Ag Society prepares for different kind of fair
BROKEN BOW - At the July 9 meeting of the Custer County Ag Society, the board discussed what the 2020 Custer County Fair may look like. Troy Walz, Custer County Extension, said he has submitted the necessary safety plans to Loup Basin Public Health District (LPBH) for the 4-H events that require it. The Ag Society Board must submit plans to the LBPH for events such as the Livestock auction.
In general, safety plans must list how the organizers will provide signage, hand sanitizers and recommend social distancing and facial masks, though masks don’t have to be required.
For 4-H events, Walz said 4-H staff, volunteers and judges are asked to social distance and/or wear masks. Walz also reported to the board that sign-up for the 4-H/FFA livestock auction will be online this year.
All camper spots have been reserved. Fair administrator Michelle Nelson said there is a waiting list of nine families.
The Free Pit BBQ will be a drive-through this year. The board will be looking at logistics for Monday night as participants for the Custer County Classic Bull Riding will be arriving just as the BBQ kicks off. More information on how it will unfold will be covered in next week’s issue of the Chief.
Tuesday evening will be Ultimate Bull Fighting, similar to the Bullfighting Only event last year.
In past years, the Ag Society has presented Aksarben Pioneer Farm Family awards just prior to the livestock auction. Aksarben has cancelled presentations of the awards this year and will send the awards to county fair managers who will then see that they get to the families. This year, the Edward Spanel Family is receiving the Aksarben Pioneer award for more than 100 years of continuous farm ownership in the same family.
While much is still happening, there are things that won’t be part of the Fair this year. They include:
• No parade on Saturday.
• No ministerial Christian concert.
• No open class entries/ exhibits.
• No Celebrity Cow Milking contest.
• For Wednesday, the Ag Society Board was still determining if the tractor pedal pull would take place. Stay tuned!
• At press time, two events that were undecided were the Teen dance and the Square Dance.
Check out the article on page A5 to see which 4-H events will be omitted this year.
Though the County Fair means an extra busy time for Ag Society Board members, they are glad there will be a 2020 Fair.
“I’m excited. I think it will be good to get people out and about,” board member Rodney Lamb said.
“It’s going to look different, no doubt,” board president Kent Nelson said. “I’m happy that we can have it.”
Marla Stallbaumer, board secretary, said youth across the county have been working hard on projects and she is glad to see their hard work. ”Kids have been channeling a lot of energy into their projects.”
In other Ag Society business, the Board voted to ask for a 2.5 percent increase in funding from the Custer County Supervisors plus an additional allowed 1 percent. For the 2019-2020 year, the Ag Society received $173,400.
Grounds manager JJ Martin reported that the two flags for the pole at the fairgrounds had both been damaged. One was repaired however the second one cannot be repaired and a replacement is needed.
Mid State Finals Rodeo is scheduled for the Custer County Fairgrounds Sept 18-20. The decision whether or not the rodeo would be cancelled is up to the organizer. “There will not be a lot of rodeos before it,” Ira Spanel, board treasurer, said. The board agreed the Ag Society supports having the MidState Finals Rodeo if organizers agree to have it. The Custer County Fairgrounds is the host of the Mid-State Finals through 2023.
The schedule for the 2020 Custer County Fair will appear in next week’s Chief.