Although I live in neighboring Madison County, I was
thrilled when I was asked to write something about the Livestock Barn for the Washington County Fair. Full
disclosure: In exchange for this post, the Washington County Fair is supporting
the promotion of local agriculture by making a donation to my Moms on the Farm program – but my words and enthusiasm for the fair are all mine.
When you bring your family to the fair, it may be a little
intimidating to enter the livestock barn. There are sure to be a few sights and
sounds (and smells) that your family may not be used to. Since my 4H kid is only
7, we are new to the world of being a livestock show family. So, I reached out
to some other, more seasoned livestock show moms from Northwest Arkansas and
around the country to get their input on the things they think you should know about
the Livestock Barn.
Poop.
My little 4Her with her first calf, Water Lilly. |
The kids showing the animals are in charge of cleaning up
the poop, but it’s a full time job. The first year my daughter took her calf to
the fair, she was especially excited about getting
to clean it up! She was about 3 or 4 and that excitement hasn’t really faded…
yet. Here are a few tips:
- Don’t wear your favorite pair of white shoes.
- Poop can be a little slippery, so be careful.
- Wash your hands or use hand-sanitizer after you leave.
A sheep isn't truly clean until everyone in the family is soaked |
Family time.
When I was growing
up, we didn’t go on vacation to Disneyland or the beach. We went to livestock
shows. The animals are the kids’ projects, but it’s really a FAMILY endeavor.
Hundreds of hours are spent together (mom, dad, brothers and sisters), working
for a common goal of presenting an animal at the fair.
Success in the Livestock Barn is a family accomplishment. When
our family won at the show, it wasn’t my ribbon or my trophy, it was OURS.
Small kids – BIG
animals
My daughter loves to show off her show calf and have her friends pet it, but not all animals are so gentle and tolerant of little people. |
Livestock can be a little scary! The kids showing animals have
spent hours and hours working with them getting them ready for the show. They
know each other quite well and the animals are used to being handled by their
owners. But, even gentle animals can bite, and even when an animal is
comfortable with some kids, he or she may not be ok with all
kids. Always ask for the owner’s permission before petting any animal in the
livestock barn.
Good to know: There
is a great petting zoo at the Washington County Fair where your kids can pet ‘til their heart’s content.
Jenny sent this picture of two of her boys with the their dairy cattle at the county fair in Illinois. |
The kids who are showing animals want to show off their hard
work to everyone at the fair, not just the judges. If the kids are around, be sure to ask them about their animal. Ask the
animal’s name, what it eats, where it came from, how old it is… You will be
amazed what you will learn from these kids.
My friend and fellow
4H mom, Jenny Schweigert said it best, “Last week's county fair was very
successful, but my favorite moment wasn't the ribbons or trophies. It was when
our middle son kneeled down with a little girl he didn't know and started
explaining the difference between dairy cattle and beef cattle.”
Lots of smiles. Maybe a few tears.
Vallie and her calf last year |
But at the end of the
fair, it’s not the prizes that matter. It’s the sense of accomplishment. It’s
the family time. It’s the lifelong friendships. It’s the lessons learned. It’s
teaching new people about how their food is produced.
Let’s go to the fair!
The fair is letting me give away some ride tickets to a
lucky local reader! Share a comment on this post about your favorite memory of
a county fair to be entered to win $50 worth of ride tickets
(Info about entry prices can be found here). If you haven’t gone to a fair before, tell me what you hope to see or do at the Washington County Fair this year on your first visit. I’ll choose a winner at random from the folks who enter and be in touch to get your tickets to you.
(Info about entry prices can be found here). If you haven’t gone to a fair before, tell me what you hope to see or do at the Washington County Fair this year on your first visit. I’ll choose a winner at random from the folks who enter and be in touch to get your tickets to you.
The Washington County Fair has posted a schedule online, and also
provides information about being a part of the fair by entering their contests
and competitions through their Exhibitor Handbook.
Keep up to date on happenings at the fair by following them
on social media at one (or all!) the links below:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/mywashcofair
Instagram - https://instagram.com/mywashcofair
Be sure to search the #MyWCF15 hashtag on social media to
see what other folks are doing at the fair.
My favorite memory was last year it was August and very hot. Our local kids decided it would be the perfect time to do the ALS ice bucket challenge. We bonded for a common cause and had fun doing so. With a little arena dirt on us!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice on asking before you touch the animal... I remember one interesting pig that would bite if you put your hand too close to his mouth (not a penal pig trait)... His name was Fido! On one occasion I tried to warn an adult, but he did not heed my words and suffered a bite!
ReplyDeleteOh so many good memories! I am so glad that I grew up in the show barns!
My personal fair experiences were more than 20 years ago in Kansas, but many memories still come to mind and make me smile! The fair was when we got to spend time with our friends from other schools. Without today's social media, actual face-to-face communication and interactions were where friends were made. A lot of time was spent pranking each other. It was a bucket of water thrown at the girls or spraying the boys in the wash rack. Then a full fledged water war would break out until everyone was soaked and laughing uncontrollably!
ReplyDeleteNow I have the privilege of watching my children make "fair friends". It makes my heart smile knowing they will have so much future fun at the fair.
Seeing the kids expressions to the poop! Since we live in the city! There is so much they enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever seen animals at a fair before. I always went for the rides and haven't been since I was a teenager (so 18 years?) This year I am going JUST for the animals and I can't wait!
ReplyDelete