Jones urges Harrison County Fair Board to boost buyer turnout at livestock sales

At the Harrison County Fairboard’s Nov. 3 meeting, former state Rep. Don Jones expressed concern about the fair’s lack of buyers and emphasized the need for improvement. He noted that some businesses no longer attend the county fair and urged board members to reach out.

“And we need to push them a little bit and say, ‘Why aren’t you coming?’ And we can’t leave it up to the kids,” Jones said. “God bless the kids as much as we can…”

Jones suggested the board ask certain companies why they no longer participate and said more people are needed at livestock sales. He referenced Noble County’s fair, where animals are sold “by the head,” unlike at Harrison County’s fair.

“You know, and I’m not saying that’s the answer here, but I think it’s something maybe we look at,” Jones said.

He added that lambs sold poorly this year, with one member agreeing and another noting that all sales were down compared with Tuscarawas County’s fair. Jones again emphasized the need for more buyers.

“Four dollars on a hundred-pound lamb is four hundred dollars,” he said, questioning whether buyers understood the current pricing method.

Jones said that selling animals “by the head” might help buyers better understand what they’re spending.

“It may speed up the sales,” he said. “I can tell you right now they begged and begged. I bought lambs last year I did not want whatsoever. I mean, I bought lambs for four and five dollars, and those kids made absolutely zero dollars.”

Jones also discussed comparable prices, what buyers could do with the animals after purchase, and the timing of selling champions, noting that some counties already follow a schedule.

“I think sometimes we’re in such a rush we’re afraid to try anything differently. But boys, I’m going to tell ya, I go to a lot of fairs and I can tell you right now we can do better than what we’re doing,” he said.

Jones clarified that he was not blaming the board members but reiterated that attracting more buyers is essential for the fair’s success.