BROKEN BOW — The Custer County Ag Society met for their regular meeting Thursday evening (August 14). All members were present for a wide-ranging discussion of fair business.
Financials and committee reports
The meeting opened with a discussion of Ag Society finances. Board President Brian Palmer noted that updated accounting processes were being used to ensure transparency and clarity in the fair’s operations. Palmer stated the question that needs to be answered is, “how much does it cost to run the fair” and that he expects the new accounting practices to assist in that process.
Committee discussions centered on public comments regarding the fair that ended August 1. Troy Walz of the Custer County Extension office thanked the board for its work and provided a handout of public comments for the fair to consider moving forward. Board member Jake Rosentreader noted that the 4-H committee had received no grievances or issues that needed to be discussed. Fair Committee Chair Desirei Cook stated attendees seemed happy with the food, the Monday and Wednesday events, and the Berean Bible Church carnival.
Palmer thanked everyone on the board for their areas of help, and noted from an outside perspective the fair looked like a well-oiled machine. Plamer also extended his thanks to Karly Mack for her work keeping the fair’s social media presence updated in real time.
Bicycles in the fairgrounds a concern
Community member Kevin Cooksley brought to the board a concern raised by the presence of numerous bicycles on the fair grounds this year. In noting that he nearly struck a young bicyclist while driving though the fair grounds, Cooksley recommended the board consider banning bicycles from the fair in the future. He stated this would be similar to bans on ATVs, golf carts and similar vehicles, and would limit liability exposure for the Ag Society in the event an accident were to occur.
Several members of the fair board agreed that they had noted an increase in bicycle traffic, including in and around the livestock arena area, leading to a broader discussion of traffic on the fair grounds.
Palmer indicated limiting traffic in and around livestock areas to pedestrian or foot-traffic only should be an easy change, as this directly affects safety of both the animals and fair-goers. However, others noted that bicycles were often used to transit from one end of the fairgrounds to camping areas elsewhere.
In the end, the board agreed to study the issue further and make a decision in the near future.
A look back at the demo derby and tractor pull
Board Secretary Desirei Cook presented the results of the demolition derby held June 21. Cook indicated the derby yielded a net profit of $14,455, to be split with the Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce, who co-sponsored the event. Palmer stated he felt the event crew did a good job keeping the site cleaned up and was impressed by the way the arena shaped up afterward.
In the works for next year, Cook noted several possible changes for the demolition derby, including a later start time, longer event, and post-derby concert. Pending a contract with show runner Wreckless Promotions, the board approved a date of June 13, 2026 for the next derby.
Cook also presented preliminary results of the August 10 th tractor pull. Cook indicated that while there was a great crowd on hand, costs were higher this year than they were last year, resulting in a net loss of $1,257 on the event. Still, Cook stated, many in the crowd requested a return of the event. Options, including different dates, are being examined for next year.
Upcoming events
Planning is under way for the Ag Society Winter Ball. The board discussed several options for dates, both before and after the traditional late January timeframe. However, in the end, the board settled on holding the event January 24, 2026 at the Broken Bow Municipal Building.
Dates for next year’s fair were also a topic of discussion. A proposal was floated to extend the overall period of the fair across two weekends to allow for more Saturday and Sunday events. Before settling on a final date, the board decided to seek further input from other stakeholders, including a survey of fair families and discussion with the 4-H Council.
Other items
The board approved a plan to continue improvements to the online site-booking map for both vendors and campers. Booking improvements are primarily intended to assist with non-fair events, such as the upcoming Junk Jaunt.
The board ended the meeting in executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no further business following.
The next meeting of the Custer County Ag Society will be September 11 at 7:00 pm.
