Connecticut’s Agricultural Fair Season begins on Thursday. The first of the major fairs to open is in North Stonington.
Jody Whipple is the vice president of the North Stonington Fair and said they’re not just places of entertainment, but education as well.
“We try to promote agriculture and education here,” Whipple said. “Letting our children know where their food comes from. We have a couple of displays and exhibits where the kids are hands on seeing where an egg may come from or a potato, or an apple off an apple tree. Or have the experience of walking through a barn and seeing the cows, sheep or goats and rabbits.”
Agriculture in Connecticut is a big business, with over 5,000 farms employing more than 30,000 people and generating $4 billion for the state’s economy.
Whipple said despite avian flu, the fairs will have animals at them.
“The state of Connecticut came through with some new show regulations for us, so we’ve come into compliance with all of that,” Whipple said. “All of our livestock, poultry, and rabbits will be in compliance. We will have some poultry here, they will be monitored very closely. And all other animals on the ground required a certified veterinary inspection and permanent tattoo or ID on them somewhere.”
Whipple said fair season passes can be purchased for $200, which allows them to skip the entry lines.
Details about the season pass and a list of all the fairs are at ctagfairs.org.
