County fairs are beloved customs that unite communities every summer and encourage a sense of belonging among people of all ages. As a passionate advocate for county fairs, I have consistently worked to maintain their importance. I have contributed to assuring the ongoing success and vitality of these valued events by my dedication to funding fairgrounds, promoting education, and supporting innovation in the agricultural sector.

Our county fairs need to continue to thrive and grow as they are our communities’ way of maintaining our agricultural heritage and encouraging active community involvement through the ongoing support of the state budget. This is done by showcasing the local agricultural history of our state. Our amazing 65,000 farms generate over $105 billion in yearly economic output and exports of over $335 billion in goods to over 145 nations. In addition, farmers employ more than 435,000 people in Wisconsin, or about 12% of the state's workforce.

At the fairs you also get to meet the dedicated families that keep our farms functioning while eating scrumptious fair food cooked with fresh Wisconsin-produced products. You can speak with a farmer while getting close to one to learn how to manually milk a dairy cow or to see some of the amazing new technologies that farmers employ on their farms. Furthermore, where else can locals and visitors to Wisconsin meet a local gardener to learn how they grew a blue-ribbon pumpkin or a small child who raised the prettiest and fluffiest rabbit you have ever seen?

Having previously supported increased funding, I am proud to have advocated for additional funding for our fairs in the upcoming state budget. It is crucial that we allocate resources to support our county and district fairs, as they play a vital role in preserving our agricultural heritage and promoting community engagement. By investing in these events, we ensure that my constituents can continue to enjoy the benefits they provide.

I also have been working with our technical colleges and local universities to make sure that training our future farmers need will be made available to them in the future. This includes continuing to support ground-breaking initiatives like the Dairy Hub at UW-River Falls, which promotes research and innovation for the benefit of our farmers and our consumers.

Save the date for your local county fair!

Northern Wisconsin State Fair: July 12-16

St. Croix County Fair: July 19-23

Eau Claire County Fair: July 23-30

Dunn County Fair: July 26-30

Pierce County Fair: Aug. 10-13

You can find more information on state and county fair dates and events at: https://www.nwsfa.com/ and https://www.travelwisconsin.com/things-to-do/entertainment-attractions/fairs-festivals.