The possibility of budget cuts makes the future of agricultural fairs in Illinois unknown. Agricultural fairs rarely make a profit, and most are slowly using up their savings, if they had any.
Bill Jennings, president of the Richland County Fair, says they are lucky to have a financial reserve for maintenance of the fairgrounds.
"Over the last several years we have received tremendous cuts, and hopefully we'll be able to stop that bleeding and realize the impact that we're still having with county fairs throughout the state."
Jennings is also the director of the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs, which just released a study saying that 170 million dollars is spent annually in the state as a result of country fairs, within the fairgrounds, or on hotels and transportation.
Jennings worries that without county fairs, agricultural communities will lose a source of revenue, and an educational tool for the next generation of farmers.