Hi everyone, I hope you are all having a really nice week. We are having such interesting weather … first part of the week it was so cloudy and now we are really heating up. It’s definitely county fair time. I hope many of you are able to visit our Stanislaus County Fair this week. The county fair is held in Turlock and will run through Sunday, July 19. I know for many of you our county fair will bring back happy memories from your youth. A time when you showed your fair animals, you sold them at auction, you welded, you entered floral projects, you sewed, you cooked, baked and entered your prized craft projects. The county fair was always so much fun. A time to be with your friends from early morning, sometimes until late at night. It was the time to be together, a time of making happy memories that would last your entire lifetime. Memories of a late-night ride on the Ferris Wheel … the bright lights, the smell of cotton candy, a bag of hot buttered popcorn and maybe a sno-cone or two.

Our 4-H and FFA kids have worked very hard the past few months. To own an animal is a huge responsibility. When our young people make the decision and the commitment to show an animal at the county fair, they immediately make a plan also. They need to make sure they have a secure pen or an area in which to raise their animal. They will each work with their 4-H advisor or Ag teachers to come up with that plan. The plan will help them know which feed is best, also the plan will help the kids know how much to feed each day and they will learn that water is always essential. Parents, aunts, uncles, even grandparents, friends, and neighbors get in on the action. These folks are there to help in any way they can. Always there to help. The kids learn to show their animals the proper way. Horses, beef and dairy cattle will require a horse trailer or a stock trailer, or a fairly large trailer to move their animals about. Sheep, goats and even pigs can be hauled in a smaller trailer, a popper or a wire cage in the back of a pickup truck. Folks get pretty creative when it comes to hauling animals. Besides raising their animals for months ahead of the fair, the kids keep track of their weight and their feed. They must not weigh over a certain amount or under a certain amount on fair weigh-in day. Many of our young people also raise smaller animals. At the fair, you will see rabbits, cavies, chickens, and even turkeys along with other projects.

Our young people spend many hours with many different projects. Amazing welding projects, many hours on beautiful floral entries, and gardens … indoor and outdoor. They also enter cooking projects and crafts; many enter delicious jams and jellies. They enter quilts and beautiful homemade aprons, among many other clothing projects. For many of our young people, especially those who are taking animals, they will rise early each morning. They will arrive at the fair just after the sun comes up. It’s important to always clean their pens, water and feed each morning. The “Clean Pen” award is a much sought after award, and our kids take great pride in working towards that award. We offer a huge ‘Thank You’ to each 4-H leader and every Ag teacher who spend so much time helping our young people, teaching them and guiding them.

Please, I hope those of you who are able to support these wonderful hard working young people will consider doing just that.

It is expensive to raise an animal for the fair; they need your support. Raising an animal teaches our children responsibility, it teaches them a strong work ethic … your support will be deeply appreciated by every young person, especially on sale day when they say goodbye to their beloved animal. For many young people your support will go towards college, for others it means getting back-to-school clothes and school supplies.

The auction this year will be on Saturday, July 18; it starts first thing in the morning. You may contact our 4-H leaders, our Ag teachers or any of our young showmen to support our kids. I hope you will, as your support will make a huge difference.

As always, you may reach me by email at winniemullins51@gmail.com or by text or telephone at 209-985-5233. Until next time, “Happy Trails to All!”