WOODBURY — Many people’s favorite season is upon us. Autumn brings fair season, apple cider, and the shifting of the leaves. Many people agree that fairs serves as a highlight for fall, strolling around the animal barn, riding rides, and viewing exhibits with friends.
One of the most popular fair displays is usually visiting the animal barn. Fair-goers enjoy seeing the animals, strolling around, and taking in all the different kinds of animals that individuals have to offer. However, it can be nerve-wracking and challenging for an exhibitor.
Part of attending an agriscience school, like Nonnewaug, is participating in these activities. Junior Rachel Kalmanovsky exhibits guinea pigs at county fairs, and loves it despite the challenges.
“I grew to love it,” Kalmanovsky said. “I’ve developed a connection with my clubmates, and I love learning information. It’s a small world with so much in it, it pulled me in and I love showcasing my information and I love seeing kids say, ‘What’s that?’ ‘What breed?’ ‘What are you doing?’ It makes me happy seeing kids interested, but overall I love working with the public. It gives me excitement working with the community. It is great talking to people, and going to the fair.”
Working in the animal barns is a completely different story than walking into them. People take hours and hours training their animals just for the county fair. Exhibitors often like to show off their livestock, and ribbons to show off how hard they worked for the fair.
Being part of the agriscience program means working with the surrounding school districts. Students get the chance to interact with people who exhibit animals or work in 4-H. If an exhibitor is in the barn, it’s usually one of two things: an FFA member or a 4-H member.
However, attending a show can be difficult and demanding. No matter how big or tiny the animal is, getting to the fair always requires work.
“I grew up in a family showing draft horses,” sophomore Anna Melius, who exhibits draft horses at county fairs, said. “It is a lot of fun, but it has its difficulties like getting them on the trailer. I like it because it is a good community and everyone gets along.”
Both Kalmanovsky and Melius benefit from displaying their animals. Individuals are drawn to the barn because they are passionate about what they do and typically have a wealth of knowledge to share when it comes down to their animals.
“My first fair was really overwhelming, because it was a lot of new experiences,” Kalmanovsky said. “Nothing is like going to the fair. For me, who’s never done it before, it was a lot all at once. But I asked my clubmates what to expect, and it helped me a lot, just like the 4-H field day, which is a mini fair.”
Meluis agrees that exhibiting animals at the fair can be tricky.
“It is overwhelming, especially because there is a lot to be done with the muddy fairgrounds,” Melius said. “It is hard to bring bedding with the mud and getting the camper in our spot, as well as six hitch days which is hard.”
Melius shows large animals, while Kalmanovsky shows little ones. They both agree that most people are unaware of the time and effort required to attend the fairs.
“It is one of the most fun times, and most stressful times for them,” Katie Gorman, the Nonnewaug junior and senior ag production teacher and coach for students who want to show beef cows. “They work all year with their animals just for that one moment so it’s a high stress environment. The fun comes in when your animal does well and your animal does something you didn’t anticipate. So it is two parts. There is that level of stress and then when you’re done you’re filled with joy.”
Gorman has her fair share of going to the shows. But not only is it stressful for exhibitors, it can as well be stressful for people around them.
“So showing at the fair for teachers, advisors, individuals that are not in the show ring, it is 100% stressful for us but when we are done, we get to take in that joy that are kids did it, they were successful and that is where the fun comes in for advisors but for the kids it’s that joy of I did it and my animal was successful,” states Gorman.
