Agricultural Displays & Partners
Table of Dignity
The agricultural workers memorial, Table of Dignity, is dedicated to the legacy of the thousands of agriculture workers who helped to build Orange County. The memorial design consists of a central sculptural table surrounded by a field of decomposed granite and perimeter benches with a large-scale entry portal made of rammed earth.
OC Fair & Event Center presents Table of Dignity to honor the contributions agriculture workers made to the growth and prosperity of Orange County. The memorial is located adjacent to the Millennium Barn at Centennial Farm, a year-round working farm designed to educate the community about the rich agriculture history of Orange County and its importance to daily life.
Hand-Painted Murals
We bring agriculture to life in a BIG way. Towering over guests at 16 feet tall, three gigantic murals celebrating our agricultural roots were commissioned by OC Fair & Event Center in 2018 and hand-painted by artist John Cerney. They have been dubbed “Bounty of the County” and are fixtures on the fairgrounds that welcome visitors all year long.
Tanaka Farms – Blue Gate (off Fair Drive)
The Tanaka Farms mural depicts Glenn Tanaka and his son, Kenny, with a special appearance by Kenny’s son, Landon. Located in Irvine, Tanaka Farms is an authentic working farm established in 1940, featuring 30 acres of fruit and vegetables.
For more information, visit Tanaka Farms.
Neff Ranch – Green Gate (north of Pacific Amphitheatre)
Originally established in Yorba Linda, Neff Ranch is one of the county’s remaining orange growers, with a 20-acre orchard featuring 4,000 Valencia orange trees. Plus, in 2003, Neff Ranch took over a Hass avocado farm in Tustin.
For more information, visit Neff Ranch.
5 Bar Beef – Yellow Gate (north of the Midway)
The 5 Bar Beef mural features the very last cattle rancher in Orange County, Frank Fitzpatrick. This real-life cowboy has been bringing grass-fed beef to Southern California since 1979 and can be found at local farmers markets.
For more information, visit 5 Bar Beef.
About John Cerney
Anyone who has driven through Salinas, Calif., might recognize the larger-than-life farmers along Highway 68. Originally erected in 1995, the figures are the first in a long series by Cerney. The Salinas native has projects from California to the Midwest, but this is the first time his work has been featured in Orange County.
For more information, visit johncerneymurals.com.
Animal Landscapers
They are quite the sight at OC Fair & Event Center, a herd of goats chomping away at weeds while their trusty guards – miniature donkeys, a llama named Knitty and Maremma livestock guard dogs – keep watch. The animals are hard at work solving problems by clearing weeds and improving the soil on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre.
“The berm is a challenging area for our landscaping crew and the goats are the perfect solution, but we do have some coyotes around the property so the two miniature donkeys will help protect the herd,” said Barbara Gregerson, OC Fair & Event Center’s Landscape Supervisor. “Not only will the goats and donkeys eat the vegetation, they will fertilize and break up the soil, preparing it for planting.”
Gregerson developed the animal landscaping program to reduce erosion, maximize water filtration and improve the resilience of the soil. Once the soil improves, the ultimate goal is to create a diverse habitat of California native plants that invite birds, butterflies and other pollinators.
The berm has been divided into quadrants where the animals will be rotated to evenly work the land. In addition to the weeds and grasses on the berm, the goats will have shelter, water and supplemental feed to ensure they are getting a well-rounded diet. They will also receive regular veterinary care like the animals that reside year-round at nearby Centennial Farm.
The goats and miniature donkeys are on loan from Eureka Mohair Farm in Tollhouse, a longtime competitor in the annual OC Fair livestock competitions. They will be on the property from March through July and September through December.
The annual cost of the program is almost the same as using traditional landscapers. There were fencing and shelter costs to get the program up and running and OC Fair & Event Center will cover feed and veterinary care for the animals in exchange for their labor.