Small Farm Today Trade Show

Back from the Small Farm Today Trade Show in Columbia, Missouri.  Took 2 Babydoll rams, a bag of wool, brochures about beef & veal to sell, and so on.  When we arrived at the Fairgrounds, the panels were already set up with farm name attached.  So I put up my banner, brought in my rams, covered my table and added the brochures, cards, wool, and left the booth in the capable hands of my friends who had kindly offered to help me load animals in the morning and to drive down and alternate manning my booth and attending seminars.  This Trade Show is a wonderful show with many interesting speakers and vendors every year.  Ron Macher put so much effort into setting up the affair over the years and I go now mostly out of loyalty, since I don't get to attend seminars much and rarely sell an animal, though I enjoy talking with folks interested in Babydoll sheep and Dexter cattle.  Many kinds of viable money-making projects are presented over the course of the show by capable farmers who are "making it happen."  After preparing the booth, I made my way to the Intensive English Program office and met with students interested in "mini-cultural exchanges" with north Missouri families over the Thanksgiving break.  These homestays are a wonderful opportunity for both families and International students to learn from each other and become friends, and I am blessed to have a part in bringing them together.  I interviewed students over Thursday and Friday, and then was able to man my Farm Show booth myself on Saturday.  E.P. is a young budding entrepreneur who called ahead to offer his services/request a booth for making balloon animals and visited with the Machers.  E.P. and his family's Japanese foreign exchange house guest this summer came over to my place to practice with my rams for sale

and then E.P. and I attended the Bethel World Sheep Festival show and sale on Labor Day weekend (after the Japanese young man had had to return home).  It was E.P.'s first showing experience.  We both had a good time at that.  

Labor Day weekend Bethel World Sheep Fest Champion Drive

I still have some black rams available for sale.  Two are unrelated so that a buyer could get both and begin separate flocks to be able to sell unrelated pairs after the lambs are born next year.

E.P. impressed me with his entrepreneurial spirit...calling to arrange his own booth at the Trade Show.  I think he amazed some folks with his creations as well.  If possible, I will add a picture of one of his originals.