Easton’s Blackstone receives state fair award
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Boulier
JESSICA BLACKSTONE, a member of the Northern Maine Fair Association’s board of directors, was presented the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs’ Rising Star Award this weekend in Portland. Blackstone was instrumental in the creation of the “Lil’ Farmers at the Fair,” a free, hands-on exhibit for children which gives them the opportunity to experience the agricultural process from beginning to end. The Lil’ Farmers exhibit debuted at the Northern Maine Fair & Music Festival in Presque Isle last summer. Here, Blackstone, left, receives the award from Ellen Lunt, treasurer of the MAAF.
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
PRESQUE ISLE — Easton’s Jessica Blackstone, a member of the Northern Maine Fair board of directors, was honored this weekend with the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs’ Rising Star Award, which is given each year to an individual under the age of 40 who has given above and beyond at their respective fair.
The award was presented at the Association’s 100th annual convention which was held at the Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland. The convention, which is attended by fair representatives from all over the state, includes several workshops where fairs can network with each other to gain new ideas and also share their success stories.
Blackstone was instrumental in the creation of the “Lil’ Farmers at the Fair,” a free, hands-on exhibit for children which gives them the opportunity to experience the agricultural process from beginning to end. The self-guided farm tour, which debuted last summer, goes through five miniature barns, an apple orchard and a vegetable garden. The children see the animals and plants that farmers raise and take the products ultimately to market.
“Lil’ Farmers actually came from an idea that our president, Kevin McCartney, had. He had seen a similar exhibit at another fair and came back to the board and said ‘I really think we should do this at our fair. We need something that will attract families with young children to the fair,’” said Blackstone, who chairs the Lil’ Farmers committee. “For me, I grew up on a potato farm and have been involved with the Maine Farm Bureau and FFA, so ag education was something that was very natural to me and something that I have a passion for, so I took the idea and ran with it.
“I think it’s really important for children to understand where their food and clothes come from, and this was a great way for them to experience that without realizing that they were learning,” she said. “We created something that will hopefully become a tradition for northern Maine families … an experience, not just an exhibit, and helped children learn something about the area that they live in.”
According to Cheryl Boulier, fair board director, the Lil Farmers at the Fair was hugely successful.
“It was visited by over 5,000 people — 1,800 of them children — attending the fair,” she said. “Kids got to be a farmer for the day and were able to have a real hands-on experience in things like milking a ‘cow,’ sizing potatoes, picking apples, learning what chickens eat and planting seeds. It was both fun and educational for children. At the end of their tour, they received a Lil’ Farmers dollar that they could spend to buy a treat of their choice in the country store.
“Jessica and her committee dedicated many hours in making this project a huge success at last year’s fair,” said Boulier. “Congratulations Jessica on a job well done.”
The Lil’ Farmers exhibit received tremendous support from organizations such as the Presque Isle Rotary Club, Maine Potato Board, Maine Community Foundation, local FFA groups, Kiwanis, Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club and the Northern Maine Fair board of directors. The project was also generously supported by local businesses, as well as community members.
The daughter of Douglas and Barbara Blackstone of Easton, Blackstone said she was thrilled to receive the Rising Star Award.
“I’m very honored and appreciative that they noticed the hard work that went into the exhibit,” she said, noting that she was nominated for the award by the Northern Maine Fair board. “I wouldn’t have gotten the award if it hadn’t been for the help of everybody else. Our board members, community members and businesses were very helpful, and the fact that people came and enjoyed the exhibit is what made it successful and that’s why I was able to receive the award.
“The whole experience has been a fun experience because I’ve been able to watch how excited and how much fun the children have had,” said Blackstone, “and that’s what made all that work worth it.”
Blackstone, who is the assistant director of admissions at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, said the Lil’ Farmers exhibit will continue at the Northern Maine Fair.
“We will make tweaks and changes every year so there’s at least something a little bit new that keeps people coming back to it,” she said, “but I encourage everyone to check it out. It’s a lot of fun and something I hope families will do together.”
The 158th Northern Maine Fair & Music Festival will be held July 27-Aug. 4.
