Rural Missouri - August 2021 - 5

Missouri
RURAL
Volume 74 | AUGUST 2021 | Number 8
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Jim McCarty, editor
jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
Paul Newton, managing editor
pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
Heather Berry, associate editor
hberry@ruralmissouri.coop
Megan Backes, creative director
mbackes@ruralmissouri.coop
Zach Smith, field editor
zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
Angie Jones-Wheeler, co-op page designer
ADVERTISING:
Mary Davis, production manager
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
Editorial:
Rural Missouri
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-659-3423 info@ruralmissouri.coop
Advertising:
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
573-659-3400
National Advertising Representative:
American MainStreet Publications;
611 S. Congress St., Suite 504; Austin, TX 78704
573-659-3400
Postmasters: Send address changes to Rural Missouri,
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO
65101. Subscribers: Report change of address to
your local cooperative. Do not send change of address
to Rural Missouri.
Advertising standards: Advertising published in
Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise that
the merchandise and services offered are accurately
described and sold to customers at the advertised
price. Rural Missouri and Missouri's electric
cooperatives do not endorse any products or
services advertised herein. Advertising that does
not conform to these standards or that is deceptive
or misleading is never knowingly accepted by
this publication. The acceptance of all advertising
shall be in the sole discretion of the editor.
Rural Missouri (ISSN 0164-8578) (USPS 473000)
is published monthly by the Association
of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, 2722 E.
McCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101, Caleb
Jones, CEO/executive vice president. Individual
subscription rate: $10 per year or $22 for three
years, taxes and postage included. Group rate for
members of participating RECs $2.22, plus taxes
and postage, paid from equity accruing to the
member. Delivery as specified by subscriber. If not
specified, delivery will be by periodical class mail
at subscriber's expense. Periodical Class postage
paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing
offices. Copyright 2021, Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives. Call for reprint rights.
Circulation of this issue: 574,409
RM | PERSPECTIVES
See you at the state fair
by Caleb Jones
cjones@amec.coop
F
or a farm
kid, this
is the best
time of
year. The ponds
and creeks are
the ideal temperature
to jump in.
There's a chance
the square bales
you're hauling are
straw, not alfalfa.
But best of all, it's
fair season. When
it was fair season
at the Jones
Farm, that meant
you were likely getting ready for the
granddaddy of all fairs, the Missouri
State Fair.
There is nothing more exciting than
loading up your prize-winning pig and
heading to Sedalia. There was plenty
to do when you got there: unloading
animals, setting up your show board
of ribbons from the county fair and
trying to find your favorite show stick
your little sister lost. After that was
when the real fun began. It started
with trying to survive the scariest ride
possible without parting company
with that corn dog you ate. After a few
days on the midway, it was time to see
what the state fair was really about.
Thankfully I haven't met him on
the road yet, but someone needs to
explain how the Missouri Highway
Patrol got their hands on Otto the
Talking Car. I still get a shiver down
my spine when I think of all those
snakes in the Department of Conservation
building and my stomach gurgles
just a little bit when I recall the
gallons of chocolate milk I drank from
the dairy building. I am pretty sure I
still hold the record for entries to win
that John Deere mower the Missouri
Farm Bureau gives away.
The best memory may be digging
out my cleanest 4-H shirt to sneak
in the Governor's Ham Breakfast. We
knew 4-Hers working the event got to
eat for free. I probably still owe Gov.
The highlight of my summers as a farm kid was showing pigs at the
Missouri State Fair next to my neighbors, the Bolinger family.
Parson for quite a few meals.
We didn't know it then but showing
at the fair was a lot of work for Dad.
He did it because showing livestock
was the foundation for character
building, teaching leadership, responsibility
and many more traits I use
every day as an adult.
These days I go to the state fair for
a different reason, representing Missouri's
Electric Cooperatives. Since it
opened in 2000, your electric co-op
building hosts the " who's who " of
Missouri's leaders. You never know
who will show up. Don't be surprised
if you see Sen. Roy Blunt and his son
racing another member of Congress
on our electric car racetrack. We once
had rocker Ted Nugent come by and
announce his new wild game cookbook,
" Kill It & Grill It. "
While it's great catching up with
legislators and celebrities, my favorite
part of being in the co-op building is
getting to meet you, the member-owners
of electric co-ops. While I may not
miss sleeping in a cot next to my pigs
anymore, don't be surprised if you see
me at the livestock arena watching
the next generation of leaders making
their own memories.
Caleb is the executive vice president
and CEO of the Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives and a member of
Boone Electric Cooperative.
AUGUST 2021 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 5
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Rural Missouri - August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - August 2021

Rural Missouri - August 2021 - Cover1
Rural Missouri - August 2021 - Cover2
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Rural Missouri - August 2021 - Cover3
Rural Missouri - August 2021 - Cover4
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