Saline Community Fair showcases area's agricultural roots

“Saline for a long time was a very agricultural, rural community,” fair spokesman Fred Shaible said, and the fair is sticking to its roots.

Agnes Dikeman, treasurer of the Saline Historical Society, said Saline was originally settled by small business owners and farmers. Farmers are even represented on the Saline city seal by a grain of wheat.

Steve Drake works on a dairy farm that his family has owned for more than 100 years near Saline. He managed the Saline Community Fair for 20 years, and he now helps his kids take part in the fair’s junior livestock competition. He said one goal of the fair is educating the community about its roots.

“They know what beef is at the store but they’ve never actually seen what beef looks like when it’s standing on a hoof,” Drake said. In recent years, the fair added a baby animal section, “something that’s hands-on that people can see a little closer up and have a little contact.”

Drake said much of the farmland around Saline was bought by housing developers in recent years. Because the housing bubble burst, he said there may be an opportunity for people to purchase and farm the still-undeveloped land, but he’s doubtful.

“It may come back a little bit, but agriculture as a whole has really suffered the last few years,” he said.

Similarly, the fair has taken a financial hit due to the tough economy. The state dropped its aid for the fair in last year’s budget. Finding corporate sponsorships has become more difficult. Attendance has fallen a bit.

“Certainly we do have that background of being traditional,” Shaible said. “I think that’s both a good thing and a challenge, because as less and less people are involved in the agricultural community in Saline, we do have to respect the change in times and start reaching out to people who may not be looking to walk through the barns, all while preserving our heritage.”

So while the fair holds onto its rural charm, it has brought in some new events in recent years for the modern-day crowd, such as Preschool Day, which features activities geared toward young children and toddlers on Thursday, Sept. 9. “That’s something that kind of brings us a little bit up to speed,” Shaible said.

But not too up to speed.

“I think it’s good for us to remember where we came from. Agriculture is still the second largest industry here in the state. So as we look at our economic recovery, agriculture is still going to play a big part in that,” Shaible said.

“So reminding people of that heritage, how they can still be involved in it, I think is an important part of where we’ve been and where we're going.”

Drake agrees. “There are big families around Saline that still own their big stake of agriculture,” he said, “and I don’t see that going away for quite a while.”

Tara Cavanaugh is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. To reach the news desk, e-mail news@annarbor.com or call 734-623-2530.