Apr 12, 2021
Welcome to the County Fair Podcast! This is the podcast where fair influencers share their valuable insights, strengthening and growing the long-lived tradition of the county fair.
Your hosts are Jeffrey Palermo and Christina Rudolph. Jeffrey is the Chief Architect and Chairman of Clear Measure, the host of the Azure DevOps Podcast, and a contributing author of CODE Magazine. Christina is the Chief Operating Officer at ShoWorks Cloud, LLC, is a Product Manager at Clear Measure, and is the owner of Studio on the Square.
In this very first episode of the County Fair Podcast, Jeffrey and Christina are joined by their guests, Michael Hnatt and Taylor Collins, to celebrate county fairs, the local agricultural community, and the profession of agriculture.
Michael is the founder and owner of Gladstone Inc., the manufacturer and publisher of ShoWorks; an efficient, easy-to-use (yet powerful) software system to manage the fair process. Michael has been in this business for more than 20 years, starting all because of a passion for county fairs. Taylor is an Auction Specialist intern with ShoWorks who also discovered her passion and agriculture, the livestock industry, and county fairs many years ago. She is currently pursuing an Agricultural Communication Major specialized in PR.
Together, Jeffrey, Christina, Michael, and Taylor discuss the many reasons why they love county fairs, what makes them unique from other community events, how county fairs truly bring the community together, the differences between large fairs vs. small ones, how you might go about attending your first fair, and how county fairs have persevered during the pandemic.
Topics of Discussion:
[:08] About the County Fair Podcast.
[:45] Today’s bible verse.
[1:00] This show is brought to you by ShoWorks.
[1:36] About your hosts, Jeffrey Palermo and Christina Rudolph.
[1:54] Jeffrey and Christina welcome their guests, Taylor Collins and Michael Hnatt!
[2:34] What is a county fair anyways? Christina explains and shares why they are so special to her.
[3:44] Michael shares why county fairs are near and dear to his heart, and how he came to found his own.
[5:24] What is it that makes a county fair so special and unique from other similar events?
[9:00] Taylor speaks about her experiences with county fairs, why she believes they’re so special, and her own involvement with them!
[10:30] Jeffrey shares his experiences with county fairs growing up and why they are so important for children.
[11:25] Taylor elaborates on the educational aspect that is core to the county fair experience.
[12:08] Michael shares why the educational aspect is such a special, unique, and important part of county fairs.
[13:28] The incredible ripple effect that the county fairs create.
[14:28] Christina speaks about the positive impact that attending county fairs have had on her children.
[14:55] A word from County Fair Podcast’s sponsor: ShoWorks.
[15:00] The differences and variety between various county fairs and what people should be looking for when attending their first county fair.
[16:30] How many fairs are there in Taylor’s region? How does she recommend finding the fair that’s perfect for you?
[18:12] Christina and Michael talk about large county fairs vs. small county fairs.
[20:41] The history of fairs and why they bring such immense joy to communities.
[21:43] How county fairs have persevered through COVID times.
[24:57] How everyone has followed and participated in fairs they never would’ve gotten the chance to otherwise!
[26:50] Everyone shares their predictions for what 2021 will bring for county fairs.
[28:12] What to look forward to on future episodes of the podcast!
[29:01] Where to learn more about the Country Fair Podcast!
[29:15] Jeffrey and Christina thank their guests for joining the first episode of the podcast.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The County Fair is Brought to You By ShoWorks
ShoWorks’ fair entry software has set the gold standard for fairs across the United States and Canada for more than 20 years, serving more than 75% of the country’s fairs. ShoWorks is in place to handle fair entries, billing, payouts, and the incorporation of virtual elements into your show and auction. Visit www.FairSoftware.com to learn more!
God Moment
“The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.” Deuteronomy 28:8
Want to Learn More?
Visit CountyFairPodcast.com for show notes and additional episodes.