When Tom Barnes took over as the executive secretary of the Howard County Agricultural Society, what most people know as the Fair board, most of the work took place in the two weeks leading up to the late June event.
    “We started mowing the grass and cleaning up the grounds a couple of weeks before the Fair. We didn’t do much until the first week or two of June,” recalled Tom recently. “Then it was rush, rush, rush to get it ready. Now it is year round.”
    The main reason for mowing the grass then wasn’t so much to enhance the appearance of the grounds on Cresco’s west side, although that was a factor. “We had to mow the grass a couple of times so the grounds would be nice and soft for the horses. We also wanted it nice when people visit the grounds.” 
    Tom’s role has changed significantly in the past 25 years. One of the main functions of the Fair secretary when Tom was hired was to sign contracts, not only for entertainment but also vendors and various suppliers.
    “When I first started, Gary (Boeke) handed me contracts on a single sheet that were this big,” continued Tom, holding up a 5x7 pad. “Today they are pages and pages long.”
    How did Tom get the job?.
    “Vince Hornberger stopped me on the street and said that Gary wanted to step down and would I consider being secretary,” recalled Tom. “It wasn’t a big deal so I said yes. Vince was on the Fair board and was fire chief and I was secretary of the fire department, so we had worked together.”
    That was in 1983.
    “I followed Gary around for that year’s Fair, to get a handle on it, but as soon as the Fair was over Gary left,” continued Tom. “I wasn’t concerned. It looked to be something to do for a few weeks in the summer.”
    In part because of what Tom and the board has done over the years, the job today is almost a full time position.
    One of the first challenges for Tom and the board was what to do with the Expo Center. It had been a ‘temporary’ elementary attendance center for the Howard-Winneshiek School District, one that lasted some 20 years. That ended at the conclusion of the 1982-83 school year. That was music to the ears of the Fairgrounds school teachers who annually boxed up everything for the custodians to haul to the old junior high gymnasium. The move was done as soon as school was out in preparation for the Fair.
    In addition to the Expo Center, the school district rented the 4-H building for art, PE and other classes and for meals.
    “Originally, we looked hard at remodeling the 4-H building with a kitchen as we felt it had more potential than the Expo Center,” continued Tom. “Then I got a firemen’s dance booked into the Expo and that went really well. That changed our emphasis.”
    The Fair board needed to rent the Expo and the 4-H building to offset the $6,800 it received annually in rent from the school district. “We needed the money,” said Tom.
    Demand for the Expo Center grew and in 1990 the board made the leap to spend $100,000 to remodel the building. That wasn’t done only to help the Fair board budget as the Cresco area needed such a facility for larger functions as proof by the firemen’s dance. It continues to be popular today.     
    “Some people think we make a ton of money on renting out the Expo, but we really don’t,” said Tom. “It takes a lot of money to keep the Fairgrounds and the buildings looking good. We need to generate between $500 and $600 a week year round. With the cost of electricity, insurance and gas for the mowing continuing to go up, it is a constant challenge to make ends meet.”
    As an example, 10 years ago it cost the Fair board about $5,000 annually for insurance. Today that bill is, according to Tom, “$18,000 to $19,000. And we all know what is happening to utility costs.”
    One of the early changes Tom made when he took over as secretary was to expand the board. “Gary had 12 board members and we expanded it to 25,” he said. “We tried to get most of the county involved, but since we rely heavily on the members volunteering, it makes more sense to have people from the Cresco area.”
    The volunteering has included working various functions at the Expo Center, 4-H building, Cresco Speedway and, of course, before, during and after the Fair.
    The heavy use of volunteers no doubt saves the Fair board thousands of dollars annually. Board members have also been generous donors to the Agricultural Society.
    There have been numerous changes at the Fairgrounds during Tom’s tenure, some more obvious than others. The latter include expanded electrical and sound system, improved rest rooms, a better system of roads and parking along with beautification. More obvious include the campground, the Driftrunners Snowmobile Club’s clubhouse, pavilion that fronts the Plaza Stage, a new Methodist Church food stand, a beer garden and entertainment center to the north of the Expo Center, VFW building, Notre Dame food stand, improvements to the grandstand and race track, and, of course, the new Howard County Historical Society building and Featherlite Center.
    “The historical building and Featherlite Center have turned out well,” said Tom. He does admit to a problem, however. “It is too small. We’ve already out-grown it and it is only a couple of years old.”
    Broad-based support for the Fair and the facilities is what makes everything possible and Tom is quick to point that out. “When we attend other county fairs, it is obvious the ones that receive strong local support. And that’s what we have here.”
    Proof is the historical/Featherlite building. The fund drive set a goal of $417,000. The public responded by donating $428,000.
    “People and businesses responded unbelievably,” said Tom. “We paid off the final $5,000 a year ago. It is debt free.”
    Now the Fair board and Tom are turning their attention elsewhere on the grounds. Topping the list are the livestock buildings and show rings, especially the horse and swine barns. “We really need to address those buildings, beginning with the horse barn. It has 27 stalls and this year we had 42 entries,” he said.
One exception is the cattle barn. “That is an historic landmark and it will be here long after I’m gone,” said Tom. “It might need some work, but it won’t be replaced.”
    Tom and the board have learned lots over the years. “You never book in a musical act for the grandstand on Sunday night” was one Tom pointed out.
    Of all the grandstand shows they’ve booked, which has been the best?
    “Martina McBride,” said Tom immediately. “We’ve had a lot of excellent shows, both in the grandstand and on the grounds, but she was the best. Back then the featured performer did two shows, a matinee and an evening show. She was pregnant and was really sick, but the audience never knew it. She was great.”
    Other than the livestock buildings and meeting the annual financial obligations, what can we expect down the road?
    “We are putting together a youth board,” said Tom. “The youth are the future of our county and we want them to become involved in the county’s biggest event. We also want some fresh ideas, including input from them as to entertainment. We need to look to the future and our youth can help us do that.”