WSDA goes to the fair; sharing and connecting

Kathy Davis
Communications

WSDA Director Derek Sandison with Alberto Hernandez
at the Central Washington State Fair in Yakima.

Annual fairs offer fun for folks of all ages – rides, games, food, displays, music, and of course, animals. Modern fairs are built on the foundation of their agricultural roots, when farmers and rural residents could connect, learn and share.

To promote agricultural education, WSDA expanded our presence at fairs this year. Organized by Teresa Norman, agency lead for fairs and commodity commissions, we staffed booths at three state fairs – Evergreen in Monroe, Central in Yakima and the biggest state fair in Puyallup. 

Over 11 days at the three fairs, nearly 40 WSDA staff volunteered for at least a half-day shift at the agency booth. They gave away reusable cloth shopping bags showing crops and statistics, and miniature paper shovels that can be planted to grow herbs – both ag-related and educational. In addition, divisions and programs provided lots of informational material on topics such as animal health, biosecurity, plants, insect pests and pesticide management. Coloring books and recipes were offered too. 

Jeff Larsen (Commodity Inspection Division)
at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe.

At the Evergreen State Fair, we focused on animals and food. Dr. Brian Joseph was at that booth two afternoons so visitors could “meet the state veterinarian.” The focus at the Washington State Fair was plant pests and insects, featuring staff from our Plant Protection Division ready to answer fairgoers questions. 

At the Central Washington Fair, people could spin our big game wheel and take a stab at answering the resulting question. “They’d win a prize regardless of whether they got the answer right,” Teresa said. “The goal was to educate the public about agriculture issues.” 

It seems those who worked the booth got as much out of the experience as those who visited. 

“I had a good time,” said Rick Randall from the Seattle Grain Inspection Program office, who worked the Washington State Fair. “The big draw was the glass cases with dead insects on pins. A lot of people were interested in seeing what a gypsy moth looked like, especially since some had just been captured near Puyallup.”

Jenni Cena (Pest Program) and April Milan (Food Safety)
staffing WSDA’s booth at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

Alberto Hernandez is with the Technical Services, Education and Outreach Program within the Pesticide Management Division, and he volunteered at the Central Washington Fair. He said he was very proud to represent the agency.

“Fair goers were very intrigued with the spinning wheel,” he said. “When people found out we have 300 commodities in Washington, they were shocked.” 

Alberto noted that many were also thankful to see state employees providing information and appreciated all the educational publications being offered. 

While there’s not an official count, Teresa estimates WSDA interacted with hundreds of folks at the fairs, and many of them were children. 

“I want to thank all of those who volunteered their time to staff the booths and programs that provided display items and material,” Teresa said. “We shared the story of Washington agriculture and our agency’s mission.”  

Jaime Ramon (Pesticide Management, Technical Services, Education and Outreach Program)
enjoying his time representing the agency at the Central Washington Fair in Yakima.

In summary: Over 11 days during the height of fair season, WSDA staffed three booths and shared information about agriculture and the agency. Learn more by clicking on the headline.