Celebrating the Iowa State Fair

By: 
Chuck Grassley
U.S. Senator

Q: Why is the Iowa State Fair an important tradition for so many Iowans?

     A: This month, the Iowa State Fair expects to welcome more than a million visitors over 11 days to the fairgrounds. For generations of Iowans, the State Fair has grown into the largest family friendly celebration in the state of Iowa.

     Last year, for the first time since World War II, the historic and internationally acclaimed Iowa State Fair was cancelled because of the pandemic. There’s pent-up demand from fairgoers to make the trip to Des Moines to enjoy their fair favorites.

     Families from across the state and the entire country make the pilgrimage to celebrate Iowa’s agricultural heritage, industrial expositions, and blue-ribbon achievements. Nothing compares to the sights, sounds and tastes of the Iowa State Fair. Get ready for mouth-watering treats with traditional and creative concessions available on the Grand Concourse. For me, nothing beats a pork chop on a stick. There’s something for everyone, from food and entertainment to competitions and exhibits featuring photography, woodworking, quilting, gardening and more.

     Of course, the Butter Cow in the Agriculture Building has been a must-see exhibit for more than 100 years. In 1911, the fair’s first Butter Cow made its debut and has been delighting generations of fairgoers ever since.

     As a lifelong family farmer, I enjoy walking through the livestock barns and evaluating the entries of the next generation who take pride in raising and showing their animals. For those who didn’t grow up on a farm or are a couple generations removed, the state fair is a wonderful experience to share with your kids.

     It’s hard to believe, but a big focus of my job representing Iowans in the U.S. Senate is educating people in Washington that food doesn’t grow in the grocery store. For example, the pandemic magnified vulnerabilities in our food supply chain that resulted in food scarcity in communities across the country. From my committee assignments on the Senate Agriculture and Judiciary Committees, I’m leading efforts to restore competition in America’s food supply chain to benefit independent cattle producers and consumers, as well as address the labor shortage for farm workers that process, package and deliver food to our tables. I’m also co-sponsoring the EATS Act, legislation that would prohibit state and local governments from interfering with the production or manufacture of agriculture commodities in interstate commerce, a principle the founders enshrined in our Constitution.

     I’m not sure why anyone would want to live in a state where it’s nearly impossible to buy bacon, but that’s where California residents are headed thanks to their passage of Proposition 12. 

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