work at the fairs. Dr. Urbano shares her enthusiasm for working with the showmen and their animals and offers some tips to make sure you have your animal fit for public display and human consumption before you bring it to the fair.

Listen in to learn about the role of veterinarians at the county fair.
 
Topics of Discussion:
[:45] Christina McFarling welcomes you to this episode of The County Fair Podcast and introduces her guest, Dr. Tara Urbano, DVM from UC Davis. Christina shares Tara’s bio.
[2:01] Christina welcomes Dr. Urbano to the podcast.
[2:25] Dr. Urbano shares how she chose veterinary medicine. It started with agriculture and FFA. By college, she knew she wanted to be a livestock vet.
[3:23] Dr. Urbano joined FFA in her freshman year. She took AgEd courses in high school.

Swine
[4:35] High School Ag Ed gave her experience in learning by doing in labs and outdoor classes, not sitting in a classroom all the time. On day one, she learned to castrate pigs. There were plenty of hands-on activities to draw her in.
[5:10] Dr. Urbano continues with the learn-by-doing style as she teaches fourth-year senior clinical veterinary students.
[5:58] The Big Fresno Fair is the local fair for Dr. Urbano. Growing up, she brought market swine, breeding sows, and gelts. The equine projects were marketed through a horse trainer; she made a commission. For poultry, she sold eggs out of the Ag Science Department. There were early morning and late afternoon hours but it was a lot of fun and she wouldn’t change it.
[7:11] While raising animals, participants think about the future; making wholesome, safe food for our population, and being ambassadors of their industry for the general public.
[8:13] Dr. Urbano talks about her responsibilities at the fair. Health inspections at check-in at County. For the state fair, she does drug residue testing and reviews drug declaration forms, making sure the animals have followed appropriate withdrawal intervals on any medications they have been given to make sure they are suitable to be harvested at the end of the fair.
[8:49] Dr. Urbano often ends up doing some veterinary care, depending on what happens during the fair. Occasionally an animal will injure itself or get sick.
[9:19] Dr. Urbano sees client animals sometimes before the show. She advises showmen starting projects to connect with a veterinarian now in case there would be an issue along the way or at the fair that requires veterinary care. Also, to read through the fair board’s published health rules and requirements so they can monitor their animal daily and address issues on time.
 
Cattle, Swine, and Poultry
[12:14] When vets check beef, swine, and poultry for health requirements, they are looking for infectious diseases;

This week, your host is joined by the Manager at the Placer County Fair, Carrie Fankhauser!
 
The Placer County Fair Association ran the Placer County Fair for 80 years. With an economic downturn, the fair was failing and Placer County considered repurposing the fairgrounds for housing. In 2017, the county approached David Attaway, who stepped up with a vision for a revitalized exhibit building and new event center to be used year-round for the home of the fair as well as sporting events, meetings, and more. This began the organization @TheGrounds, which operates the fair on the fourth weekend of June.
 
Carrie shares the history of the project and the success it is experiencing as she goes into her fourth year of operations with the fair.

Listen in for more info about The Placer County Fair and @TheGrounds.
 
Topics of Discussion:
[:45] Christina Rudolph welcomes you to this episode of The County Fair Podcast and introduces her guest, Carrie Fankhauser, Manager at The Placer County Fair and HR Manager at @TheGrounds.
[1:05] Christina welcomes Carrie Fankhauser to the podcast!
[1:21] The Placer County Fair is located on the old fairgrounds and was operated by the Placer County Fair Association for 80 years. With an economic downturn, the fair needed help. In 2017, @TheGrounds revitalized and expanded the fairgrounds into an event center with a 160,000 square foot indoor sports facility. Some funding came from Placer Valley Tourism.
[3:27] There are 25 hotels in the County, with more to come. Placer County is a great area. They wanted a facility to be used in the winter months to keep the hotels busy. In 2019, they broke ground on the Roebbelen Sports Center, named after the construction company. It’s a beautiful, high-tech facility. It’s pretty full for 2022.
[6:08] Placer County is northeast of Sacramento, California, on the way to Reno, Nevada. The weather is great with no humidity. It gets hot in the summer. With the fair being held the fourth weekend of June, they always seem to hit the first 100-degree weather!
[7:01] The new indoor facility will be used for the fair, providing some protection from the heat. Inside the Roebbelen Center, there will be a cornhole tournament, an acrobatics troupe, and other entertainment, with room for about 20 indoor vendors in the atrium.
[8:00] While this is the fifth year that @TheGrounds will run the Placer County Fair, it is the 85th year the fair has been in existence.
[8:23] Surrounding the area of @TheGrounds, Placer County has wineries, craft breweries, and agriculture. @TheGrounds is situated in the City of Roseville with museums and arts councils close by. Visitors may not be aware of all the area has to offer. The livestock community is fantastic!
[10:18] Exhibitors will bring steer, pigs, goats, sheep, pygmy goats, rabbits, and chickens.
[10:59] Carrie tells how COVID-19 influenced the fair. They worked with the county to make testing and vaccinations available, allowing many people to come through the fairgrounds who might not have, otherwise. 2021 was very successful. They were the first fair in the area to open after restrictions were lifted before California closed again! So they were inundated.
[16:39] The Placer County Fair’s goal for 2022 is to have 75% of the attendance it had in 2021.
[17:03] There is also a fair “right up the road” in a rural area of Placer County, in September, and the State Fair in July is in nearby Sacramento. The county residents support the Placer County Fair.
[18:17] Carrie talks about the marketing and branding efforts and the website. They put a lot of effort into marketing in 2021. They have a designated marketing person five days a week in the @TheGrounds office plus the support of Placer Valley Tourism. The Placer County Fair website is also about to be updated. The website can be used to register animals, buy tickets, and more.
[20:41] Carrie reveals the marketing focus for 2022. They will have a “Meet

This week, your host is joined by the Assistant General Manager at the Oakland County Fair, Sara Ressler!
 
Sara Ressler is responsible for handling the marketing and finances for the Oakland County Fair. The Oakland County Fair is a 501c(3) organization with a mission to provide a public educational showcase of our youth through hands-on experience with exhibits, demonstrations, and presentations, as young people develop life skills in a family atmosphere. Before working for the Oakland County Fairs, Sara served on the fair board and was a twenty-year fair volunteer. Outside of the fair, Sara and her family raise and show American Saddlebred horses. They are very involved in the horse community.
 
In this episode, Sara shares her history both with horses and at The Oakland County Fair. Sara has raised her family around the fair. She shares family stories and her experiences with her family and her fair family! Sara talks about the effects of technology and the pandemic on the fair and what changes are planned, especially around marketing to Millennials and internet access in the county park. She shares her enthusiasm for the youth exhibitors and how they grow in experience and confidence that will last for their lifetimes.

Listen in for more info about The Oakland County Fair.
 
Topics of Discussion:
[:45] Christina Rudolph welcomes you to this episode of The County Fair Podcast and introduces her guest, Sara Ressler, Assistant General Manager at The Oakland County Fair. 
[1:32] Christina welcomes Sara Ressler to the podcast!
[1:51] Sara started with horses when she was four! She has had horses her entire life until she was in college. When her children were young, she took her daughter to the fair, where she saw an American Saddlebred horse. She really liked that horse! That was 20 years ago.
[2:55] Sara’s family got their first Saddlebred shortly after that. They currently have nine Saddlebred on their farm. The daughter was 10 when they got the first horse. She is still all-in! She trains the horses and is active in the American Saddlebred show circuit.
[3:30] Three years ago the American Saddlebred Association held a raffle for a breeding from the retiring World Grand Five-Gaited Champion Horse. Next year, the resulting horse will be far enough along in his training to start competition. The horse looks just like his “daddy”!
[4:42] Alongside her work at the fair, Sara worked for years in Show Office Services, retiring last year. She managed the entries for 21 horse shows a year from Michigan to Georgia and Missouri. The Oakland County Fair is in Oakland County Michigan.
[7:09] Sara talks about the wonderful experience she had at the IAFE Convention this year. One session, Marketing to Millennials, presented by college students, was very effective in explaining what Millennials want to see, such as photo opportunities, digital maps, and unique vendors.
[13:55] Sara went to the IAFE Convention to pick up ideas to implement at The Oakland County Fair. She decided to work on an integrated interactive map and QR codes for short fair event surveys. The use of technology is now a necessity more than a luxury.
[15:49] Sara talks about Wi-Fi availability on a fairground in Northern Oakland County, which is a rural area. They are looking into bringing in fiber optics, but the infrastructure is not there yet. The fair is in a county park. They are looking to partner with the county and also apply for grants and sponsorships.
[18:47] Sara encourages fairs to reach out to surrounding fairs for fundraising ideas, such as golden tickets to achieve a goal.
[20:39] Sara describes some of the aspects of The Oakland County Fair. It is an opportunity to reconnect to our agricultural roots and see what our kids are doing in their projects with their animals. Sara has a story about a young man in his first year of raising turkeys.
[23:04] The younger exhibitors look up to the graduating exhibitors who help and

This week, your hosts are joined by two members of the Tillamook County Junior Livestock Auction Committee, Dakota Lager and Teri Fladstol!
 
Dakota Lager is the 4-H Program Coordinator at the Tillamook County Oregon State University Extension Service. He has been with the Tillamook County Program for 2 years but has been around 4-H and County Fairs for most of his life. Dakota also attended ShoWorks training in March of 2020 and jumped in to help get the JLAC Auction online for the 2020 and 2021 Tillamook County Fairs, as well as the 4-H and FFA Youth.
 
Teri Fladstol is from Jigsaw Consulting Services. She attended ShoWorks training in March of 2020 to help several of her clients with their events when the pandemic threw a curveball into many events across the country. Teri was able to work with Dakota and the ShoWorks team to keep things moving along as much as possible for both the 2020 and 2021 Tillamook County Fair.
 
The Tillamook County Fair is held annually in August. Though the 2021 fair recently passed, you can look forward to 2022 where the fair will run from August 10th-13th. Key features include courtyard entertainment, carnival rides and games, Pari-Mutual Horse Racing, exhibits such as 4H and FFA animal projects, local fair food, nightly concerts, their world-famous Pig N’ Ford races, and much, much more!
 
In this episode, Teri and Dakota discuss the Tillamook County Fair, how they pivoted for COVID, their record-breaking year for sales in 2021, the change they’ll be making headed into 2022, the key pieces that they believe made their fair and auction a success, and their advice for families looking to show at next year’s auction!
 
Topics of Discussion:
[:43] Today’s scripture.
[1:09] About today’s episode with Teri and Dakota of the Tillamook County Junior Livestock Auction Committee!
[2:09] Jeffrey Palermo introduces today’s host, Christina Rudolph, and welcomes Teri and Dakota to the podcast!
[2:15] Christina also welcomes Teri and Dakota to the show and shares how she originally met the two.
[2:35] Where Tillamook is, what makes it so special, all about their County Fair, and their Junior Livestock Auction.
[5:19] How do they decide who makes the sale in Tillamook?
[6:52] About the extraordinary sales that they made in 2021.
[11:58] How Teri and Dakota worked together to pivot during COVID and made 2021 their best year yet.
[14:11] Teri and Dakota share how they were able to communicate with their buyers what to expect in 2021 in terms of how the auction has changed.
[17:53] What did they learn from their 2021 hybrid event that they will be taking with them in future events?
[20:20] Teri and Dakota share what they’re looking to improve for 2022.
[21:49] Key players and roles leading up to the sale that help make the fair and auction a success.
[25:57] Teri speaks about their fantastic team dynamic.
[26:28] Dakota shares advice for the families whose animals make the auction this year on how to ensure that their animal/s will meet the requirements for next year’s auction.
[28:13] How to get involved in the show or get started with showing.
[29:33] Dakota and Teri each share their favorite fair memories.
[32:00] Jeffrey and Christina thank Dakota and Teri for joining the podcast!
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Tillamook County Fair
Tillamook Cheese Factory
Teri Fladstol’s LinkedIn
Dakota Lager’s LinkedIn
 
The County Fair is Brought to You By ShoWorks
ShoWorks’ fair entry software has set the gold standard for fairs across the United States and Canada for more than 20 years, serving more than 75% of the country’s fairs. ShoWorks is in place to handle fair entries, billing, payouts, and the incorporation of virtual elements into your show and auction. Visit www.FairSoftware.com to learn more!
 
God Moment
“Fill your minds with those things that are good and deserve praise; things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable

This week, your host Christina Rudolph is joined by a special guest (and an old friend), Sherri Hooper!
 
Sherri wears a lot of different hats and has her foot in many county fairs! Since 1993-2018, Sherri has been involved with Chilifest, earning herself the title, “Chilifest Mom.” She also runs her own traveling vendor with her daughter, has worked on the Area Go Texan fundraiser, and much, much more!
 
Conducting today’s interview sitting in the historic Catalena Hatters store in Bryan, Texas, Christina and Sherri watched as their famous hats were getting made. Sherri speaks about what she loves about volunteering and working with various county fairs; her involvement with Area Go Texan; her favorite memories traveling county to county, helping to craft incredible events; the key components of what makes a fundraiser successful; her traveling vendor business, the Texas Rose Boutique; and all about the incredible Chilifest fair!
 
Topics of Discussion:
[:40] About today’s episode with Sherri Hooper.
[1:17] Christina welcomes Sherri to the podcast!
[1:23] Sherri shares some background on who she is and what she does!
[1:47] Sherri shares how she first got involved with the Gonzales community in Texas working on their local show and helping the youth.
[2:19] What Sherri loved the most about working in the various counties with Area Go Texan.
[3:00] Sherri’s favorite memories of traveling county to county, helping craft incredible events.
[3:38] What Sherri was most proud to be a part of with Area Go Texan.
[4:36] The key components of what makes a successful fundraiser.
[7:10] How to make a silent auction successful.
[7:54] The most unique auction items that Sherri has ever seen.
[9:24] About Chilifest and why Sherri loves it!
[12:49] The challenges of communicating with, recruiting, and managing volunteers.
[17:01] About ShoWorks.
[17:19] The power of a positive attitude.
[19:28] How Chilifest will be different this year, coming out of the COVID pandemic.
[22:33] Sherri shares what her life looks like as a traveling vendor with her daughter.
[25:30] What Sherri looks for as a vendor to determine if she’s going to attend a fair or event.
[27:39] Christina thanks Sherri for joining the podcast and Sherri shares some final words of wisdom for listeners!
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Area Go Texan | Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Catalena Hatters
Chilifest
Texas Rose Boutique
 
The County Fair is Brought to You By ShoWorks
ShoWorks’ fair entry software has set the gold standard for fairs across the United States and Canada for more than 20 years, serving more than 75% of the country’s fairs. ShoWorks is in place to handle fair entries, billing, payouts, and the incorporation of virtual elements into your show and auction. Visit www.FairSoftware.com to learn more!
 
Want to Learn More?
Visit CountyFairPodcast.com for show notes and additional episodes.

Welcome to the County Fair Podcast! This is the podcast where fair influencers share their valuable insights, strengthening and growing the long-lived tradition of the county fair.
 
This week, Ricky Brown from the California Mid-State Fair joins the podcast! Ricky is one of the exhibit’s directors for the large west coast fair. In his role, he primarily oversees the entry, registration, and judging of competitive exhibits, beverage competitions, and commercial competitions.
 
What makes the California Mid-State Fair so unique is that they have grown well beyond the core aspects of many other similarly-sized county fairs. They go beyond agriculture and livestock entries into beverage, fine arts, crafts, food, floriculture, and more.
 
In this conversation, Ricky speaks about the fair and shares how they persevered during the pandemic, moved to a hybrid online model, and hosted their unique exhibits and competitions. He also shares marketing advice, tips, and strategies for fair managers looking to maximize their entry numbers in any category, advice and lessons learned over the course of the pandemic, and other key takeaways from his involvement in the fair.
 
Topics of Discussion:
[:00] About the County Fair Podcast.
[:19] This show is brought to you by ShoWorks.
[:40] Today’s scripture.
[:59] About today’s episode with Ricky Brown.
[1:12] Jeffrey welcomes Ricky to the podcast!
[1:22] Ricky reflects on the vast size of the California Mid-State Fair.
[2:07] The divisions of the fair that Ricky primarily focuses on in his role as a director.
[3:33] About the more unique exhibits and competitions at the California Mid-State Fair such as the beverage competitions.
[6:39] Lessons that the California Mid-State Fair has learned over the course of this tumultuous year and what they will be taking with them going forward.
[10:34] What goes into the judging of these unique competition entries (such as beverages, olive oil, etc)?
[16:08] How have the competition entry volumes been impacted during COVID vs. now?
[21:22] About ShoWorks.
[21:41] Ricky shares marketing tips, advice, and techniques for fair managers looking to maximize their entry numbers in any category.
[26:14] Ricky shares about his involvement with the prizes and awards for each competition division, and what these awards look like.
[32:05] Ricky shares lessons that he and those who are a part of the California Mid-State Fair have learned over 2020-2021 that they will carry with them through 2022 and beyond.
[36:49] Jeffrey thanks Ricky for joining the podcast!
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
California Mid-State Fair
 
The County Fair is Brought to You By ShoWorks
ShoWorks’ fair entry software has set the gold standard for fairs across the United States and Canada for more than 20 years, serving more than 75% of the country’s fairs. ShoWorks is in place to handle fair entries, billing, payouts, and the incorporation of virtual elements into your show and auction. Visit www.FairSoftware.com to learn more!
 
God Moment
Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be.” – Acts 1:7
 
Want to Learn More?
Visit CountyFairPodcast.com for show notes and additional episodes.