Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The 29th annual Agri-Business Trade Show is this weekend, and organizers are happy to provide new exhibitors and events.
According to Janet Kelle, executive director of the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the annual event, 62 exhibitors will be part of the show.
File photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
THE NORTHERN MAINE ANTIQUE TRACTOR CLUB will be on hand at this year’s Agri-Business Trade Show, scheduled for March 27-29 at The Forum in Presque Isle. In addition to offering demonstrations about seed cutting throughout the weekend, the tractor club will also host the Farmer Olympics which will give people an opportunity to see and reminisce about how things were done like picking potatoes and barrel rolling. For more information about the show, log onto www.fortcc.org.
“We’re strongly focusing on agriculture this year,” said Kelle. “We have a lot of new booths and new vendors – quite a few more than we had last year – and have really put the emphasis on all types of agriculture.”
A number of demonstrations and discussions will be featured at this year’s show. Demonstrations taking place throughout the weekend include Welding and Plasma Cutting (Advantage Gases & Tools booth), Seed Cutting (Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club), and Tree Grafting (Organic Sam’s booth in the Community Market).
The schedule for discussions is as follows:
Friday, March 27
5:30 p.m. Farm Worker Jobs Program (Wendy Lord, Training and Development Corp.)
6 p.m. Farmer Olympics (Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club)
Saturday, March 28
10:30 a.m. Natural Skin Care (Nancy Watson, Arbonne)
11:30 a.m. Farm Worker Jobs Program (Wendy Lord, Training and Development Corp.)
1 p.m. Residential Wind (Wade Leavitt, Off-the-Grid)
2:30 p.m. Canning for Today (Lisa Fishman, University of Maine Cooperative Extension)
3 p.m. Preparing for Disaster (Aroostook County 4-H Club)
6 p.m. Farmer Olympics (Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club)
Sunday, March 29
10:30 a.m. Natural Skin Care (Nancy Watson, Arbonne)
11:30 a.m. Farm Worker Jobs Program (Wendy Lord, Training and Development Corp.)
Noon Farmer Olympics (Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club)
1 p.m. Organic Growing (Gary Kaszas, Organic Sam’s)
“The discussions are new this year,” said Kelle. “We were looking for something new to bring to the show … something that would interest all types of people and to let people know that agriculture is more than just potato farming.
“I’m excited about this year’s show,” she said. “There’s more variety, and some relevant things that I think people will find interesting. Another big thing we’re featuring is the Farmer Olympics. It will give people an opportunity to see and reminisce about how things were done like picking potatoes and barrel rolling. It will be an opportunity to show your kids and grandkids the way things used to be done. We’ve really revamped this year’s show and it should be a lot of fun.”
Among those exhibiting at the trade fair include 4-H Club, Advantage Gases & Tools, Arbonne Consultant, Aerus Electrolux, Aroostook Ag Women, BLVD Graphix, Brake Service & Parts, Caron’s Equipment Sales & Service, Center Farms, Inc., County Federal Credit Union, Crown Equipment, Daylee Treasure’s, Efficiency Maine Business Program, Evergreen Geothermal & Wind Energy, LLC, Farm Service Agency, Feed Depot, Fort Fairfield Community Market & Organic Farming, Bernadette Christensen Crafts, Chops Ahoy Farm, Harvey Miller Tack Shop & Crafts, Kaclyn Krafts, Organic Sam’s, Robin’s Chocolate Sauce, LLC, Robert Kauffman Amish Cheese, Swartzenburger Baskets and Crafts, Yoder Baked Goods, Furniture & Crafts, Freightliner of Maine, Gagnon’s Auto, Gary’s Yamaha, and Gene’s Electronics.
Also, Global Protein Products, Inc., Jordan Equipment Co., Lynox Welding Supply, Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club, Maine Department of Agriculture – Food & Rural Resources, Maine Farm Bureau, Maine Solar & Wind, LLC, Marquis/Michaud Well Drilling, Micmac Environmental Laboratory, Northeast Publishing, Northern Maine Development Commission, Off-The-Grid Energy Alternatives LLC, Our Maine Street, Overhead Door of Aroostook, PDQ Door, Presque Isle Class of 2009 Project Graduation, Riverview Homes, Inc., R.L. Todd & Son, Inc., Rocking S Ranch, Southern Aroostook Soil & Water Conservation, Spudland Alpaca, Spudland Country Corn, Spudnik Equipment, St. John-Aroostook RC&D, Training and Development Corp., Time Warner Cable, Tri-Community Landfill, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services, USDA NASS New England, Wild Aroostook Botanicals, Women’s Agricultural Network and York’s of Houlton.
The Agri-Business Trade Show will be held from 4-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children under 12. Anyone who brings a non-perishable food item for the Friends Helping Friends Food Pantry will receive a $1 off their admission.
For more information, contact Kelle at 472-3802 or log onto www.fortcc.org.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
MAKING LAST-MINUTE PLANS for Sportsman’s Show 2009 are event Co-Chairs Nick Archer and Charlie Beck. This year’s festivities will take place at UMPI’s Gentile Hall on March 28 and 29, hosted by the Presque Isle Fish & Game Club.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Beck
THIS 32-INCH RCA Flat Panel TV, donated in part by Wal-Mart and Savings Bank of Maine, is one of the prizes being offered at this year’s Sportsman’s Show, to be held March 28 and 29 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Also pictured are fly rods sets provided by TD Banknorth, which will be given every hour to kids participating in this year’s event.
