Our society and the agricultural community have been through many changes over the past years, but the goals of the county fairs remain consistent today … providing a family oriented show dedicated to education, entertainment and fellowship to all.

These county fairs serve as one of the few remaining links between farm and nonfarm residents. Today, less than 2 percent of our population is a farmer. With the consensus of the public at least three generations removed from actual farm life, the county fairs are more important than ever before.

More often than not, education and communication with each other can avoid basic misunderstandings. Too often, nonfarm residents are ready to lay blame on the farming sector for a problem or concern that is unwarranted.

On the other hand, farm residents must realize the need to get along with and positively promote their occupation to nonfarm residents.

While the decline in the number of farms will continue for years to come, the remaining producers will strive to meet the needs of tomorrow’s society. Farm and nonfarm residents will need to coexist more in the years to come and the county fairs will provide an avenue for such interaction.

You may just want to stop in at the Butler Farm Show going on today through Saturday, the Hookstown Fair running from Aug. 23 to 27 or the Big Knob Grange Fair being held Aug. 30 through Sept. 3 in Rochester, Beaver County. Or to locate a fair near you, you can log on to the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs at www.pafairs.org.

Agriculture humor

A jogger running down a country road is startled as a horse yells at him, “Hey, come over here buddy!” The jogger is stunned but runs over to the fence where the horse is standing and asks, “Were you talking to me?”

The horse replies, “Sure was, man I’ve got a problem. I won the Kentucky Derby a few years ago and this farmer bought me and now all I do is pull a plow and I’m sick of it. Why don’t you run up to the house and offer him $5,000 to buy me. I’ll make you some money cause I can still run.”

The jogger thought to himself, “Boy, a talking horse!” Dollar signs started appearing in his head. So he runs to the house and the old farmer is sitting on the porch. The jogger tells the farmer, “Hey man, I’ll give you $5,000 for that old, broken down nag you’ve got in the field.”

The farmer replies, “Son, you can’t believe anything that horse says. He’s never even been to Kentucky.”

Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.