Summer is time for county, 4-H and state fairs and is a wonderful place to see new things, meet people and experience some agriculture that many people normally don’t get a chance to experience. In Michigan alone, there are 86 county fairs, two state fairs and several community fairs. The Allegan and Monroe County fairs are a couple of Michigan’s largest and best county fairs. In southeast Michigan, the Lenawee County fair is the longest running fair, since 1839 and runs from July 29 through Aug. 1. Washtenaw County does not have one county fair but has three community fairs which are the Washtenaw Youth Fair from July 19 to 24, followed by the Chelsea Fair on Aug. 25 to 29 and finally the Saline Community Fair on September 1 to 6.
The first county fair in the U.S. was held in 1765 in Pennsylvania’s York County to promote agriculture. Fairs date back to 500 B.C. in the Middle East where merchants gathered to trade goods. The first world’s fair, the Great Exhibition, was held in London in 1851, showcasing industrial marvels and inventions like the telephone and cotton candy. The first Ferris wheel is credited to George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., as a landmark for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The first corn dog was invented at the Texas State Fair in 1942, the largest state fair in the U.S.
The fair is an ancient tradition and many communities have long had dedicated locations or fairgrounds. Others hold them in a variety of public places, including streets and town squares, or even in large private gardens. Fairs are often held in conjunction with a significant event, such as the anniversary of a local historical event, a seasonal event such as harvest time or with a holiday.
The Monroe County fair starts on Sunday, Aug. 2 and runs through Aug. 8. It is terrific because everything is there, including all kinds of animals, crops, plants, produce, baking, arts and crafts, old and new farm machinery, and 4-H youth projects are on display to the public. This is also a community fair with a fair history museum, Little Red Schoolhouse, Eby Log Cabin, Mid-America Shows midway carnival rides and game booths, and a wide variety of food vendors. Visitors can also enjoy paid grandstand performances, free entertainment, Little Smokey steam engine train rides, auto dealers, commercial vendors and exhibits of all kinds.
At the Monroe County Fair, the public can tour the buildings and even talk to the exhibitors. However, animal barns are not petting zoos, except for a designated area of the poultry and rabbit building. People should not stick fingers, toes, yardsticks, drinking straws or other items into livestock pens or cages. Hand sanitation stations will be placed outside of livestock buildings. People should not feed the animals leftover French fries or other fair food.
All the Monroe County Fair barns and buildings feature something different, whether it is animals, arts and crafts, fruits, vegetables, crops, flowers, horticulture, sewing, drawings, paintings, photography, or baked and canned goods. The diversity of exhibits allows everyone to see and learn about something.
If you attend a large livestock animal judging show, it is always interesting to listen to the judge’s comments. Notice that they always start by saying something positive about the animal, regardless of where it is being placed. Then they always have a constructive suggestion or comment, even for the champion. The judge finishes with another positive statement. This is a great lesson in personal relations in any field.
A judge’s wording is unique to the profession of livestock judging and to different listeners it can be confusing, interpreted differently and maybe sound somewhat illogical. Watching a livestock show or seeing animals in pens can be a new experience that helps if you understand some of the language and terminology used. Here is a brief outline of some of the lingo used around the fairgrounds. Livestock is shown by species, either by breed, age or weight for purebred animals, or by age or weight for animals going to market.
Sheep are used for their wool and meat. Sheep are one of the first domesticated animals that have been identified over 6,000 years ago, coming from the Middle East. There are more than 29 different grades of wool which are used for items like blankets, socks and more. There are more than 200 distinct breeds of sheep worldwide. A lamb is a young sheep, either male or female. Sheep shown at the fair are wethers (males that cannot breed and are raised for meat and wool) or ewes (females).
Dairy cattle have been found in the region of Asia Minor, now known as Turkey, around 6,500 years ago. A mature dairy cow can weigh 1,500 pounds and produce over 100 pounds of milk per day. Beef cattle were originally used for meat, milk and labor, though draft horses replaced them for pulling implements used in farming later replaced by steam engines, then internal combustion engine tractors. It is generally agreed that the domestication of cattle followed the domestication of sheep, goats, pigs and dogs.
Pigs or hogs are either barrows (males that cannot be used for breeding and are used for meat) or gilts (a young female that has not had a litter of piglets). Male boars are generally not shown due to their testosterone levels making their temperament unpredictable and therefore not safe for this type of environment.
The above only scratches the surface of ag terms and lingo. Talk to the youth, parents and superintendents about 4-H projects. Other animals shown at the Monroe County fairgrounds include horses, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, cavies and pocket pets. There are even a cat show and a dog show.
Growing up one of my favorite things to watch was the Heinold pig races. Young pigs, wearing different colored and numbered belts, race around a track for the prize of an Oreo cookie. There also was the greased pig contest, calf roping contest, and combine and car demolition derbies. The figure eight demolition derby features school buses racing around the track, or cars pulling boat trailers, all trying to win the race without getting smashed up.
This article originally appeared on Farmers Advance: Why the fair is more than just carnival rides
Reporting by Ned Birkey, Farmers Advance / Farmers Advance
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ned Birkey, Farmers Advance | USA TODAY Network
