Among the events at the Iowa State Fair was a competition for the World's Super Bull, won by 6-year-old Tiny. A charolais, Tiny weighed in at 3,012 pounds.

I recently attended the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines while on vacation. Attendance topped 1 million this year, setting a record.

Going to fairs is a great passion of mine, and I also enjoy visiting historic places. Another benefit of my trip to Iowa is that my sister, Cynthia Fodor, is a TV news anchor in Des Moines.

My first stop was Kansas City, Mo., where I toured the National World War I museum, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Harry Truman Presidential Library and Home in Independence.

Afterwards, I drove to Sedalia, Mo., to experience the Missouri State Fair. It was Veterans Day there, and veterans were admitted for free.

The next day, I arrived at the Iowa State Fair. The first Iowa State Fair was held in 1855. The 2008 fair featured the theme, "U GottaLove It."

The fair celebrates agriculture's true meaning. The grounds cover more than 400 acres with attractions such as the butter cow, one of the world's largest livestock shows, crop shows, exhibits, music and carnival rides.

There are numerous contests for the biggest animals, the Big Boar, Big Ram, World's Super Bull and Largest Rabbit.

There are contests for rooster crowing, sheep shearing, pigeon racing, turkey, duck, hog and chicken calling, wood chopping, pie eating, corn eating, ice cream eating and arm wrestling.

There are also livestock shows of sheep, swine, beef, dairy cattle, goats, llamas and rabbits, as well as cat and dog shows.

There is something for everybody.

There are at least 700 paid exhibitors at the Iowa fair. More than 10,000, first-day attendees attempted to establish a world record for the most people eating corn dogs simultaneously.

The food vendors sell turkey legs, roasted corn, the thickest, juiciest pork chops, meatball sandwiches, steak dinners and a variety of summer salads.

A unique item is the beef sundae. There are many items on a stick, such as chicken, fish, shrimp, pickles, apples and more. This year, they even offered salad on a stick.

The Iowa State Fair helps remind us of the importance of the farming community in our lives.

Our Big Butler Fair and Butler Farm Show demonstrate excellence in farming and how we all depend on agriculture to sustain life.

The agricultural events can be large or small, but the message is the same.

Ron Fodor is district manager of the Butler County Conservation District.