Howard Recknor of Hartland was recently elected to a one-year term as president of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, the governing body of the Minnesota State Fair.

Thursday, February 07, 2002

Howard Recknor of Hartland was recently elected to a one-year term as president of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, the governing body of the Minnesota State Fair.

Recknor was among several officers elected Jan. 20 during the general business session of the society’s 143rd annual meeting, held at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington.

Recknor is a cattle and crop farmer who had represented the society’s first district on the state fair board since 1989. Greatly involved with the fair industry, he served on the Freeborn County Fair Board for 30 years, including 25 years as manager. He has been honored as a life member at both the Minnesota Federation of County Fairs and the Freeborn County Agricultural Society, and has been awarded honorary 4-H and FFA awards.

&uot;The biggest satisfaction is working with people,&uot; Recknor said. &uot;Whether it’s being involved in the school district, church or the fair – the monetary things don’t mean a thing. If you can teach someone something or learn from something, that makes it worthwhile.&uot;

Recknor said he is proud to be serving the state fair that ranked No. 2 in attendance last year, with 1.7 million attendees. The Minnesota State Fair is second only to the Texas State Fair, which actually runs longer, he said.

&uot;It’s the only all-pay fair in the United States,&uot; Recknor said.

He said financial reports released during the meeting show that the state fair realized a net operating gain of $2.6 million in 2001, based on a total income of $28 million and operating expenses of $25.4 million. The Minnesota State Fair has a staff of 70 full-time people, and hires another 2,400 people during the run of the fair.

The state fair is a financially self-sufficient quasi-state agency, receiving no federal, state or local financial aid of any kind. Net operating gains are reinvested in maintaining and improving the 320-acre state fairgrounds, and producing the coming year’s state fair.

The 2002 Minnesota State Fair will run Aug. 22 through Labor Day, Sept. 2.