Doug Brand loves the fair. For 46 years, Brand has served on the fair board and helped put the Seward County Fair together every summer.
While some members of the board work closer to the time of the fair, Brand works at the fair year-round. His duties have included getting contracts out for booth rentals, working with the extension office, helping with booth rentals, organizing events, contacting people and all the little things that come up throughout the year.
“Well, I call Doug ‘Mr. Fair.’ He’s a people person and very hospitable. He likes to have a good party and that’s what a fair is, a big celebration of accomplishment,” said Ron Wallman, president of the fair board.
Brand originally began working with the fair board in 1994 as the 4-H aide then shortly after switched to the role of the secretary of the board.
“His love of Seward agriculture and his focus on promoting agriculture is not something he does just during the fair, but year-round. We are all going to miss him,” said Anne Dobesh, the 4-H Extension Educator.
Over the years, Brand has seen the fair change. The mission statement of the fair board includes the promotion of agriculture through and with 4-H and FFA. This has become harder in Seward County as the area continues to urbanize.
The fairgrounds have also begun to focus on additional activities year round. Originally the fairgrounds used to just include the fair, but it has expanded to weddings, community blood bank donations every two months and recently COVID vaccinations every Wednesday.
“I used to teach my kids and their friends while working with the board. My family loved it. It was a big 4-H club with about 42 kids working with pigs. I don’t work with kids as closely as I used to, though,” Brand said.
According to Wallman, Brand has a high level of commitment to both agriculture and young children. Brand was instrumental in helping Wallman’s family find an animal for showing and ended up keeping the animal at his house for the family.
“I can’t tell you how many things he has done to help young people with starting projects without farming backgrounds and helping them get started,” Wallman said.
While Brand is leaving the fair after this year, Wallman doesn’t see Brand leaving for good, believing he won’t be able to stay away from the fair.
“There are three things that drive Doug: helping young people, the desire to be hospitable and putting on a good party. A lot of things that Doug has done over the years will have a lasting impact that won’t go away,” Wallman said.
