UC ANR Small Farms Network

Fairground Farms and Farmyard Festivals; Showcasing California Specialty Crops


The UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Small Farm Program and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Division of Fairs and Expositions teamed up during the 2012 fair season to connect fruit, vegetable, nut, and flower farmers with county and regional fairs to celebrate California specialty crops. Together we organized workshops and tours for farmers and agricultural leaders at seven different fairs throughout the state, held while the fairs were going on.

Each workshop featured presentations by fair professionals operating innovative agricultural programs. There were talks by farmers and agritourism operators currently involved with local fairs or discussing plans and ideas for cooperative projects and cross-promotion with local fairs or better use of fairground facilities by the agricultural community. Each workshop also included interactive discussions on potential collaborations between specialty crop growers, agritourism operators and fairs, and guided tours of the fair facilities.

Farmers, agritourism operators and fair leaders from surrounding counties were welcome to participate in each fair workshop. Also especially welcome were county agricultural commissioners, Farm Bureau leaders, tourism professionals, farm advisors and educators, fair and festival vendors and entertainers.

Workshop Schedule
(all events are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

For more information, please contact Diana Paluszak, CDFA Division of Fairs & Expositons, (916) 900-5027
or Penny Leff, UC Small Farm Program, (530) 752-7779.

  • A presentation about the workshop series, presented at the Western Association 2013 Conference and Trade Show

News, Notes & Resources frFairs om the Workshops

  • An article in Capital Press about the Shasta District Fair Workshop
  • An article in Ag Alert about the Yolo County Fair Workshop
  • Discussion notes from the Shasta workshop
  • Discussion notes from the Amador workshop
  • Discussion notes from the Ventura workshop
  • Discussion notes from the Napa workshop
  • Discussion notes from the Yolo workshop
  • Discussion notes from the Santa Cruz workshop
  • Discussion notes from the Fresno workshop

Our Facebook page, AgTour Connections, with lots of pictures