S. Florida Fair GOAT SHOW

I have been working with Riki Johnson the chairman of the SFFGoat Show the past few months. We became friends over the internet last year, when i posted a dilemma and we found out we lived in the same area, loved animals, and had goats. The internet is such a help at times like these.

Riki has goats and chickens, and she is the one who has given me Oreo and my chicken and rooster. I guess you could call it payment for the design help i've given over the past year.( my rooster have you seen him lately? he is gorgeous i must say).

The goat show is getting smaller every year here in the South. It should be getting larger but the more watered down and suburban the fair is becoming, the less agricultural its becoming too. And that truly is a shame. Its not everyday youngsters can see and interact with farm animals. And the more urbanization happens the more it pushes out the farmlife. And this i believe is what is happening at this Show.

Putting my advertising cap on for animals, is exactly what I love to do. My two passions working. I didn't do much, just created a brochure and some posters. We put them up all over town. Got an OK response. Hoping next year an even bigger one. Donations are always needed for this kind of thing. The smaller the purse at the show, the less people to come. and it spirals down from there. Get the bigger purse, get the bigger exhibitors. and they will come from all over. You'd think the Fair would subsidize the Goat Show. They do, BUT, Minimally, and over the years has made it more and more dificult for goats to show. its a compilation effect. Each year, new rules, or less money. Next thing you know the show is getting smaller and smaller. When it should be getting bigger. To me, this just doesn't make any sense. So helping out where i can, hoping that a few pushes in advertising, can generate more donations. And it also didn't help this year when the fair put in some new rule changes.

For instance, just this year a NEW rule stated that every bottle baby coming into the show, must be charged a fee. Now, in essence it doesn't sound like much. BUT, when an exhibitor comes down to show, it must bring its bottle babies with them, (who is going to take care of them if they didn't bring them). These are small family run farms, that shut down operation to show, with 20-30 babies that need to be fed 3 times a day. Who can you pay to do that for you? NO ONE> In the past, it wasn't an issue, NOW, this new rule change, that cost alone is something to consider if they must PAY to care for them over the course of the show. Its just one little rule that probably kept 5 exhibitors from coming. 5 exhibitors could have been another 100 entries. Another hundred entries, and the show would have been more competitive, higher purses, more points etc...

And of course there were other changes to the rules, keeping those exhibitors from coming.

The days of the show were long, and hard, and I told Riki i would pop in and take a few photos for next years brochure. HA... I ended up staying all day every day, and taking over 5 gigs of photos. What a chore. And some good stuff came out of it.

Overall, it was fun to help and learn by getting involved. And what an experience it was. 500 photos later. They are put up on a new site link here http://web.mac.com/milanodesign














So many cute photos taken. A few highlights of the goats and people above. To see all the photos though, check out the link. And now that there are so many pictures, maybe a book will be made. Another donation generator maybe? iphoto with mac.com has an option where you can create a book, they print it. They do calendars, cards, invites, books, this is endless. (if interested to learn more, email me).

I met some awesome people at the show. what an awesome experience. Hopefully i will see them again in the future.

And if you are reading this, have a few 'bucks' to spare (no pun intended) pass it on to the SFF GOAT SHOW FUND. For next year!