By Jon Chown
WATSONVILLE — Volunteers at the Agricultural History Project were busy Saturday, Aug. 9, getting ready for the upcoming Santa Cruz County Fair.
Antique tractors are lined up at the Agricultural History Project in Watsonville on Aug. 9.
The AHP was hosting its Second Saturday event, which occurs the second Saturday of every month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There were puppet shows, old-time games and crafts, a sheep dog demonstration and more.
Glen McGowan of Prunedale brought his border collie, Chase, and some sheep for the dog to round up. McGowan gives dog-training lessons on herding at his home. He said Chase didn’t need to be taught to herd sheep, it’s all instinctive, but he did have to be trained to control those instincts.
McGowan’s instincts were showing as well. A retired park ranger, he said this was just a different opportunity to give back. “Talking to people is what I did for 32 years,” he said.
Sheep run from Glen McGowan’s border collie, Chase, during the Agricultural History Project’s Second Saturday event on Aug. 9.
In the background, work was being done for next month’s big show. The fair, which runs from Sept. 10-14, will attract as many visitors as the AHP will see for the rest of the year.
AHP’s founder, John Kegebein, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, was hammering away on a new project — an expansion of the exhibit on the history of the railroad — hoping to complete it before opening day.
“The railroad helped develop the agricultural industry as we know it here today,” Kegebein said.
The first load of lettuce shipped in a refrigerated car out of the Pajaro Valley was in 1919, he explained. Before that, there were railway spurs and short lines at numerous packing companies throughout the valley.
John Kegebein works on an expansion to the AHP’s exhibit on the history of trains in the Pajaro Valley on Aug. 9.
The expansion will be placed alongside the Illinois Central caboose that rests near the entrance.
“It’s history that a lot of people don’t really know much about,” Kegebein said.
The fair’s theme this year is “Hay Bales, Piggy Tales & Ewe.” There will be nightly drone shows, a variety of live music, including a Taylor Swift tribute band, and a special performance by X Games gold medalist Adam Jones. Times Publishing Group is producing the first bilingual Santa Cruz County Fair Guide.
TOP PHOTO: The Ag History Project tractor parade makes its way through the 2021 Santa Cruz County Fair. The parade is a tradition at the county fair. The AHP is busy preparing for the 2025 Santa Cruz County Fair.