The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Fair Funding Program supports and promotes local fairs and livestock shows across the state. The program provides funding to assist with operational costs, facility improvements, and livestock-related expenses. Funding recipients are required to maintain detailed financial records and submit an annual report to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Arkansas Legislative Audit.
Funding Allocation: Funding allocations will be based on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s annual appropriation bill approved by the General Assembly.
Use of Funds: Allowable expenditures include but are not limited to operational costs directly related to the fair or livestock show, infrastructure, equipment, and educational programming. Prohibited expenditures include association fees, dues, or other association related expenses.
Reporting Requirements: Each recipient must submit the following to both the Department of Agriculture and Arkansas Legislative Audit by June 30 of each year.
- Proof of annual continuing education.
- An annual financial report for the previous state fiscal year that includes without limitation an accounting of state funding utilization.
- An annual operating plan for the upcoming year.
- A certificate of good standing from the Secretary of State.
Reports to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture must be submitted online here.
Continuing Education: Recipients of funding must complete annual continuing education. Topics may include but are not limited to financial management, grant compliance, event safety and agriculture education.
Board Membership and Oversight: Each county fair board must include a county extension agent as a non-voting, ex officio member. For any fair that uses county facilities or receives county funds, the county’s Quorum Court must review all documentation, including the fair’s financial report, operating plan, and certificate of good standing prior to submitting to the Department and Legislative Audit.
The following counties shall be members of the districts as follows:
- North Central District: Cleburne, Fulton, Izard, Sharp, Stone, and Van Buren County
- Northeast District: Clay, Craighead, Cross, Crittenden, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, Randolph, St. Francis, Woodruff, and White County
- Northwest District: Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton, and Searcy County
- South Arkansas District: Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Cleveland, Dallas, Drew, Faulkner, Grant, Lincoln, Lonoke, Ouachita, and Prairie County
- Southwest Arkansas District: Clark, Columbia, Garland, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Pike, Saline, Sevier, and Union County
- Arkansas-Oklahoma District: Benton, Conway, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Perry, Polk, Pope, Scott, Sebastian, Washington, and Yell County
- Tri-County Fair: Lee, Monroe, and Phillips County
The Four States Fair, hosted in Texarkana, Arkansas, shall be treated the same as a district fair.