Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn Archives

Missouri State Fair in Sedalia focusing on 4-H and FFA youth this year (AUDIO)

August 11, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The 2020 state fair in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia will be a youth livestock show only, due to COVID-19 concerns. The 11-day fair begins Thursday and runs until Sunday, August 23.

Crews have completed a $2.7 million renovation at the Missouri State Fair’s sheep pavilion in Sedalia (2020 photo courtesy of fair spokeswoman Kari
Mergen)

State Fair Director Mark Wolfe says Missouri 4-H and FFA members will receive an invaluable agriculture education experience in Sedalia.

“I think we’re going to have a good event out here (Sedalia), I think we’ve kind of referred to it more as a nostalgic fair. You know, back in the day when it pretty much just was livestock and folks coming in for that friendly competition,” Wolfe says.

Officials announced on July 17 that the state fair was pivoting this year to a youth livestock show. State health officials, fair leaders and Governor Mike Parson say the best course of action was to limit the number of people on the state fairgrounds.

More than 337,000 people attended the 2019 state fair. Director Wolfe compares this year’s fair to an off-season event.

“We’ll have folks that come in early and show chickens and then go home,” says Wolfe. “We’ll have folks that come in and show swine and then they’ll go home. We’ll have cattle the same way.”

Wolfe expects thousands of people to attend, but nothing like numbers we see in a normal year.

While most of the buildings at the state fairgrounds will be closed during the upcoming fair, you’ll notice millions of dollars in capitol improvements. Wolfe thanks the governor and the Missouri Legislature for their support, saying the fairgrounds look better than ever.

“Complete renovation I think $2.7 million renovation to the sheep pavilion, over $1 million in electrical upgrades to the swine barn,” Wolfe says.

Crews have made major electrical and plumbing upgrades at the sheep pavilion in Sedalia. A new LED light system is also now in place, along with new fans in each pen area.

At the heavily-used swine barn, gutter systems have been replaced. Lighting improvements have also been made.

While there won’t be a governor’s ham breakfast this year, you’ll notice the new 20,000 square foot pavilion that replaces the director’s tent. Wolfe says Nucor Steel in Sedalia donated the structure.

There will be shorter days this year, which Wolfe says will make it easier for cleaning crews. The crews will focus on cleaning and disinfecting.

There is no carnival nor concerts this year. There will be concessionaires on site, to provide food.

Governor Parson and state Agriculture Director Chris Chinn plan a Thursday noon press conference, at the fairgrounds.

The fair is offering free masks to everyone who attends this year.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe, which was recorded on July 28, 2020:

$20 million in grant funding heading to Missouri’s smaller meat and poultry processors

July 22, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The state Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced a $20 million grant program for Missouri meat and poultry processors on Wednesday, saying it will increase food supply chain resilience in the Show-Me State.

Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 22, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The $20 million comes from federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds. Governor Mike Parson and MDA Director Chris Chinn made the announcement. Chinn tells Capitol reporters that the funds will increase livestock and poultry processing capacity.

“During COVID-19, our food supply was tested from farm to fork,” Chinn says. “Farmers and ranchers saw tight livestock supplies on their farms, while consumers saw their choices of certain cuts of meat shrink or go away.”

Chinn says the cost of meat increased in some cases.

The governor says the grant program for smaller Missouri meat and poultry processors is for plants with less than 200 employees. Parson says it’s aimed at increasing livestock and poultry processing capacity across the state.

The Legislature approved the bipartisan funding in May, which is aimed at helping the plants address supply chain disruptions.

Director Chinn says every part of our food system has been challenged during COVID-19.

“Examples of eligible expenses include but are not limited to capitol improvements that expand capacity, utility upgrades like cold storage, processing equipment, packaging equipment and more,” says Chinn.

Utility upgrades include water, electric, refrigeration and heat. The application deadline is August 31.

Director Chinn describes the grant program as “a win-win” for farmers and consumers. She tells Missourinet that there are hundreds of eligible facilities around Missouri.

“So we have 180 (plants) that are federal or state-inspected, and we have about 300 that are custom exempt inspected,” Chinn says.

State Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla, led the bipartisan legislative effort in May, for the funding.

Chinn: 2020 Missouri State Fair to continue with everything but concerts

June 19, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says the Missouri State Fair will take place as scheduled from August 13-23 in Sedalia. The concert lineup will be the only regular feature not included. She says that many performers have been backing out of shows this year because of COVID-19 concerns, so that helped the decision.

The fair will still feature carnival, exhibits, contests, livestock showings, vendors, and food.

Chinn says fair organizers are working with vendors to make sure they have safety measures in place.

It also includes the Governer’s Ham Breakfast, says Gov. Parson. About a thousand people mingle at the breakfast gathering with state and national leaders of both parties.

“They have a new facility there, we’re thinking about ways that we can control the crowd size to that and alternative things,” Parson said. “We may change things as we move forward about what attendance looks like— are we going to let people be bunched up or are we going to let them be separated by bleacher rows or whatever that is.”

Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn is recognized during a groundbreaking ceremony for Ranken Technical College’s new Troy campus on June 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Flickr page)

The governor notes that the state fair, which started in 1901, has only been canceled one time. That was during World War II.

More than 337,000 people attended the 2019 state fair.

Missouri lawmakers hope to see a cattle slaughter facility in the Show-Me State (AUDIO)

May 29, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Two state lawmakers testified Thursday in Jefferson City that an effort is underway to get a cattle slaughter facility in Missouri.

Joint Committee on Agriculture Chairman Mike Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, speaks about the importance of a cattle slaughter facility during a hearing on May 28, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Reps. Don Rone, R-Portageville, and Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, testified before the Joint Committee on Agriculture. Rone says he and Shaul participated in a conference call this week with retailers, grocers and meat wholesalers.

“This would be a processing plant in Missouri, for Missouri for Missouri-grown cattle and to be sold in Missouri,” Rone says.

Rone, who chairs the House Agriculture Policy Committee, emphasizes the effort is in its very early stages. He tells Missourinet we’re a “long way from brick-and-mortar.”

A specific region hasn’t been selected.

Representative Shaul, who heads the Missouri Grocers Association, says Missourians are interested in locally raised and locally harvested agricultural products.

“What COVID has shown us is that there is a weakness in our supply chain, and the consumers of Missouri want Missouri product and we want to be able to give it to them at retail,” says Shaul.

He says the aim is to get Missouri-made products processed here and sold to Missourians.

Joint Committee on Agriculture Chairman Mike Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, supports the plan.

“And there’s one thing that the COVID crisis has shown us is that we in Missouri need to take care of our own,” Haffner says. “We don’t necessarily from a legislative format do a very good job of that.”

Supporters of the proposal hope to form a working group by July. Many of Missouri’s commodity groups attended Thursday’s hearing.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) also participated in the hearing, and MDA Director Chris Chinn serves on the Joint Committee on Agriculture.

State Rep. Warren Love, R-Osceola, who’s served on the House Agriculture Committee for eight years, traveled to Jefferson City to listen to the discussion and testimony. He tells Missourinet that the state deserves a cow processing plant.

Love notes Missouri is second in the nation in cow numbers.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with Missouri House Agriculture Policy Committee Chairman Don Rone, R-Portageville, which was recorded on May 28, 2020 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

Parson: pavilion being built at State Fair in Sedalia will create off-season event space

March 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Jeff Spalding, KDRO in Sedalia, contributed to this report.

Governor Mike Parson traveled to west-central Missouri’s Sedalia on Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Director’s Pavilion on the state fairgrounds.

Governor Mike Parson, State Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn and others break ground for the new Director’s Pavilion at the State Fairgrounds in Sedalia on March 6, 2020 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Twitter page)

The plan is for the new structure to be built by the State Fair in August, to replace the director’s tent. That’s the site of the Governor’s ham breakfast, which is one of Missouri’s biggest political events of the year.

The ham breakfast is popular because of its food, but also because it’s an opportunity for voters in both major political parties to meet the governor, statewide elected officials and state lawmakers.

Governor Parson spoke at Friday’s ceremony, emphasizing the impact the facility will have on the community.

“You know you think of the governor’s ham breakfast, we’ve thought of that long before this,” Parson says. “But I’m just thinking of all of the people that are going to use this facility, for different reasons, here in this town. Families that will be in there, kids that will be in there.”

The governor says the new facility will create additional off-season event space for the fairgrounds.

Missourinet Sedalia affiliate KDRO (AM 1490) reports the project is an example of the public-private partnership being leveraged in the community for improvements to the fairgrounds.

State Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn joined the governor at Friday’s ceremony, telling Brownfield this is the first time we’ve seen investment in the State Fair in nearly a decade.

Missouri State Fair Chairman Kevin Roberts, Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe, and Nucor Steel executives also attended the ceremony.

The new pavilion will be 100 by 200 feet and will include a concrete floor. KDRO reports the Director’s pavilion will be built on the east side of the fairgrounds, near the Centennial Gate along Highway 65.

Governor Parson also praises the largest steel producer in the United States, which is providing all of the steel for the pavilion. Charlotte-based Nucor Steel has also chosen Sedalia for its massive steel rebar manufacturing plant.

“Nucor Steel, thank you guys so much for multiple fronts,” says Parson. “Thank you for what you’re doing for this building, but more importantly, (the) largest steel company in the United States, thank you for picking Sedalia, Missouri to make a $250 million investment.”

The steel plant opened in late January, and it’s one of the largest projects Missouri has landed in the past decade.

The steelworker jobs pay an average of $65,000 a year.

Sedalia-Pettis County economic development executive director Jessica Craig says some of the steelworkers who’ve been hired in Sedalia are from as far away as Lee’s Summit and Columbia. She says the steel plant will be transformative for Sedalia.