An American tradition returns
This summer, it’s time to round up the family — and the livestock
While many youngsters frolic their way through summer vacation, Dalton Mowbray keeps busy feeding, grooming and training his hogs. Mid-August is fast approaching, and he has his eye on the prize: the Iowa State Fair.
At age 14, Mowbray is already a veteran at showing swine. He began competing in county fairs at 7 and began exhibiting his pigs at the state fair at the ripe old age of 10.
“At state fair, I’ve had a few ribbons,” he said modestly.
This summer, he will be showcasing three pigs — Olivia, Peanut and Yorkie — at the fair.
“I think there’s potential for all of them to do well,” he said. Long ago, Dalton accepted the reality that “market” pigs like Yorkie are destined for dining room tables.
State fairs in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin all began in the 1850s. The oldest, Wisconsin’s, turns 170 this year. And while fair activities have expanded well beyond cows and sows to include midway rides and big name bands, they continue to honor their roots.
“Agriculture is the cornerstone of our fairs,” said Kathleen O’Leary, CEO of Wisconsin State Fair Park. “That is where we are all very similar.”
Even in Illinois, with the big businesses of Chicagoland, agriculture remains the state’s largest industry.
“It absolutely is,” affirmed Jerry Costello, director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “We try to highlight that here at the fairgrounds.”
Costello pointed to McLean County, 135 miles south of Chicago, to illustrate his point. It was No. 1 in the nation in both corn and soybean production in 2020.
Last year also brought the pandemic that forced fairs across the country to cancel. But this summer will be different.
“People are ready to get out and do things,” Costello said. “We’ve got 366 acres. There’s room, obviously, to have plenty of people in an outdoor environment.”
One of the big draws, the butter cow, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary at the Illinois State Fair this summer. For the uninitiated, the butter cow is a life-size bovine carved out of 600 or more pounds of butter. Each year, the yellowish sculpture depicts a timely theme.
Butter cows for the Illinois, Iowa and Kansas state fairs are all carved by Sarah Pratt, an Iowa schoolteacher.
“I work right in that cooler where it’s viewed,” she explained. “I can finish a sculpture in five days. …Sometimes (those are) 12-hour or 14-hour days.”
“There are people that absolutely would not consider it a complete experience if they didn’t go by and see the (butter) cow,” Costello said.
“A lot of people, it just brings them joy to walk by and see it and share the tradition with their families and their friends,” Pratt said.
A different type of livestock — steers
— is also a big draw. Each year, following the selection of the grand champion steer, the governor presides over a prestigious auction. The 2019 champion fetched $75,000, benefiting 4-H and Future Farmers of America.
Just across from the Springfield fair’s grandstand, a 55-year-old concession, Vose’s Korndogs, is expected to once again generate long lines next month. The delectable dog is the most popular food at the fair. They sell thousands of them each day. The price remains $3.
“We’ve been at $3 for over 10 years,” said Kelsie Vose, granddaughter of the stall’s founder. She has been working at the booth since she was 8 years old.
“It is a huge draw for people because you don’t feel like you are biting into a corndog and the hot dog is the size of a pencil,” she said.
It would be hard, if not impossible, to determine one quintessential state fair. But for his 1932 book, “State Fair,” Phil Stong chose his native Iowa. The book was the genesis for a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical on Broadway and three movies.
“It’s all about living in Iowa and why we love living in Iowa,” said fair CEO Gary Slater.
“I think it’s a fun experience,” said Jenny Petersen, the high school agriculture teacher in Sully, Iowa. She and her family members have won “a few hundred” awards at the Iowa State Fair for everything from cookies to sheep.
“It creates a platform for (people) to have the conversation about agriculture,” she said. “You can help answer some of the questions that they’ve always wanted to ask someone.”
The tallest stalk of corn (around 19 feet) and the hilarious outhouse race may be big lures, but they aren’t what fairgoers most look forward to.
“Seventy percent of them say it’s the food,” Slater said.
That’s probably no surprise given some 200 offerings, dozens of which are famously served on a stick. Traditional favorites include sweet corn and pork chops. The wackier ones include deepfried Twinkies and, new this year, deepfried rattlesnake.
In Wisconsin, many people drink their faves, whether it’s milk or beer.
Milwaukee’s NBA team sponsors the Bucks Milk House, where an 8-ounce glass costs just 50 cents. Forget about the white milk that’s poured on cereal, the milk here comes in flavors such as chocolate-peanut butter, mint and root beer.
Visitors seeking a fermented beverage are never more than a few steps from a vendor. A whopping 31 stands sell alcohol. One of them, Benno’s Pavilion, boasts about 60 craft beers, all of them from Wisconsin.
The fair is also known for its cream puffs, pastry shells filled with freshly whipped vanilla cream and dusted with powdered sugar. They’ve been a favorite since 1924.
“The crowds don’t stop. … We make anywhere between 350,000 and 400,000 for the 11-day event,” said Tim Gill, who runs the concession for the Wisconsin Bakers Association. “We like to call it Wisconsin’s signature dessert.”
At the Indiana State Fair, people can vote for their favorite foods, with substantial cash prizes for the winners. The 2019 champion — a mashed potato ball stuffed with seasoned ground beef and deep fried — was created by Da Portable Rican, a food truck from Portage in Northwest Indiana.
Indiana, too, spotlights the importance of agriculture through various exhibits, including Little Hands on the Farm.
“That invites children to play the role of a farmer and go through 13 different interactive barns,” explained Sharon Smith, a fair spokesperson. “It really helps them to understand where their food comes from.”
That very topic is emphasized in Iowa, too, at the fair’s “Have You Herd?” project. Dalton Mowbray will be one of this year’s speakers, in between tending to his pigs — and striving for a ribbon or two.
Illinois State Fair (www2.illinois.gov/ statefair/), Springfield, Aug. 12-22. Indiana State Fair (www.indianastatefair. com), Indianapolis, July 30 to Aug. 22. Iowa State Fair (www.iowastatefair.org), Des Moines, Aug. 12-22. Wisconsin State Fair (www.wistatefair. com), West Allis, Aug. 5-15.