United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 New Hampshire Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content



NH NRCS Employees and Student Conservation Interns Volunteer at the "Big E"

NRCS SCA Interns from left to right:  Matt O'Malley (Epping), Alena Warren (State Office), Bill Burgess (Concord), Ian Rodgers (State Office), Amy Kinsella (Walpole), Honor Lawler (State Office), Nikki McKenna (State Office), Nina Bhattacharyya (State Office), Kelly Eggleston (Lancaster) all helped support the Conservation Districts and USDA booths at the Eastern States Exposition, commonly known as the "Big E", in Springfield, Massachusetts on October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.   Sandy Sears, Carol Drungil and Betty Anderson helped out the weekend before. 

The Big E, New England's autumn tradition and the largest fair in the northeast, is an extravaganza with top name entertainment, major exhibits, New England history and agriculture, animals, rides, shopping, crafts, a Mardi Gras parade, and foods from around the world for 17 days during New England's most colorful season.  The Big E is the only fair in the country with multiple states participating.  The Avenue of States has impressive replicas of each New England state's original statehouse sitting on land actually owned by that state.  Inside there are sights, sounds and tastes that are all quintessential New England.

The Big E was founded by Joshua L. Brooks in 1916 when he convinced the National Dairy Show to hold its annual event on the Exposition grounds. In 1917, the first Eastern States Exposition took place. Brooks' desire was to bring together all six New England states in one location to share ideas and improve regional agriculture. Brooks dreamed of having state buildings at the fair that would showcase the traditional and new products and attractions that make each New England state unique.  Walking through the life-size replicas of each state's original capitol you can learn about the people, products and attractions each New England state has to offer.  A trip down the Avenue of States allows you to have a taste of what New England has to offer, from Maine to Connecticut and all points in between.

The NRCS sees the Big E as an opportunity to get the word out to people of all ages about conservation and NRCS programs.  Thousands of people walked away with information on Backyard Conservation, NRCS Employment, Pollinators, and Conservation Planning, to name a few.  Kids enjoyed conservation tattoos and coloring books.  Many teachers were thankful for the plethora of information they could use in their classrooms. 

Next year's Eastern States Exposition runs from September 17th to October 3rd. 
 

 

< Back to News...