Horses and Pigs and Cows - oh boy!

1. Arrive at the Fair grounds at 7:00 a.m.
2. Begin set-up.
3. The storm has delayed things so I start to panic.
4. Take a natural source anti-anxiety pill and a fistful of Cold FX
5. Decide it’s okay to have a cinnamon bun as long as I share it with my sister - vow that I will not eat one every day like I did last year.

Day 1. Cold FX works. I know this because I got sick following the first four events that I coordinated. After seeing Don Cherry’s photo on a product for Cold FX I decided to investigate the product’s claims. I read somewhere that the reason why people get sick while traveling is that the air in hotel rooms and planes dries out a person’s mucous membranes making them more susceptible to germs. I believe Don wouldn’t endorse something that didn’t work and decided to give it a try. Voila! I haven’t been sick since.

I remember the first year I started doing this. Let me back up and start again. I first started doing a similar job to this when I worked for the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association back in 1998. It was my job to take our booth to the larger Fairs and Exhibitions in the province (mostly held in Brandon, Manitoba) and handout information about the MCPA. For some weird reason, I really enjoyed this part of the job. In the fall of 1995, I heard that the Association was short-staffed so I approached them with the idea that I would man their booths on a contract basis. I started with the “Touch the Farm” display at the Red River Exhibition in June of 2006. These events were developed to raise awareness about farming practices and give urbanites the chance to learn more about the farm. The best part is that each commodity brings in animals that people can look at. We’ve been told that “Thru the Farm Gate” is one of the most popular exhibits at the Brandon Fair.

Today my sister Nance is volunteering to help for the day. She isn’t really concentrating though because all she can think about is how she is going to smuggle one of the lambs home in her suitcase.



This is Sarah Lewis with one of her lambs. She coordinates and mans the booth for the Manitoba Sheep association.

For me, this week’s challenge isn’t going to be the long hours, stream of people or inhaling dusty air. It’s going to be resisting the temptation to buy and eat a homemade cinnamon bun every day. Prairie Seasons bakery and café in Neepawa, Manitoba set up a kitchen each year at the Fair. All of their products are natural and the cinnamon buns are made from stone ground wheat. What amazes me is how the best cinnamon buns on the planet can come from a small town like Neepawa. If they ever decide to go national, they’ll put Cinabons out of business.