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This past month has been filled with so many wonderful opportunities to share our love and passion for farming, and to give consumers a small glimpse into what it takes to raise and care for crops and animals.

Not only was the Trumbull County Fair in the past month, but on behalf of Trumbull County Farm Bureau, my fellow advocates and I had another Storytime with a Farmer session that was a huge success earlier this summer.

A very successful event that we continued this summer was Storytime with a Farmer at Ripley’s in Brookfield. This event drew in 40-plus kids and parents. We read the kids a story about dairy farming and all the hard work that it takes to produce milk that then goes into ice cream. Kids then had the opportunity to ask us farmers any questions that they had.

Children got to make an ice cream cone craft, or a cow craft, and finally the event wrapped up with free ice cream for each participating child thanks to the generosity of Ripley’s Scoop Shop. We will be hosting another one of these events in August as well.

Seeing these events be so successful and having kids so excited and eager to learn is truly heartwarming. On the farm, my days are similar when it comes to caring for the cattle, and although I love what I do daily, seeing these bursts of happiness from others appreciating our industry is really rewarding.

Fair season is near and dear to my heart. As a former 4-H member, fair week was a major highlight of my year. Not only did I have the chance to visit with friends for the week, but I had the chance to even further bond with my project animals and work very closely with them to make sure they looked their best for show.

4-H and exhibiting at the fair taught me many life lessons. Hard work, dedication, and perseverance rise to the top of the list. Although fair week is the highlight of the project year, it really is an all-year project to raise and develop animals.

Now as a farmer and one who is very passionate about the agriculture industry and the future of ag, going out and supporting the youth at their sale fair week is a top priority to me. In addition, representing the animal sector of agriculture and engaging with consumers and fairgoers throughout the week is vital to educating consumers on their food, how it’s produced and all the work that goes into raising it. Our county Farm Bureau also had an amazing booth this year, which is not only fun for the youth, but very educating as well.

Submitted by Julie Holler McCormick, a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau board of trustees.

OFBF Mission: Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.