Throughout New York state every summer, communities celebrate their agricultural industry - its history and its current stewards - at county fairs.

In the more rural counties, where farming is often the biggest contributor to the economy, these fairs take on greater meaning.

Cayuga County, consistently one of the state's most productive agricultural counties, is such a place.

That's why the revelation this week that the county fair won't take place this summer is so difficult to accept.

From the youths who spend months preparing to show their prized calf or goat at the fair, to the vendors who rely on selling goods there for needed income, the news must be devastating.

The reason for the fair's cancellation is a little murky, but it goes something like this: The fairgrounds, which is not owned by the fair itself, was sold last year.

Because of the timing of when that sale finally closed, the fair's board of directors did not have enough time to negotiate a deal with the new owners to operate in 2005 and still line up the needed vendors in time for the summer.

So bad timing is killing an event - at least for this year - that has become a community institution.

Sorry, but this excuse is not acceptable.

The fair may be a privately operated affair, but its organizers carry a major public responsibility.

A change in ownership certainly would complicate matters, but if all the parties involved in getting the fair scheduled at the fairgrounds had planned a little better, this situation could have been avoided.

It's also a shame the public did not know about this sooner, which would have left more time to figure out an alternative to the county fairgrounds, perhaps at a neighboring county's facilities.

Fair organizers have said they are hopeful to have the fair back in 2006, but we urge them not to give up yet on 2005.