Fairfield Arts and Convention Center welcomes ag exhibitors

FAIRFIELD - Randy Jones traveled nearly 100 miles to attend the sixth annual Kenny Norton Southeast Iowa Farm Show Saturday at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

Jones, owner of Papa's Alpaca's in Green Castle, Missouri, started running alpacas with his sheep years ago. When it was time for them to be sheered, he decided to send the fiber off to be made into products he could sell.

Jones said Saturday was his first time at the farm show but decided to attend after being at a similar event in Fairfield in December. His typical peak season for selling is October through December but because he enjoyed himself in the winter, he decided to try out the spring crowd.

Getting to show people his products personally, not just having them look at pictures online was a big plus, he said. Derek Mineart, owner of Crestline Flag & Pole, agreed.

Originally from Fairfield, Mineart is now living in Waterloo but said he has been coming to the farm show for the last several years because he likes having the ability to show his product and connect with potential customers. 'We're from here locally so we like coming back to see people we know. It's a good show for a small town,” he said.

Getting to do so in his hometown is especially important to him and something he feels should be more widespread.

'I think it's great for Fairfield. A lot of small towns need to do more things like this to support small business. This helps us get in front of people to demonstrate our product so rather than ordering from a catalog or online, they can physically see the product before they make a purchase,” he said.

Farm show committee member Bev Nelson said bringing in unique businesses and people is what the day is all about.

'We want to present ag because it's such a huge part of our county and our southeast Iowa area,” she said.

More than 60 exhibitors attended the event at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center showcasing a variety of products. From banks to grain bin salesmen, there was something for everyone, she said.

Nelson said having an annual farm show that can bring in about 400 people annually is important for the community because it shines a light on what is available locally and opens the door for new ideas and opportunities.

'We need to showcase what we have in this county and it's good for people who are non-ag to see what's going on. It's also good for actual farmers to come in and see what products there are, meet different people, talk to different banks and see what's going on,” she said.

Nick Freeman, owner of Hedge Farm Aerials, was one of those local business owners who attended the show. His Lockridge based business produces aerial images to be used for photographs, ag diagnostics and even construction inspections.

Being in a subset of the ag industry that is not as widely known as others, Freeman felt ag shows were a great opportunity to talk to people about his business, product and ways he could collaborate with farmers and land owners in the future.

'It get's your name out in the crowd,” he said.