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From animals to antiques, the state fair offered a great time for exhibitors and visitors.

Mindy Ward, Editor, Missouri Ruralist

August 24, 2021

17 Slides

The Missouri State Fair was back to normal, and it did not disappoint. It was chocked full of livestock shows, 4-H and FFA exhibits, antique machinery and square dancing — all to the delight of fairgoers.

Those who made it to Sedalia, Mo., for the 2021 Missouri State Fair witnessed a comeback from a pandemic. Dubbed “Our Missouri Celebration,” highlighting the state’s bicentennial, this year’s theme seemed to have another purpose.

While the numbers are not yet in and they may be slightly lower, it was the air around the fair that made it a success. Despite the heat during the first few days, exhibitors and fairgoers seemed happy to be doing what they love — showing livestock, eating fair food and enjoying the entertainment. There was celebration across the fairgrounds from the Charolais barn to the Sheep Pavilion.

Sit back and click through the photo gallery to see scenes from this year’s “Our Missouri Celebration” at the state fair.

About the Author(s)

Mindy Ward

Editor, Missouri Ruralist

Mindy resides on a small farm just outside of Holstein, Mo, about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis.

After graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism, she worked briefly at a public relations firm in Kansas City. Her husband’s career led the couple north to Minnesota.

There, she reported on large-scale production of corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and dairy, as well as, biofuels for The Land. After 10 years, the couple returned to Missouri and she began covering agriculture in the Show-Me State.

“In all my 15 years of writing about agriculture, I have found some of the most progressive thinkers are farmers,” she says. “They are constantly searching for ways to do more with less, improve their land and leave their legacy to the next generation.”

Mindy and her husband, Stacy, together with their daughters, Elisa and Cassidy, operate Showtime Farms in southern Warren County. The family spends a great deal of time caring for and showing Dorset, Oxford and crossbred sheep.

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