HEATH — In hopes of drawing attention to the cultural importance of agricultural fairs, state Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, and state Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, are screening a new documentary on the history and planning process of the Heath Fair at the State House in Boston today (Wednesday).
The hour-long documentary, “Heath Fair: 100th Year Celebration,” details August 2017’s 100th annual Heath Fair, using footage from the earliest planning stages in the previous November through the setup and the three-day fair itself, and features interviews with members of the Heath Agricultural Society and attendees of the fair.
“You really get a feel for what it is and why it’s special,” said Jessica Van Steensburg, president of the Heath Agricultural Society. “A lot of people go to the fairs and have no idea what happens in the whole year leading up to it that make it possible to be there that day.”
The Heath Fair is held over a weekend and normally draws around 6,000 attendees. Last year, for the 100th anniversary, the turnout was closer to 7,500. Heath has a population of about 700.
“Part of what we do here is educate other members (of the legislature), to let people in the Boston area see what life is like out in Western Massachusetts,” Mark said. “It could make the arguments about services for farmers more relevant when people come in to see the film.”
The documentary was directed by Ashli Bickford, a filmmaker based in New York City, and was produced by Heath Agricultural Society member Larry Sampson. Van Steensburg said that the Agricultural Society would like to have a local screening of the movie, but have no plans for it yet.
The tradition of agricultural fairs dates back to the 1800s, Van Steensburg said. Historically, an agricultural fair was a site for livestock competitions between farmers, as well as a showcase for crafts and new agricultural technology. The fairs still serve these purposes, but more recently they have also become a “touchpoint with agricultural life” for people living in more urban environments, Van Steensburg said.
“The opportunities for youth to engage with livestock, produce and farm skills are bountiful at small rural fairs,” Van Steensburg said, “and one never knows when an experience like attending the Heath Fair may change the course of a young person’s life and direct them towards having a future in agriculture.”
In the 1840s, in order to stabilize the financially insecure agricultural fairs, the state legislature created agricultural boards and allocated funding to support the fairs, Van Steensburg said. The Heath Agricultural Society is hoping that something similar might happen now.
“We are still at similar risks,” she said. “You have one rainy year, and that might be the end of your fair.”
The Heath Agricultural Society has about 40 members. The Heath Fair is the group’s main project every year, but it also sometimes puts on other educationally-focused programs to highlight other aspects of the local farming industry, like a popular tour a few years ago of cider cellars and cheese caves.