Out Around the Barn

Bright and early moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters arrive on the fairgrounds with their little ones in tow.  It is Kid’s Day at the fair.  Children of all ages get to come to the fair for a fun and educational day.

When first arriving, the children register for information on the basics of 4-H.  They will receive material telling them all they need to know about the age requirements and rules.  This will provide them with the knowledge to decide if becoming a member is of interest to them.  

Then we are off to tour the livestock barns.  Our first stop is the Sheep barn.  So many to see, the children are so excited.  Some of the sheep stand right up next to their gates and let the children pet them and even feed them from their hands.  Others, not so much.

Next to the sheep are the goats. They are much like the sheep in letting you pet them.  There weren’t as many of them but the kids sure enjoyed seeing them.

Our next stop is a small group of cattle.  The girls got to pet a couple of steers and take pictures.  These were Herefords and Angus cattle.  We didn’t make it over to the other barns full of cattle.

We left the cattle and ended up at the Hog barn.  The barn was practically full of hogs. We were able to see the different ways to water the hogs by using what looked like PVC pipes with a spout on it for them to drink from.  The waterers were a good farm accessories to have.  It sure saved having to make several trips to supply drink for the hogs.  The girls thought that was funny.  They wanted to pet everything but, I was a little cautious here so we skipped the petting of the pigs.

After touring the barns, we went to the activity tent and let the girls pick apples from the tree display and place them in baskets.  Next was gathering of eggs and milking a cow and goat.  Now, I must explain that these are all made of wood and materials.  These are not the real thing, which is good, because as many children as there were, I do not think the animals would tolerate much.  I must say that whoever created the displays did a wonderful job.

The girls climbed aboard one of the John Deere tractors and we took pictures of the two of them and then they played in the straw pile.  They also enjoyed a straw maze that they could walk and climb through. 

Now it was time for a rest.  The girls wanted to ride the Merry-Go-Round and so they did with their friend, Rachel.  They giggled the whole time.  We decided it was time to cool down since the temperature was pretty warm by taking a tour through the Exhibit building to see all the quilts, antiques, school projects, canned food, homemade goods and etc. that was on display.

Lunch was served to all the families, provided by the Kiwani’s Club of Salem and free ice cream cones were given to all the children from the Bullard Family.

By this time my two were exhausted, not to mention myself and my mom.  We ventured out with fun in mind for my 3 yr. old niece, Kalissa and my 21 month old special little friend, Kennedy, she calls me grandma.  It was a girls day farm adventure.  The little ones had a blast, as well as the rest of the children that attended Kid’s Day.

It is so great to see the Marion County Fair dedicate one day just to the children of the community.  It gives our future generation of farmers a look ahead, although they may not understand it just yet, to get to see and touch the livestock and learn about the different breeds and responsibilities.  All the children took home goody bags full of infomation and surprises. 

Thank you to all those who participated in making this a wonderful day for our children.  I cannot even begin to name everyone involved but they know who they are.