For Release August 8, 2004

Lessons Learned at County Fairs

AGRI-VIEWS
by Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent

Once I get through our own county fair each year, I have the opportunity to judge at several other county fairs around the area. So for several days the past two weeks that's exactly what I've been doing. While it gets a little tiring sometimes, especially on those hot afternoons in August, I find that there are a lot of lessons that we can learn from those 4-Hers about life.

I'm not one of those glamorous livestock judges who slap the grand champion steer on the hindquarters. I'm much more adept at judging woodworking and electricity exhibits. Set me down with a 4-Her and their entomology or geology box or a forestry notebook. Let me spend some time with horticultural or agricultural crops; Those are the departments you'll find me in.

Let's also review the standard 4-H county fair ribbon classes. They go from white to red to blue to purple with white being on the low end and purple on the top end. Red is the average, white indicates serious deficiencies such as an unsafe electrical or woodworking project or that garden produce that is completely unusable. Blue indicates notable improvement above average but still in need of some work. A purple ribbon should be well above average with little improvement needed or maybe even possible.

So with that behind us, what are some of the lessons I've learned the past two weeks? First of all, if you wait until the night before the fair starts, the finish on your woodworking project probably isn't going to be dry by the time the judge gets his hands on it. We all set deadlines by which a project has to be done. Then we do our best to not do the project until the last minute. We seem to forget that it's okay to complete projects before the deadline. It doesn't matter whether it's a 4-H project or a home or work task, we'd be better off NOT waiting until the end. The 4-Her that spent 172 hours making the oak dining table didn't wait until the last minute, and she walked off with a champion ribbon!

Sometimes the ribbon or the evaluation isn't all that important. The young man with the small gas engine really didn't care what ribbon I gave him. He couldn't wait to tell me everything that he did, both right and wrong, with his project. When I asked him questions he couldn't answer, I could tell that by the next day he was going to know the answers. When I gave him a red ribbon, which would have disappointed many 4-Hers, he got a big grin on his face and simply responded, "Cool!" If everyone had that kind of enthusiasm every day about every thing they faced, what an incredible world we'd live in.

One thing that I see over and over again is how the 4-H members really do look up to, and depend on, their parents and family members. As I visit with many 4-Hers and ask them questions, they'll be answering me, but looking at Mom, Dad or an older sibling for some sign that they are on the right track. Sometimes you may think that those kids don't care what you say or think, but they really do. They care and their lives hang daily on what we adults say and do. Let's keep that in mind every minute of every day, because some times they can't hear what we are saying because our actions are making too much noise.

Finally, I find that after a solid week of judging at fairs, I may be tired, but I have a great deal of hope for the future. These young men and women have incredible talent, skill and courage. It's easy to focus and dwell on the negative things we see and hear. But spend a week with me judging at county fairs, and you'll be excited about the future we, and they, have in store!

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