BUNKHOUSE
COUNTY FAIRS ACROSS THE STATE PRESS ON TO SUPPORT THEIR YOUTH by CCA Office Administrator Morgan Lyman When I sat down to write this, I reflected on all the changes that have occurred in the last few months, not knowing what state we will be in when this issue reaches your homes due to shifts in our lives almost daily. There is still so much unknown even with the overwhelming amount of information given to us by our state and local officials, front line medical personal, public safety and everyone in between. There still seems to be grey area with the one question we all have lingering in our minds; when will life go back to normal? I’ve heard it said that life will never go back to our version of normal. We are entering a new era in history and its time to start adapting to this way of life. Although we would all like to cling to a hope that we will again be together at large gatherings, grocery stores will not experience shortages and schools will be open again, we have continued to make do with our everchanging society. In recent months beloved county fairs across the state closed their gates to their communities and exhibitors, considering stay at home orders, restrictions on gatherings and non-essential functions coming to a halt. While local FFA, 4-H and Grange members continued to groom and prepare their livestock projects, fair boards and junior livestock committees worked hard to find a solution for their livestock shows. Many exhibitors worked hard for months, investing time and money, to bring their final projects to the county fair. Not wanting the kids to miss out completely on their fair experience, many counties, for the first time, prepared platforms for their exhibitors to show and sell their animals virtually. County fairs are a crowd favorite among communities during the summer months with corn dogs, carnival rides, bands and livestock shows bringing everyone together. Although we had to miss out on all of these favorites this year, what really matters showed 16 California Cattleman September 2020
through in difficult times. Although a virtual show and sale was a different experience, communities were still able to rally together to support the youth of their community. Some livestock auctions reached record sale numbers as buyers bid online in the comfort of their homes. Through the generous contributions made by community members, most FFA, 4-H and Grange members were able to squeeze by and sell their animals in this new scene. As we continue seeing changes in our lives, communites rallying together and supporting each other through this is what really counts. I have high hopes that we will all be able to attend our beloved county fairs in person next year, but until then we will continue to press on and continue to adjust to keep things as normal as we can.
