Fancy Farm 2011:
Pork, Pie and Politics
The 2011 edition of Fancy Farm: Pork, Pie and Politics was the kickoff event to KET’s fall election coverage. Bill Goodman and Renee Shaw hosted the KET broadcast live from Fancy Farm in Western Kentucky on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Joining us with analysis of this year's races were John David Dyche, a Louisville attorney and author, and Jennifer Moore, former Kentucky Democratic Party chair. We also had taped commentary from Bob Babbage, former auditor and secretary of state; Lowell Reece, former editor and publisher of the Kentucky Gazette; and Wendell Ford, former governor and U.S. senator.
Ferrell Wellman hosted Comment on Kentucky live from Fancy Farm on Friday, Aug. 5, previewing the fall election with a panel of journalists: Roger Alford, Frankfort bureau reporter, Associated Press; Ronnie Ellis, Frankfort reporter, CNHI News Service; and Donna Groves, news director, WKYX AM/FM in Paducah. Watch Comment on Kentucky at Fancy Farm
Video of Fancy Farm Speeches
KET presents videos of the political speeches at Fancy Farm. The speakers are listed in their speaking order.
 Emcee Mike Miller, Marshall County Judge-Executive, [D] [1:19] |
 State Sen. Ken Winters, [R] [2:00] |
 State Rep. Fred Nesler, [D] [:53] |
 U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, [R] [5:24] |
 U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, [R] [4:23] |
 U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, [R] [4:13] |
 Steve Beshear (incumbent) for Governor [D] [6:05] |
 David L. Williams for Governor [R] [9:12] |
 Gatewood Galbraith for Governor [I] [7:58] |
 Jerry Abramson for Lt. Governor [D] [3:37] |
 Richie Farmer for Lt. Governor [R] [4:06] |
 Dea Riley for Lt. Governor [I] [3:46] |
 Secretary of State Elaine Walker [D], Farewell [1:57] |
 Alison Lundergan Grimes for Secretary of State [D] [4:09] |
 Bill Johnson for Secretary of State [R] [3:47] |
 Auditor Crit Luallen [D], Farewell [1:57] |
 Adam Edelen for Auditor [D] [3:14] |
 John T. Kemper III for Auditor [R] [3:09] |
 Jack Conway (incumbent) for Attorney General [D] [4:15] |
 Todd P'Pool for Attorney General [R] [4:10] |
 Todd Hollenbach for Treasurer [D] [3:58] |
 K.C. Crosbie for Treasurer [R] [3:39] |
 Robert 'Bob' Farmer for Commissioner of Agriculture [D] [3:15] |
 James R. Comer for Commissioner of Agriculture [R] [4:04] |
About Fancy Farm
Every year since the early 1880s, St. Jerome Catholic Church in the small town of Fancy Farm, near Mayfield in Graves County, has hosted an annual community picnic. It was a local affair at first, where people gathered to eat Western Kentucky barbecue and enjoy some regional entertainment. But at some point, political candidates began to see the Fancy Farm Picnic as a good chance to meet, greet, and stump for votes. Soon a platform for speaking was added, and by the middle of the 20th century, Fancy Farm had become the unofficial kickoff event for the fall campaigns.
These days at Fancy Farm, picnic volunteers serve up tons of barbecue (pork and the regional favorite, mutton) while crowds gather at the speakers’ platform to cheer—or jeer—their chosen candidates.
For more information on the picnic, see the official Fancy Farm web site.