County fairs are more than just a yearly event, they’re a chance for community building and leadership development opportunities. Here are 8 reasons why county fairs are important told by the Agfinity Team!
1. Teaches the Importance of Winning and Losing
Growing up I participated in the country fair each year. I did everything from cooking, sewing, and showing cattle. Looking back now, I realize that the county fair was more than just something that I saved my allowance for so that I could buy a string of tickets to ride the rides. The county fair taught me life lessons about winning and losing at a very young age. From advancing to the State Fair for a suit I had sewn to receiving a white ribbon for a one-egg cake that never quite turned out right, the fair taught me many life lessons about who I am as an adult and how I handle the ups and downs that come my way every day.
– Lisa Shallenberg, Energy Business Solutions Manager
2. It Becomes a Family Tradition
Early on I was told that Girls Scouts are with your daughter, Boy Scouts with your son, and 4-H is with the family – never a truer statement for us. Weld County Fair is a family tradition. The Dreiling participation began in 1988. It started with the kids as active members of Tailtwisters and Pony Express 4-H clubs in Fort Lupton. They showed their respective animals, swine, dairy, and equine primarily with some rabbits, sheep, goats, and lots of general projects on the side. They were involved in judging dairy cattle, livestock, and equine from age ten through to the college level. That taught them reasoning skills, public speaking, and decision-making.
I became the leader of Pony Express 4-H club, then a six-year member of the Weld County Fair Board serving as Secretary for 4 years and on multiple committees. This will be my 20th year as Superintendent for the Weld County Fair Bucket Calf Show that takes place each fair. This year’s show is Sunday, July 31st at 10:00 am in the North Oval.
To me, the 4-H Motto says everything: “To make the best better.”
– Hannah Dreiling, Brighton Area Retail Manager
3. They’re a Gathering Place
I was a 4-H member for 11 years. County fairs are a gathering place for those passionate about agriculture and more importantly an avenue to support the youths that are passionate about the ag industry. What I remember most about the county fairs that I participated in are the people that helped support me and pushed me to improve.
– Tom Tolle, Director Feed & Grain Sales and Procurement
4. They Spark Joy for All
County Fairs continue time-honored traditions, bring communities together, and provide learning opportunities for our future ag advocates. For me personally, county fairs hold a sentimental aura from my childhood, the rides, the food, the games, the competitions, and mostly the animals. I can recall so many fond memories with family and friends, and that feeling of joy from the bright lights and excitement in the air.
– Terry McCary, AR Supervisor
5. It Changes Your Life
My daughter joined FFA in high school and decided she wanted to show goats for her project in Weld County. We knew nothing about goats, so together as a family, we learned all about them. That is what really changed her life. She eventually became involved with the livestock judging team and was able to get college scholarships. After graduating from UW, she was hired as the Phillips County extension agent running their 4H and county fair.
– Steve Stewart, Agronomy Sales Professional
6. They Cultivate Key Life-Long Skills
I was involved with the Country Boots & Skirts 4-H club in Eaton, Colorado for six years. I participated in several different projects, but my favorite was showing swine. In my first year, I cried when I had to say goodbye to my pig as I had gained a friendship. County fairs are important because they teach key life-long skills like hard work, dedication, and friendship.
– Kelly Rairdon, Staff Accountant
7. It Teaches Putting the Needs of Others Ahead of Your Own
I am a 4-H and FFA alumna. I was in the San Martin 4-H Club in Santa Clara County, California for 10 years and FFA all 4 years at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California. I began showing horses in 4-H and then added on livestock in high school. I showed cattle and hogs in FFA and sheep and goats in 4-H. Showing livestock and horses not only provided a solid foundation for animal husbandry but taught me how to put the needs of an animal ahead of my own.
Those experiences instilled a deep understanding of hard work, dedication towards a goal, success and failure, sportsmanship, and how to teach others. My family still supports the local 4-H and FFA members through purchases at the livestock auctions in the surrounding counties where we grew up. Additionally, my sisters and I have volunteered at our home fair several times since graduation and have worked for several other fairs across the state of California. We have a deep love for the youth livestock industry and the type of young people who come out of 4-H and FFA programs and become tomorrow’s leaders in agriculture and beyond.
– Ashley Budde-Sexton, Feed Sales Professional
8. There’s Nothing Quite Like Them
From the taste of fresh funnel cakes covered in powdered sugar, the smell of fresh wood shavings in the show ring, and the roar of the crowd cheering on all their loved ones – there’s nothing quite like a county fair. I attended my first fair at five days old, at the age of five I became a 4-H clover bud, and when I was finally eight I started showing livestock and entering projects in the general open show alongside my sisters. My time participating at the county fair taught me countless lessons about courage and leadership. I think the 4-H pledge still says it best, “I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world”.
– Maggie Dillavou, Marketing Manager
Thank you for reading 8 reasons county fairs are important told by the Agfinity team. We are a proud sponsor at several local county fairs and we hope to see you there! Learn more about the Cooperative’s mission today.