Cornettsville resident Jason Brashear is getting ready for the this year’s state fair, where he will be showing off his prize-winning goats. Brashear is the owner of Backwoods Farms. (photo courtesy of Jason Brashear)

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CORNETTSVILLE — As the Kentucky State Fairs draws near, hundreds of farmers, gardeners and students are getting together what they hope will be prize winning show pieces. One such farmer from here in Perry County has so far had a great season showing his goats, and is looking forward to this year’s state fair later this month.

Cornettsville resident Jason Brashear runs Backwoods Farms where they raise Boer goats, a breed used primarily for meat production. He has been raising goats since he was nine years old, and has made appearances at the Kentucky State Fair for 10 years now. This year alone he has traveled to shows across the region. One of his goats has won nearly every show in which it appeared, and he said he feels good about his chances for the Kentucky State Fair this year.

“This year we have shown from south Georgia to North Carolina, to Tennessee and Kentucky, of course,” Brashear said.

Brashear is a Perry Central graduate and currently works as a 4-H agent in Letcher County. He said that showing at the state fair is a privilege because it is one of the largest shows to which he or his 4-H members go.

“Getting to show at the state fair is, as I tell my 4-H kids, it is an honor,” said Brashear. “You are showing in a huge ring in front of lots and lots of people. It seems like a place that means so much more.”

Along with the honor of showing animals in such a big spotlight as the Kentucky State Fair, his favorite thing is the interactions with other competitors. Many of the people that show animals at fairs are families, and they will come and stay in the livestock barns for the entire fair. The competitors become close and look forward to seeing one another at each show.

“The whole reason I show livestock is the people,” said Brashear. “We end up becoming a show family.”

When he is not showing his own animals, as a judge for the International Boer Goat Association, Brashear is often times judging other Boer goats.

“I have had the opportunity to travel all over the country judging,” he noted.

Along with opportunities to view some of the state’s top livestock, the Kentucky State Fair, which is one of the top 10 largest state fairs, has just about anything anyone could be looking for. Virtually any and every kind of livestock that can be shown will be at the fair, including several rabbits that Brashear raised.

Shops, crafts, rides, shows, and any and all things fried will also be available at this year’s Kentucky State Fair in Louisville at the fairgrounds August 16-26. This year’s shows will include Hank Williams, Jr., Rascal Flatts, Journey and the Band Perry.

Tickets and more information about the fair can be found at www.KyStateFair.Org. Information about Jason Brashear’s farm and goats can be found at his website www.backwoodsfarms.com.