Beyond the Midway: The Agricultural Heart of the Ohio State Fair

Livestock, agriculture, tradition, and the enduring importance of bringing the farm to the fair.

For many people, the words state fair immediately conjure images of carnival rides, bright lights, enormous food stands, and the unmistakable sounds of a bustling midway.

And certainly, those things are part of the experience.

But walk a little farther, beyond the games and attractions, and you'll discover something that has been at the heart of state fairs for generations.

Agriculture.

The animals, crops, skills, families, and communities that make farming possible.

This summer, our visit to the Ohio State Fair offered an opportunity to spend time exploring that side of the fair—the part that connects modern Ohio to a much longer agricultural story.

And for someone who spends a considerable portion of his life growing plants, tending animals, and working with the products of the garden and beehive, it is a story that feels particularly close to home.

More Than a Summer Tradition

Agricultural fairs have a long history in the United States.

They developed as places where farmers and agricultural communities could gather to exchange ideas, demonstrate improvements, compare livestock and crops, and celebrate the accomplishments of the growing season.

They were educational events as much as social occasions.

Farmers could examine new equipment, learn about improved methods, discuss challenges, and see what their neighbors were doing successfully. Families could exhibit animals, produce, preserved foods, and handmade goods. Young people could develop practical skills and experience the responsibility that comes with raising and caring for animals.

And communities could come together around the work that sustained them.

Over time, state fairs expanded into the enormous public celebrations we know today.

But their agricultural purpose never entirely disappeared.

It remains there, often just a short walk from the midway.

The Animals at the Center of It All

One of the most engaging parts of an agricultural fair is the opportunity to see livestock up close. Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, horses, and other animals represent far more than individual exhibits. They reflect generations of animal husbandry, selective breeding, practical experience, and the daily work of the people who care for them.

For visitors who have never spent much time around farm animals, the livestock barns can be a revelation.

There is an enormous difference between knowing that a cow produces milk and standing beside one. Between seeing a photograph of a sheep and examining the fleece of an animal whose wool may eventually become yarn or cloth.

And for those of us who keep animals ourselves, there is another level of appreciation.

We understand something of the routines behind the scenes.

The feeding. The cleaning. The observation. The attention to health and behavior. The small decisions that make up responsible animal care.

An animal arriving at the fair represents months—and sometimes years—of work that visitors may never see.

That deserves recognition.

The Next Generation of Agriculture

Perhaps one of the most important roles agricultural fairs continue to play is providing opportunities for young people.

Through organizations such as 4-H and FFA, young participants develop skills that extend well beyond raising an animal or growing a crop. They learn responsibility, recordkeeping, communication, problem-solving, and the discipline of caring for something that depends upon them. They learn that living things don't operate according to our preferred schedules.

Animals need attention whether it's convenient or not.

Plants require patience.

Weather doesn't always cooperate.

And success often depends upon how well we respond when something doesn't go according to plan.

Those lessons are valuable whether a young person eventually becomes a farmer, veterinarian, horticulturist, scientist, business owner, or chooses an entirely different path.

Agriculture teaches us that effort and outcome are connected, but never completely under our control. That is a useful lesson for almost anyone.

Agriculture Is More Than Food Production

When we think about farming, we naturally think about food. But agriculture reaches into nearly every corner of our lives. Plants provide fibers for clothing, materials for building, oils, fragrances, dyes, medicines, and ingredients used in countless everyday products.

Animals contribute to agricultural systems in ways that extend beyond the most familiar foods. And the knowledge developed through farming connects to ecology, soil science, nutrition, genetics, engineering, veterinary medicine, and environmental stewardship.

For an herbalist, these connections are particularly interesting.

Medicinal plants are agricultural crops, too.

They require appropriate growing conditions, healthy soil, thoughtful harvesting, and careful handling after harvest. The same principles that help a farmer produce a healthy crop of vegetables can help a gardener grow useful medicinal herbs. And many of the challenges are familiar regardless of scale. Too much rain. Too little rain. Insect pressure. Unseasonable temperatures. Soil that needs improvement. A crop that performs beautifully one year and struggles the next.

Whether we're tending a few raised beds or hundreds of acres, we are still working within the rhythms and limitations of the natural world.

A Fair Is Also a Classroom

One of the things I appreciate about agricultural exhibitions is that they make learning accessible. You don't need to own a farm to become curious about livestock. You don't need an agricultural degree to ask how a crop is grown. And you don't need to be an experienced gardener to discover something that might encourage you to plant your first seeds.

Agricultural fairs bring together people who possess an extraordinary range of practical knowledge. Breeders, growers, exhibitors, educators, agricultural organizations, young participants, and experienced farmers all contribute to that exchange.

A conversation in a livestock barn can introduce someone to a breed they've never encountered. An exhibit can explain how a particular agricultural product is produced.

A demonstration can reveal the skill behind something most of us simply purchase without thinking. And sometimes the most important thing a visitor takes away is a question they hadn't thought to ask before.

Where does this come from? How is it made? Who grows it? What does it take to produce it?

Those are questions worth encouraging.

The Importance of Staying Connected

For much of human history, agriculture was woven directly into everyday life.

Even people who didn't farm often lived close enough to agricultural communities to understand something about the seasons, the harvest, and the work required to produce food and other necessities.

Today, that connection can be much less visible.

We can purchase almost anything throughout the year, often without knowing where it was grown, how it was raised, or how many people contributed to bringing it to us.

That convenience is extraordinary.

But it can also make the natural world feel strangely distant.

Agricultural fairs offer a way to shorten that distance. They bring the animals, plants, people, and practices of agriculture into a public setting where visitors can encounter them directly.

And they remind us that the things we depend upon don't simply appear on store shelves.

They begin somewhere.

In soil.

In fields.

In barns.

In orchards and gardens.

And in the work of people whose knowledge and commitment often go unnoticed.

A Connection to Our Own Work at Verdigris

Our work at Verdigris Market Garden is very different in scale from a commercial agricultural operation.

But many of the underlying principles are familiar.

We grow herbs and botanicals, tend our bees and chickens, work with seasonal harvests, and turn some of what the garden provides into preparations for the apothecary, personal care, and home. We make decisions based on weather, soil, plant health, timing, and the needs of the living things in our care. And, like anyone involved in agriculture, we learn something new every season.

That is one reason I enjoy opportunities to visit agricultural events. There is always something worth observing. A different approach to animal care. An unfamiliar plant. A conversation about growing conditions. A reminder of a technique that has been used successfully for generations. And perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to appreciate the enormous variety of people who participate in agriculture.

There isn't just one kind of farmer or one kind of agricultural life.

There are family farms, large operations, specialty growers, market gardeners, livestock breeders, orchardists, beekeepers, horticulturists, and countless others.

Each contributes something to the larger agricultural landscape.

Keeping Agriculture Visible

The Ohio State Fair is, of course, a celebration. It should be enjoyable. There is nothing wrong with going for the food, the rides, the entertainment, or the pleasure of spending a summer day exploring.

But I hope visitors also take the time to walk through the agricultural exhibits.

Visit the livestock barns.

Look at the animals.

Read the displays.

Ask a question.

Watch a demonstration.

Take a moment to appreciate the young people who have spent months preparing their projects and the families and educators supporting them. Because those experiences are part of what makes a state fair more than a temporary collection of attractions.

They connect us to something enduring.

Agriculture is not simply a chapter in our history.

It is part of our present, and it will remain essential to our future.

And perhaps, somewhere between the livestock barns and the agricultural exhibits, a visitor will discover a new interest, a deeper appreciation for the people who grow our food, or a little more curiosity about the natural world.

That seems to me a very good reason to keep going to the fair.

Watch: Our Visit to the Ohio State Fair

Join us as we explore the agricultural side of the Ohio State Fair, visiting the exhibits and celebrating the animals, people, and traditions that remain at the heart of this Ohio summer institution.

This article is intended for educational and general informational purposes. The observations and reflections are those of Verdigris Market Garden.