Article

Growing up, the county fair was a big part of summer life on the farm for me. As Gary and I raised our daughters, it was the same for our whole family. As 4-H club members, me an adviser and Gary the manager of the annual cheese auction, the fair was a much-anticipated event.

Even though the girls have long since graduated out of 4-H and Gary and I no longer volunteer through 4-H, we anticipate visiting the fair every year. We enjoy watching the dairy competitions and visiting with friends we made along the way.

The fair’s arrival also causes us to reflect on the memories made, including early mornings washing and feeding the dairy cows we exhibited, showmanship wins and trophies that are upstairs on shelves, and the animals that won them. We will always remember the great friends that are our fair family and how we help each other throughout the week.

I also reflect on the interaction we each have had with the public. We always felt like we were bringing a piece of the farm to share. We answered questions, let fair visitors pet our animals and tried to share our livelihood with them. A common question was, “Do you really take the baby cows away from their mothers right away?”, which led to a conversation on milk production, udder health and calf health.

Have you ever heard of the term “anthropomorphism”? According to Wikipedia, it is the attribution of human traits, emotions and intentions to non-human entities. Pets, especially cats and dogs, are increasingly being cared for according to human patterns. Pets are regarded as family members and are often considered equivalent to children in the level of attention they gain from pet owners.

I have had dairy cows in my life that became like pets, but they are still cows. I remember my friend Dave told me as we were loading up the cows to head to our last 4-H fair, “Do you know what the problem is? Hollywood has humanized all kinds of animals. And now, people who have never lived on a farm are making the rules on the best way to raise animals.”

I know a bunch of dairy farmers, and I know that they are in the business of taking care of their cows. If they didn’t, they would be out of business. This made me think of my most memorable interaction with a fairgoer, which was about artificial insemination (what I think of when AI is mentioned). She thought it was a horrible violation of the cow. The facts of why farmers use it did not change her mind, but at least I tried.

As the fair is approaching, I am making plans to watch the 4-H and open class dairy shows, work a shift at the milkshake booth, and serve at the Trumbull County Farm Bureau booth.

I hope you have plans to go to the fair as well. Continuing to learn is important, no matter your age. So, bring your questions and let’s have a conversation.

Submitted by Mary Smallsreed, a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau who grew up on a family dairy farm in Northeast Ohio.

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