"Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up of which I will not put." ~ Winston Churchill
Fairs Year-round Information	F.Y.I. Volume 8, Issue 5 March 13, 1998

In Focus

Something Old is New Again
Fairs help students learn about agriculture and farming

Amidst the flash and hoopla of high technology, a new generation of Californians is discovering the wonder and magic the pioneers felt when they watched their crops flourish. And these Californians are discovering it inside their school classrooms as participants in the pilot Agricultural Literacy and Fairs Alliance Program (ALFA).

Under the direction of Carol Spoelstra and the coordination of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Western Fairs Association, and the California State Fair, ALFA was created in 1996 by Governor Pete Wilson. The program’s goal: to educate children statewide about the nutritional values and safety of the food and other agricultural products from California. Through a mutually-beneficial partnership among California’s fairs, their local schools and ALFA, agriculture is brought into classrooms via science, math and language arts curriculums. Eleven fairs are currently participating in the pilot program.

The unique alliance between fairs and schools is strengthened by ALFA’s requirement that teachers commit to bringing class exhibits or displays to their sponsoring fair. Teachers are provided with free project kits, the components of which are donated by members of the agricultural industry. The resulting exhibits demonstrate to the community — and the project material donors — that teachers and their students benefited educationally from the donated materials.

Instead of competing for blue ribbons, exhibiting students have the opportunity to tell their stories of discovery; to share with their community what they experienced and what they learned. If your fair would like more information on ALFA, please contact Carol Spoelstra at 909/358-0186.

Bob Nixon, CFSA’s liability claims administrator, reminds fairs that this winter’s storms could cause damage to your fairgrounds and lead to accidents and liability claims against the fair. Some effects, such as leaking roofs, are probably apparent, he says, while others may not be as obvious.

For example, animal burrows may collapse under excessive water flow, causing a trip hazard. Walkways may rise or erode, and drain covers may be displaced or blocked by debris. Warning stripes may fade under constant rainfall, tree branches may be cracked or weakened, and potholes could suddenly appear in pavement. To help head off such hazards, a detailed inspection before activity on the grounds increases in the spring or summer is imperative. Not only is a safe fairgrounds good news for fair visitors and employees, but a fair can also help hold down the cost of its self-insurance by correcting problem areas.

If you’d like some assistance in checking your fairgrounds for possible hazards, call Tom Allen, CFSA Safety Unit, 916/263-6186.

Tawny Tesconi, WFA’s Resource Development Director, notes that when fairs think of possible event sponsors, all too often they envision only the obvious: soft drink companies, beer distributors and feed stores. By widening your search, she advises, fairs will find a large untapped market for sponsorship development in other sponsor categories. Why not consider a school district for an educational program, or ask a physician’s group to sponsor a kids’ activity area? To help with your search, Tawny supplied this list of viable categories:

Need help getting started on a sponsorship plan? Contact Tawny at 209/736-2922.

Next week, representatives from Western Fairs Association, the Division of Fairs and Expositions, California Fair Services Authority, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Audit Unit will be among the presenters at Fair Staff Networking Day at the El Dorado County Fairground.

Representatives from F&E will be on hand to answer any questions you may have and to host the “Traveling Exhibits and Other Resources” round table. CDFA’s Audit Unit will host the “Purchasing Guidelines” round table. WFA’s presentation will take place during the buffet lunch.

Several CFSA representatives will join the “Safety Reporting and Training” round table, and then meet other CFSA staffers in CFSA’s booth at the trade show. The booth will feature demos of CFSA’s Fairs PayNet PC payroll service. Around the corner from the booth, CFSA is offering a free how-to seminar on extinguishing fires. Networking Day attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase items from CFSA’s soon-to-close Surplus Warehouse.

Take advantage of the convenience of CFSA’s Government Surplus Purchasing program while you still can. Due to budgetary reasons, the surplus purchasing program will be discontinued after April 30, 1998. Because CFSA’s surplus buyer is currently clearing out the warehouse, he’s no longer accepting special order requests, and all remaining items are available on a first come, first served basis.

NOTE: If your fair is on record at the General Services Surplus Department, your fair is eligible to shop the General Services warehouse in Sacramento. To shop one of California’s federal or military surplus yards, you must have a Screener’s Card or be accompanied by a State Buyer.

To find out if your fair is eligible to shop the General Services warehouse, check with Graeme. If it isn’t, he’ll help you with the registration process. In the meantime, here are a few items still in CFSA’s South Sacramento surplus warehouse:

• Shade cloth - approximately 85 percent shade; measures approximately 28’ x 32’ hexagon
• White nylon rope - brand new
• A variety of storage cabinets:
  
  • Large storage cabinet on wheels
  • Open-face storage cabinets - approximately 6’ tall x 4’ wide
  • Six-shelf metal cabinet - with wood door
  • Low cabinet on wheels
• Single clothes-lockers - full length. Three available
• Small utility carts on wheels - approximately 1’ x 1½’ x 3.’
• Large carts on wheels - can be converted into a table dolly

For more information, call Graeme at 916/765-3673. Please note: CFSA’s Surplus Purchasing Program is only authorized to obtain surplus property for California’s fairs.

You have just two weeks left to place your Mity-Lite plastic table order with Karen Gallay, CFSA Purchasing. Remember, the larger her collective order, the lower your cost. Call her today at 916/263-6191.

F.Y.I. invites and encourages all fairs to contribute articles and article ideas for the Fair Exchange column. We’ll even write the article for you. For details, call Melissa Thurber at 916/263-6178.
To add F.Y.I. to your press release mailing list, send or fax releases to:

1776 Tribute Road, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95815
Attn: Melissa Thurber
Fax: 916/646-1238