Ag show fans unfazed by snow, wind

About 100

vendors, with 140 booths, attend

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- When Farm/City Ag Show 2003 Coordinator Frank Stuckey went for his early-morning cup of coffee Saturday, he thought, "Oh, no, here we go again."

The snow and the wind reminded him of last year when a blizzard forced the cancellation of the show's Saturday session.

However, the good news was that by the time the show opened at 10 a.m., the snow had evaporated, along with the wind. The wind regained its strength in the afternoon, but the snow didn't return.

"It definitely affected our Saturday attendance, but we had a huge crowd at our Friday night opening session," Stuckey said. "In fact, I was thinking of closing the doors for a while because of the crowd we had in here."

Those who didn't come out Friday night or Saturday still have a chance to catch the show during its noon-to-four session today.

The show which is designed to bring rural and city residents together has been held at Vogel Arena for the past 19 years, said Stuckey who has coordinated the event for the past 22 years.

"There are about 100 vendors and a total of 140 booths; the same as in the past 19 years. The first three years it was held at the Holiday Inn in the pool area."

Even though the show will be moving to the new New Ulm Civic Center on the fairgrounds next year, either arena in the civic center isn't any bigger than Vogel Arena, Stuckey said. The Farm City Hub Club that sponsors the show feels there's little need to expand it by using both civic center arenas

"So, it will remain about the same, and that's big enough, I think."

Stuckey said there's a waiting list for vendors wanting to get into the show so replacements are available if a vendor decides to drop out.

This year there were five new vendors. They were Beyond the Rainbow Massage by Misty of Sleepy Eye, Trebesch Premium Pork of Morgan, Brown-Nicollet County Environmental Health of St. Peter, the Minnesota Waterfowl Association and Our Savior's Lutheran Church of New Ulm.

The show also has entertainment. Dick Ginn's Cash Wise polka band played during Friday's evening session and will play again today during the show's closing session.

Stuckey said he never had a church as a show vendor before, but "I think it's working out well for them and the show."

Misty DeLeo of New Ulm adds an extra dimension with her on-site massage therapy sessions. DeLeo operates her massage therapy business out of the basement of the Sleepy Eye Chiropractic Clinic.

"I got into it as a result of a low-back injury I had several years ago. She has gone to school almost two years at Sister Roslind Gefre School and Clinic of Professional Massage in Mankato while doing massage therapy full-time.

There's a wide variety of farm-related products on display, ranging from a large 8420 John Deere front-wheel assisted tractor, high-pressure washers, seed, frame buildings to "natural" foods.

Even a baby lamb made a brief appearance on the arena floor Saturday.