which has video and card game tournaments
Consider what would happen if pygmy goats, alpacas and Dock Dogs came face to face with Darth Vader, Batman and Halo's Master Chief in the wilds of Ridgefield.
Would you finally hear a dark-clad figure utter the words, "The ability to shear an alpaca is insignificant next to the power of the Force?"
This odd merging of cultures isn't just a philosophical exercise, it's the strange face of this year's Clark County Fair.
The mix of old and new, technology with time-honored agricultural practices, isn't unprecedented €" although it may appear that way when FairCon, the fair's mini science-fiction convention, joins the party.
It's actually an ongoing process of finding balance between the fair's classic rural focus on farms and the interests of the region's increasingly urban population.
"Fairs started out as a way for farmers in a local area to come together and showcase their crops and animals, what they were proud of," said John Morrison, manager of the Clark County Fair. "But over the last several years we've seen a decrease in agriculture in Clark County, both in terms of number of farms and animals. So my goal is to keep the fair agricultural, but also keep it relevant."
Finding the right balance is a problem facing fairs all over the country. The underlying goal of most state and county fairs is to help people understand the importance of agriculture, but if you don't provide good entertainment to go with that, people won't come, Morrison said.
"Some fairs, in my mind, have become more carnival than fair," he said. "I've been very fortunate to keep a good agricultural mix and I feel very protective of that."
But as Clark County continues to grow more urban, Morrison has had to get more creative about keeping the farm elements strong.
"Frankly, we have relied on people outside of Clark County to make sure we have good animals and all the animals we need," Morrison said. "We still have a lot from Clark County, but the numbers have
been dropping. And rather than just let them dwindle, I decided to go outside of the county to ask people if they'd like to come."
The county numbers for some animals, like pygmy goats or rabbits, are great. But when it comes to beef and dairy, things get more scarce, he said.
And to encourage those outside of Clark County to bring needed animals, the fair pays for their care while they're in town, he added.
On the other side of the equation, the fair has been looking for ways to draw new audiences in from urban areas that might not be familiar with the region's farming history.
FairCon, which has video and card game tournaments, costumed role playing and a mini film festival; and Rock U, an exhibit on the history of rock 'n' roll, are aimed at reaching out to that demographic.
"That is a completely different slice of my customer base," Morrison said. "And I hear people are really excited about it."
FairCon, which had a test run as a video game tournament a few years ago, is the brainchild of Darren and Becky Conerly. The couple, who both have gaming and farming connections, wanted to draw in some of their urban friends who weren't particularly interested in the fair, they said.
"It's been amazing the responses we've been getting from people," Darren Conerly said. "They're coming for FairCon, but while they're here they're also telling us that they want to check out the rest of the fair -- and most of them have never been before."
Darren Conerly grew up mostly in Vancouver and is a lifelong gamer, although he also has relatives in Battle Ground who introduced him to farming culture when he was young.
Becky Conerly grew up in Ridgefield on a farm with lots of acreage, she said.
"We had cows and stuff," she said. "We'd get them in the spring and raise them for meat."
Click on their website http://www.sdktapegroup.com/Double-sided-nonwoven-tape_c551.
Consider what would happen if pygmy goats, alpacas and Dock Dogs came face to face with Darth Vader, Batman and Halo's Master Chief in the wilds of Ridgefield.
Would you finally hear a dark-clad figure utter the words, "The ability to shear an alpaca is insignificant next to the power of the Force?"
This odd merging of cultures isn't just a philosophical exercise, it's the strange face of this year's Clark County Fair.
The mix of old and new, technology with time-honored agricultural practices, isn't unprecedented €" although it may appear that way when FairCon, the fair's mini science-fiction convention, joins the party.
It's actually an ongoing process of finding balance between the fair's classic rural focus on farms and the interests of the region's increasingly urban population.
"Fairs started out as a way for farmers in a local area to come together and showcase their crops and animals, what they were proud of," said John Morrison, manager of the Clark County Fair. "But over the last several years we've seen a decrease in agriculture in Clark County, both in terms of number of farms and animals. So my goal is to keep the fair agricultural, but also keep it relevant."
Finding the right balance is a problem facing fairs all over the country. The underlying goal of most state and county fairs is to help people understand the importance of agriculture, but if you don't provide good entertainment to go with that, people won't come, Morrison said.
"Some fairs, in my mind, have become more carnival than fair," he said. "I've been very fortunate to keep a good agricultural mix and I feel very protective of that."
But as Clark County continues to grow more urban, Morrison has had to get more creative about keeping the farm elements strong.
"Frankly, we have relied on people outside of Clark County to make sure we have good animals and all the animals we need," Morrison said. "We still have a lot from Clark County, but the numbers have
been dropping. And rather than just let them dwindle, I decided to go outside of the county to ask people if they'd like to come."
The county numbers for some animals, like pygmy goats or rabbits, are great. But when it comes to beef and dairy, things get more scarce, he said.
And to encourage those outside of Clark County to bring needed animals, the fair pays for their care while they're in town, he added.
On the other side of the equation, the fair has been looking for ways to draw new audiences in from urban areas that might not be familiar with the region's farming history.
FairCon, which has video and card game tournaments, costumed role playing and a mini film festival; and Rock U, an exhibit on the history of rock 'n' roll, are aimed at reaching out to that demographic.
"That is a completely different slice of my customer base," Morrison said. "And I hear people are really excited about it."
FairCon, which had a test run as a video game tournament a few years ago, is the brainchild of Darren and Becky Conerly. The couple, who both have gaming and farming connections, wanted to draw in some of their urban friends who weren't particularly interested in the fair, they said.
"It's been amazing the responses we've been getting from people," Darren Conerly said. "They're coming for FairCon, but while they're here they're also telling us that they want to check out the rest of the fair -- and most of them have never been before."
Darren Conerly grew up mostly in Vancouver and is a lifelong gamer, although he also has relatives in Battle Ground who introduced him to farming culture when he was young.
Becky Conerly grew up in Ridgefield on a farm with lots of acreage, she said.
"We had cows and stuff," she said. "We'd get them in the spring and raise them for meat."
Click on their website http://www.sdktapegroup.com/Double-sided-nonwoven-tape_c551.
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