As summer times air slowly prepares to drift out of Goshen County, schools are beginning to dust out the window seals for the coming year but one of the most anticipated times in the area is just around the bend. 

The county fair.

Area youth, their parents and handful of brave volunteers have spent countless hours throughout the year getting ready for this coming week. Blood, sweat and tears have been poured into projects to exhibit at the county fair. It’s harder than you think. 

I grew up in the 4H community with a 4H chapter president for a mother and two active 4H sisters. I grew up learning the 4H pledge in my living room and memorizing it long before I attended school. It was just part of life.

My love for the FFA program began when my sister was a member of the meats judging team at her area high school. Since I was a first grader, she had to take me to her practices where I was completely fascinated by the ag classroom and all of the neat animal health components neatly stacked on the counter. 

Record books and receipts scattered from one end of the table to the other while Mom would explain to the group of members how to complete their record books for the year. Summertime was full of meetings, mock-shows, and gatherings. Many of us never realized just how much work went into our projects during the summer but they sure kept us busy. 

Things have not changed some 20 years later; fair is still harder than you think. 

Take some time next week to stop by the Goshen County Fair and support our area youth. Some of the projects our kids are excited to place on exhibit are the very best work of our local youth. They have spent countless hours to bring you each exhibit, no matter how simple it may appear with the blind-eye, you can guarantee, a 4H member or an FFA member dumped their entire heart and soul into their display. 

Each building is full of our kids’ hard work, dedication, and love of learning whether the display be a handmade garment, pie, painting, or wooden bench. Each item is carefully crafted, decorated, stained, welded for the community to see the talents of our local children. The fair is more that cows, flies, and food vendors. To much of our area youth, the fair is one last fun time before school resumes but please don’t forget to recognize the hard work it has taken our children to start a project, keep record of that project, explain that project in depth to judges and polish up that project for the community to see. Give them all a pat on the back for the work they have done regardless of the color of ribbon beside their exhibit because after all, fair is harder than you think.