Tractor Supply fairs involvement will grow significantly in 2026, with the company pledging support for more than 1,000 state and county events nationwide in what it describes as its largest fair commitment to date.
The retailer said its backing will include funding for agricultural education, youth livestock programs, and activities tied to 4-H and FFA, along with event sponsorships, product donations, and community initiatives. Tractor Supply now participates in roughly 75 percent of state and county fairs across the United States, according to the company.
“State and county fairs are part of Life Out Here. They bring together family, community, hard work, and agriculture,” said Neil Tenzer, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and Pet Health at Tractor Supply. “Fairs celebrate agriculture today while helping inspire the next generation. We’re proud to be part of that.”
Keeping agriculture at the center of the fair
More than 2,000 fairs take place across the country each year, serving as showcases for livestock shows, horticulture exhibits, agricultural demonstrations, competitions, and other events that connect the public with farming and ranching.
For many youth exhibitors, these events cap months of feeding, caring for, and training animals for the show ring. Fairs also offer 4-H and FFA members a venue to present projects and build skills that range from animal husbandry to leadership and public speaking.
North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said he appreciates Tractor Supply’s continued investment in fairs and the role they play in giving young people opportunities to show livestock while educating the public about agriculture and the origins of their food.
Company involvement varies by location, from local sponsorships and product donations to targeted support for livestock programs and classroom-based agricultural learning.
“There is something special about walking through a fair and seeing a young person showing an animal they have spent months raising,” Tenzer said. “Through our support of fairs, 4-H, FFA, and agricultural education, we are investing in the young people who will become tomorrow’s farmers, ranchers, and rural leaders.”
Investing in 4-H and FFA
Tractor Supply’s expanded fair presence builds on longstanding partnerships with two of the nation’s largest agricultural youth organizations.
The company has backed the National FFA Organization since 1985, contributing more than $24 million to education and scholarships. In 2022, Tractor Supply introduced its Future Leaders Scholarship with a $5 million, five-year pledge to help FFA members pursue higher education and skilled-trade careers.
“When a young person walks into the show ring, you are seeing the result of months of commitment, care, and hard work,” said Molly Ball, National FFA Foundation President. “We are grateful to Tractor Supply for helping create more of those opportunities for the next generation.”
Tractor Supply has supported 4-H since 2010, raising more than $27 million for programs aimed at developing leadership, career exploration, and life skills among young people.
Heather Elliott, a 4-H leader, said fairs are a core part of the 4-H experience because they bring together what members learn throughout the year as they prepare for careers in agriculture, skilled trades, and other fields.
Tractor Supply fairs commitment spans youth programs and community ties
As the company prepares to support more than 1,000 events in 2026, Tractor Supply says its focus remains on sustaining community traditions, strengthening agricultural literacy, and creating pathways for the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
Those efforts align with a broader push to highlight how technology, education, and hands-on experience are reshaping modern agriculture, similar to how events like Wisconsin Farm Technology Days connect rural communities with innovation on the farm.
For Tractor Supply, the growing fair presence is both a celebration of existing rural traditions and an investment in the future of agriculture, ranching, and rural communities nationwide.