MAAF NEWSLETTER

JULY 2023

Issue #4

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

By the time that you read this, Springfield, Monmouth (photo-right) and Houlton will have had their fairs. It was a pleasure to visit these early fairs, and I look forward to seeing you during the next few months as I visit your fairs. I encourage our fair family to support the new management team of the Bangor State Fair as they have some exciting plans for this year.

Congratulations to our two MAAF Foundation scholarship winners. (I have included the pictures and background information in this newsletter).

The MAAF Conference Committee is continuing to work on putting together a great conference for 2024, and we will include more information in the fall issues of this newsletter.

As of July 1st, the Agricultural Fair Assistance Program operating through Efficiency Maine has offered funding to fourteen (14) Maine fairs. All projects are proceeding well, invoices have been submitted for labor and materials and all funding requests should be paid by the end of July.

Another upcoming date to save is the 2025 Zone 1 conference. Co-sponsored by New Hampshire and Maine, this event will be held May 2-4, 2025 at the Grappone Center in Concord, New Hampshire.

The MAAF board will hold their summer meeting at the Bangor State Fair on Sunday, August 6th, 10:00 AM

Thank you all for your cards, messages, thoughts and prayers during my recent surgery, and rehabilitation period at home. Barry

MAAF FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Alexis Landry from Gorham High School (photos) Will attend Virginia Tech this fall for undergraduate in both Animal and Poultry Sciences and Dairy Sciences. Following her undergraduate, she plans to attend Veterinary school to become a DVM in mixed animal practices. She has been very active in 4-H Dairy.

Delaney McKeen graduated from Central Aroostook High School. Her local fair is the Northern Maine Fair. She was active in the FFA. Delaney plans to attend the University of Maine Presque Isle to study Agri-Science and Agri-Business. She plans to obtain a Masters Degree and become an Agronomist and reside in Aroostook County.

FAIR & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

OSSIPEE VALLEY FAIR & THE JAMES HANSEN DAY 5K

James Hansen Day was born to Jamie and Valerie Day, and raised in Porter, Maine. His grandparents, Denise and Richard Day, were charter members of the Ossipee Valley Agricultural Society, so James grew up around the fair. He used to help at the admission gate during the fair. At the age of 13, James developed a brain tumor. Following a lengthy period of chemotherapy, James was cancer free, and entered high school. In high school James joined the Sacopee Valley JRTC. His goal was to join the army and serve his country.

An excellent student , Eagle Scout and very active in his community, James received a scholarship from the United States Army and entered Wentworth College in 2016. However, in December of 2016, James received a diagnosis of another brain tumor and had to withdraw from college to begin a rigorous regimen of treatments. These treatments were extremely expensive and insurance did not cover very much. A family friend, Kris Bridges, offered to donate his returnables and from this gesture grew the Bottle Shed (which still fills up weekly). Unfortunately, James passed away in August 2018 at the age of 20 years old..

The bottle shed money turned into a Memorial Scholarship Fund for a graduating senior from Sacopee Valley High School. The first scholarship was awarded in 2019 to a student pursuing a 4 year degree in the amount of $10,000. At the same time, Ossipee Valley Fair was considering starting a Memorial Run (5K). With permission from James’ parents, in July of 2019 , the fair began the first James H. Day Git-R-Done 5K. In the first year, the fair raised $6,000 and adding that to the bottle shed monies, Jamie and Val awarded (1) $10,000 scholarship and (2) $5,000 scholarships. The bottle shed keeps filling and the 5K keeps growing. As of this year, scholarships awarded have exceeded $100,000 and have been given out to seniors graduating from Sacopee Valley High School, Homeschoolers and Charter school seniors. In 2023, the run committee has raised over $23,000 for the scholarship fund !

James H. Day was a young man that would light up a room with his smile, and he was always wearing it. He is terribly missed by a community and fair family that wants to keep his legacy alive. James Hansen Day - Forever 20 !

HARNESS RACING IN OUR MAINE FAIRS

Lots has been happening in the Maine fair harness racing world as we start the summer.

On May 15th, Maine fairs lost a longtime supporter of harness racing. Gary Sagris, owner and operator of Winner’s OTB in Brunswick since 1996, passed away. Known for his unwavering support of the sport and the many owners, trainers and drivers, Gary’s smile would light up any gathering. His generosity and many kindnesses will be missed.

Harness racing has been a staple at the Union Fair for 120 years. Beginning in 1902, horse racing became a feature of the Union Fair’s program and was a main draw for patrons for decades. Matt Elwell, Union Fair president shared the following: “However, as times change and generations pass, the costs to host and produce harness racing have increased substantially and have finally reached a point where it is no longer financially sustainable for the fair. Unfortunately, based on several factors, some of which are beyond our control, the Union Fair Executive Committee has made the tough decision to end harness racing effective immediately. We realize many people will miss the sights and sounds that come along with horses racing around the halfmile track and we will certainly miss it, too.”

CAMP KIPPEWA - A HISTORY OF MAINE HARNESS RACING

BY MARYPAIGE KOWALSKI

For 15 years I have been building a family of horse girls at Camp Kippewa in Monmouth, Maine. I have focused on making life long equestrians who have a love and understanding of the sport out of this “big old barn” with a track in Monmouth. As the years have rolled by I have started to look at the history of the barn and started to learn a little more and a little more about the harness racing industry in Maine. As the years went by I also ended up with a few standardbreds in our program and learned just how amazing and kind these horses were but I still knew nothing about the industry and I certainly had NO IDEA how amazing the harness racing community was in Maine.

After a few summers with a standardbred here or there we started to intentionally bring in some of these oldies to the program. Then last year, as we were learning more and more about these awesome horses, we decided we should take a field trip with the girls to show them just where these horses are coming from before they join us to start their riding careers! Summer of 2022 we took a total of 41 girls to First Tracks Cumberland to watch the races! We were even lucky enough to basically “bring home” the fan favorite America’s Proud.

Fast Forward to 2023… What we have found out in the history lesson of our barn is big! Norman Woolworth was not only one of America's major owners, breeders and amateur drivers, but also one of the most prominent breeders in Europe and one of the leaders in the formation of the international harness racing community. Our barn held some of THE GREATS like Egyptian Princess, Porterhouse, Sh Boom, Pay Dirt, Gun Runner and Meadow Skipper, who was to become one of the leading sires of the twentieth century. Sooooo, after being immersed in a barn with such a presence of history and being around so many fantastic horses the last few years my obsession became real. Real to the point my 12 year old daughter and I decided to focus a little on a retraining program and do something real with our idea of Track to Treasured and bring more horses to camp for the summer..

Sooooo here I sit, in this big barn of “camp horses” 11 of which are well known Maine favorites! America’s Proud, Kid CourageousA, Panbien, FourStarzLouie, CJ Marshal, A World Apart, Shea Writes Right, Andy the Manager, Call Me Hal, Gotta Laugh Again & Hedges Lane I am feeling so BLESSED to have had today!

Today, MAINE HARNESS RACING made core memories for 19 girls today!

What started as a little adventure with Christine Ohman and Jason Vafiades turned into the MOST AMAZING THING!

To everyone at First Tracks Cumberland today…THANK YOU!!!! To Every fan who came to watch the race and had to deal with some crazy girls on the fence! To Every driver that smiled, waved, and spoke to our girls on the fence! To Every Owner/Trainer/Driver that was hijacked in a winners circle photo by some crazy girls with posters! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We had no idea that today would look like today but it was the most AMAZING DAY THAT THESE GIRLS WILL NEVER FORGET! THANK YOU AGAIN… and we will see you again 2nd session!!!

Also here is the link to the information about the Woolworth's and the history of our barn!

Please reach out if you need any more information from me! About us!

Thanks Again! MaryPaige Kowalski, Equestrian Director, Camp Kippewa, Regional Director, Certified Horsemanship Association

EARLY SUMMER MAINE FAIRS

WELCOME ENTHUSIASTIC CROWDS!

SPRINGFIELD FAIR

Springfield Fair , opening their gates early this year on June 15th through June 18th, greeted fairgoers with a slew of fun games, food and entertainment. This year’s fair schedule included truck pulls, a demolition derby, a newly renovated exhibition hall and the first ever Miss Springfield Fair Pageant Show. Saturday and Sunday featured a two day horse show as well as a much anticipated Springfield Fair Cornhole Tournament. A few stray showers did nothing to dampen the spirits of young and old alike. Great job Ashley LaDuke and your hardworking crew!

MONMOUTH FAIR

Monmouth Fair, also dodging a few rain drops here and there, greeted fair goers June 21 through June 24th. Already set up and ready to go was Smokey’s Greater Shows, complete with midway, rides, favorite fair food and games. Teams of steers and oxen put on quite a show, Jessica Butler’s childrens’ area was jampacked with youngsters all day,every day and a big thank you to all those individuals and businesses who sponsored bicycles for the childrens’ bike drawing.

2023 MAAF AGRICULTURAL

AWARD CONTEST

"CREATING AN EXPERIENCE:

MAINE ON MY PLATE"

Here is the application for this yummy contest!

FAIR & AG TRIVIA

There are 16,585 organic farms in the United States and 5.5 million acres in use for organic production. The United States is the third ranked agricultural country in the world. The single largest employer in the world is the agricultural industry, employing 40 percent of the global population.

From the Dictionary of Midway Slang (early 1900s):

All The Tea In China: Very much cash money.

Lice: Locals that arrive early and stay late without spending any money.

Pie Car: Dining car on the show train.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR MID-SUMMER FAIRS

WHAT TO LOOK FOR!

HOULTON FAIR - July 1-4: Houlton Fair is inviting all welding students of Region II and any other school’s welding program to participate in a competition where the student will create and weld a figure, scene or anything to do with agriculture and farming. FMI contact: [email protected]. Entries will be judged and voted on by the public during the fair. Prize money for first three places.

OSSIPEE VALLEY FAIR - July 6-9 OVF is introducing a “new” agricultural village this summer. Explore our blacksmith shop, 207 Tappers maple shed, “friendliest little farm and stand”, agricultural schoolhouse, and much,much more.* We especially want to share with our fairgoers the plans for (and background of) our 5th Annual James Day “Git-R- Done” 5K Race Walk on Sunday morning.

PITTSTON FAIR - July 13-16 Once again, Pittston Fair will be giving away THREE certificates for Drivers’ Education ! Stop in and enjoy the Pittston Fair Tot Farm. A variety of agricultural play activities for preschoolers. ( A delightful example of community involvement in our Maine fairs !)

WATERFORD WORLD'S FAIR - July 14-16 Waterford Fair is excited to announce that they have their very own Childrens’ Barrel Train ! This ride has always been a fair favorite for youngsters who travel around the fairgrounds in the colorful barrel cars. Also, new this summer, will be the Waterford World’s Fair Farmers’ Market.

UNION - July 26-30 Don’t miss the first Stump to Nail competition. Starting at 9:30 AM Wednesday morning, teams of oxen/steers will drag trees/logs out of the woods to a designated area where the logs will be converted into lumber. FMI contact: Earland Luce (207) 790-1580.

NORTHERN MAINE FAIR - July 29-August 6 Lil’ Lumberjacks is back and even more fun! Sponsored by Versant Power, this prize winning activity designed for children of all ages, introduces and educates fairgoers about the many aspects of Maine forestry. How many trees can you identify? What really is an Indian Tank and how does it work ?

BANGOR FAIR - August 3-August 6 The Bangor State Fair is excited for the return of Agriculture to this year’s fair. After a few long years of planning, we cannot wait to share that Agriculture has a new home right inside the Cross Insurance Center area ! You can expect all the same animals, as well as Old McDonald’s Farm, in a nice air conditioned facility. We will have all the same animal shows and an auction on Saturday evening as well.

TOPSHAM FAIR - August 8 - August 13 This year we are so excited to offer many more agricultural demonstrations celebrating our 169 th fair. Our Blacksmith house will be open, Riverside Woodcarving will have demonstrations each day with some of their talented work to sell. Check our schedule and plan your day around. Cooper Smiths demonstration making

wooden buckets and barrels, Dickie Brown, Cattle Hoof Trim. We are lucky once again to have Ledgeway Farms who will have daily goat milking demonstrations. Safety City on the dangers of powerlines or if you are Interested in bees, stop by our Pollinator demonstration and Bee Presentation to follow. We are extremely excited to be adding a water fountain to our grounds this year. The exciting part is that Mac Hunter from Hunter Excavation will be building this during the fair so that fair goers can see and learn what goes on to make this process happen. We are excited to see this new addition coming to our grounds. Please

check out our full schedule of events at www.topshamfair.net. See you at the fair.

SKOWHEGAN FAIR - August 10-August 19 Maine Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. Pine State Pistoleros. The final Saturday of the fair after barrel racing. Don’t miss it ! Also the Maine Farmers Draft horse demonstration is bringing back “Twitching” for the first time since 2003.

ACTON FAIR - August 24-August 27 Don’t miss the 10th Annual Cruise ‘ n Car Show. A big fan favorite, show off your car, pose for pictures or just reminisce about “your first car” . Thursday, August 24th starting at 3:30 PM with awards at 6:45 PM

PISCATAQUIS FAIR - August 24-August 27 Take special note of the gardens this year at the fair. To honor the memory of their mother and her passion for gardening, the family of long-time fair volunteer Denise Tirrell has spent many hours making sure that the gardens reflect her love for the fair and for the colorful flowers throughout the fairgrounds.

WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR - August 26-August 27 Appearing at the fair this year on Saturday are the Passamaquoddy Drum Group, Ken & Jane Brooks, and Against The Grain.

WINDSOR FAIR - August 27-September 4 The Miss Windsor Fair Apple Queen competition is back ! Thursday evening , August 31 at 6 pm is the coronation date and time for contestants to compete for the title.

BLUE HILL FAIR - August 31-September 4 The USDA is bringing their new rain and soil trailer to Blue Hill Fair. The Pork Chop Revue comes to us from Florida, and you may have seen them on America’s Got Talent. Charlotte, Templeton and Wilbur will be welcoming some new friends in their barn, and our llamas and alpacas are dressed and ready for the Costume party. Don’t miss the sweet little goats in our new goat playground.

IAFE ANNUAL CONFEENCE

NOVEMBER 26-29,2023

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

The 2023 Annual IAFE Conference will focus on FAIRS RISE - Reunite, Inspire, Support, Educate. Several of our Maine fair folks are planning to attend. If you have any questions or requests for them to research at the conference, please contact any of the MAAF board members.

IAFE ZONE 1 MEETING 2023

RECAP!

The Albany Zone 1 meeting was a huge success. We were blessed with great weather and great company. We welcomed 130 attendees from all over the Northeast. All states were represented. The feedback we received after the convention was all favorable and will be passed on to The Big E as they host the 2024 zone meeting and onto the Great State of Maine as they host the 2025 convention. Thank you to all who attended and we hope to see everyone in Massachusetts next year, if not before.

MAAF CONFERENCE

JANUARY 26-28 2024

Save the dates. Sheraton Sable Oakes, S. Portland, ME

IAFE ZONE 1 MEETING 2024

MAY 16-18, 2024

SPRINGFIELD, MA

The 2024 Zone 1 Meeting will tentatively be held

May 16-18 in Springfield, MA at the following property:

Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel, 1 Monarch Pl, Springfield, MA 01144

The 2025 Zone 1 Meeting will be co-sponsored by Maine & NH

HANDWASHING POSTER

Download the pdf here!