My fair, Matey

We love to go the county fair every year. This year, after our long hunt for a parking spot led us into a bit of a no-man's land, we entered the fairgrounds from a different vantage point. My 7-year-old son piped up as soon as he realized the livestock pens were first in our path.

"Oh, good! This is the place we go to see the goats eat their blue ribbons!" he exclaimed, running ahead.

Yes, yes, County Fair 2013, I remember thee well. That was the year we rounded a bend just in time to see a goat stand on its hind feet, crane its neck and with stick-his-tongue-out concentration snag in its teeth the blue ribbon hanging from the top of the pen's gate.

What a sight! We were thrilled, but I was a bit blue myself that I didn't have a camera to capture the scene -- for I knew it could have been quite the photo. (My camera was broken and I didn't have a quality cell phone.) It still makes me sad thinking about this lost photo opportunity. Kind of like when my husband and I, in college, were driving around town and I spied a bride and groom in their fancy clothes using the car wash to remove the whipped cream "Just Married" from their vehicle. "Stop the car!" I urged my husband. Nah, he said, and drove on. Here's the stickler: he was a photography intern at the newspaper at the time. (Has he ever liked my ideas?)

Anyway, I guess I've recited the story of the blue ribbon munching-goat enough that my kids know I'm on the prowl for the quirky. That's part of the fun.

Sleepy black bunny that nibbled its ribbon some time ago? Ho-hum. Not the same as catching in the act!

I'm not sure what to make of the curling iron and combs and brushes in the vacant animal pen. Was it to doll up the sheep or the sheep's owner before the show?

If you look at the railing in front of my husband (on the left) you can see a blue ribbon detached from its yellow cord. Must not have tasted as good.

I like how intently goats return your gaze.

Goats! I love them.

One thing I adore about our fair is the petting area, and the chance for my children to approach and feed the animals. My son has struggled with anxiety -- it touches this momma's heart to see his unbridled happiness (and pixelated smile) at interacting with the animals.















The fair helps us learn about unusual livestock breeds, such as the Watusi, native to Africa:

and a B.W. Whiskers, a big-horned alpine goat:

The sign next to his pen says he thinks he is better than the rest of the goats in the herd. No kidding!

Our county fair made my daughter's elephant-riding dream come true.

There are chickens of course:

and fun facts:

and also huckster-style sideshows, like a touted tiny horse and gigantic pig, both behind curtains (we didn't see):

If you haven't gone to a fair before, give it a look. Check here for a website that will help you find one. I hope you will have as much fun as we do each year.

 Carnival ride (light rings) photo specs: ISO 100, f/9, bulb setting with shutter held open for 1.3 seconds.

An Honest Day's Work

My family discovered a gem in our community, thanks to Marisa letting us know about the Pick Your Own website featuring local farms. We visited the last part of June, the end of strawberry season, and I can't wait to go back when other crops ripen. We're already planning to make strawberry-picking there an annual tradition.

Was it easy-breezy? Was it all play and no work? Of course not, and therein lies the value. I think my children learned quite a bit about what it takes to put food on the table, or to make a living growing food. Yes they help in our small home garden, but this experience suggested the greater challenge and scope of a farmer's work.

It was the top of a 97-degree day. There was no shelter from the blinding, setting sun. Since it was the end of berry season, you had to constantly search, and take many footsteps to fill your basket. The sun lit far-off berries like rubies, but just when you thought you were closing in for the pick, your own body cast a disguising, disorienting shadow. There was lots of bending up and down, up and down. And this was the fun part, the harvesting. When my 7-year-old daughter saw the expansive rows she said, "Wow, you have to walk a lot to be a farmer."

The farm we visited had strawberry plants as far as the eye could see. Immense, but not big enough to drown out the cries we heard from another 7-year-old girl in the field. "Daddy! I'm sweaty! This is itchy! Eww -- there's strawberry juice on me!"

Our society certainly is disconnected from farming. This makes me sad. I guess that's why I smile that pick-your-own farms like this one help form a stronger relationship between farmer and consumer. I like how they reinforce the idea that honest work reaps worthwhile rewards. I hope you will support local farms in your own community.

I was particularly charmed by the green sign at the farm's check-out area. No

attendant was on duty when we visited, just a scale and a battered wooden cash box. Not only d

id these folks open up their acres to the uninitiated and maybe even the ungrateful, they di

d it on the honor system.

Their faith in human nature is even more delicious than their berries.

Jennifer

Fieldtrip to a Goat Farm

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and imagine your own personal paradise. What do you see? Do you see a white sand beach in Roatan Bay Honduras, a pristine ski slope with virgin powder in the high mountains of Utah? Do any of you imagine the Teton’s while standing on Table Rock at 11,000 feet, the wild wind blowing you around with civilization 4000 feet below? Many of you might not visualize these specific places like I do but I bet many of you imagine similar places. My wife Marisa and I are weird in that we see paradise in other places that many of our friends and associates would think are strange. A few months ago we had the opportunity to visit one of these areas. Megan, Marisa and I visited Megan’s friends Marsh and Alisa and their small farm south of Spanish Fork, Utah. It is a place I consider to be a small piece of Paradise.

In speaking to Alisa she conveyed her families desire to be as self sustaining as possible. They have a huge garden, chickens, and goats on their family farm. They live on a country road and many of their neighbors have similar goals. They all helped each other dig root cellars last year so they can store their produce. The main reason we visited was for the goats. Our goal is to have goats once we have a bigger property.

Alisa’s husband Marsh and their son care for the goats. They feed them and water them every day. They also have to milk them twice a day. Alisa spent time giving us a goat-milking lesson while the kids fed them to keep them calm. The goats seemed OK with all of the people around and didn’t have a problem with so many hands on their teats. All of us took turns, and it turns out that I am a natural goat milker. I am not good at most things I try for the first time so I think farming runs in my genes.

After the tour of the farm we went inside and watched Alisa filter the milk. She then puts the milk in the freezer for two hours, which is supposed to reduce the bacteria and the goat flavor. Then we had some of the milk they had milked previously with cookies. We loved it and couldn’t tell a difference between the milk they had and cow’s milk.

Alisa and Marsh work hard to be self sustaining and it would be much easier to buy milk at the local mega store. I know that being self-sustaining is not all fun and games. This version of paradise has early mornings, manure, dirty clothes, and long days of weeding but I think real paradise should contain some form of work. They are an example and an inspiration to all of us who want to be more self-sustaining. Whether it’s growing plants on our apartment patio, or raising broilers in our pasture, we can all have a piece of paradise right where we live.

Go out and plant a seed, raise a chicken, support a local CSA, or whatever you do to make this world a better place and find paradise in your backyard.

~Michael

Fieldtrip: The Soldier Hollow Classic

During the Labor Day holiday weekend, my family spent a day up at the Soldier Hollow Classic in Midway, UT. You might not have ever heard of that event but if you've seen the movie, "Babe" you might be more familiar with the competition than you know. That's because the Soldier Hollow Classic is a sheep dog competition. It is the largest annual trial of it's kind in the world, bringing competitors from as far away as South Africa.
Sheepdog trials are events where sheepdogs herd sheep around a field through fences, enclosures, and gates as directed by their handler. First off, I was surprised by how large the competition area was. As you can see below the dogs start down with their handlers and must run up a large hill to the sheep - which in this case was a long way. It seemed to be more than 400 yards away taking the dog several minutes just to reach the small herd. It's kind of hard to appreciate how far it is in this photo so I put an arrow to point out the dog and herd of sheep. They are so far away you can barely see them! It was super interesting to watch the dogs and how they work with the animals. A well trained dog will not bark or nip at the sheep but use what the announcer called a steady eye to basically intimidate the sheep into heading in the correct direction. Some of these dogs really knew their stuff and would work hard not to scare the sheep to keep them from scattering and running wild - instead they would work patiently and consistently until the animals headed in the right direction.

The Soldier Hollow Classic has only been in existence since 2003 but events of this kind are not anything new. The sport was apparently started certuries ago by shepherds who were proud of their sheepdog's abilities and wanted to show it off to their neighbors. Since then it has grown to an international sport with large competitions like this one and small events at local fairs across the globe. There were other activities up at the classic including games for the kids and exhibits on sheep, wool, Navajo rug making, and of course sheepdogs. Also, a puppy whose parents are prize winning sheepdogs will fetch a pretty penny but there were "retired" dogs for sale at the event for $90.00 as well as puppies for $120.00. We plan on saving our money and getting there early so that next year we might take home one of the cuties.

One of the funnest events to watch was the duck herding - the backyard farming version of sheep herding. The dogs do primarily the same things but on a much smaller scale and with ducks. It was really entertaining to watch the ducks waddle and quack as the dogs herded them around the small arena. It made me miss my chickens.All in all, the event was great for families - especially when you get some ice cream and ice cold lemonade. My boys had a great time and are already dreaming of training their own future sheepdogs.

County Fair Season!

It’s time for County Fair! Nearly every county in the United States hosts a county fair. Rodeos, tractor pulls, demolition derbies, and country western singers draw big crowds. But I think the most exciting part is the competitive exhibitions of livestock, garden produce, 4H projects, baked goods, art, needlework, photography, and handicrafts. This is a great opportunity for urban farmers to strut your stuff and compete head on with rural farmers. Your urban Buff Orpington chicken may well be the “Best of Show”! Your backyard tomatoes or jarred pickles can be blue ribbon winners! Your children can plaster their bedroom walls with purple, blue, red, and white ribbons from 4H projects they exhibit!

Nathan and Mark show their beets.

Matthew with his prize winner Alpine dairy goat.

Sarah feeds her Plymouth Rock while waiting for the judges.

If you have not been to a county fair, attached are websites for a couple of examples. But look up your own county fair and get on out there. If you are competing this year, good luck! If not, go anyway so that you can see what you are up against and plan for next year. Enjoy the petting zoo. Go for a hay ride. Watch the cows being milked. Talk to a rural farmer. Let your kids climb on the machinery displayed by equipment dealers. But by all means, scout out the competitive exhibitions. Make county fair a rite of passage for summer and an annual family tradition.

http://www.agexpoandfair.org/index.htm

Fieldtrip: A Farmer's Market

Now that the northern hemisphere is starting to lean back towards the sun, farmer's markets are opening up around the country. That means we packed the kids up and drove a little north of our home and visited the local market. The existence of farmer's markets is a good idea for so many reasons but perhaps the best reason is to reconnect an almost lost but so important link between communities and their local farmers. Small, family owned farms are starting to have a comeback and it's precisely because of venues like these. Though most small farms produce superior products to their counterparts they cannot compete with these huge farms that exist hundreds or maybe thousands of miles away. I have heard stories from farming friends who say that when they lost out on the grocery store bid their produce was piled high in the fields and left to rot. It is the farmer's market which allows them to still be able to get their goods to the community and not be wasted. Always fresh and in season and often at premium prices. Beyond that, farmer's markets are fun, interesting, educational, and totally diverse.

Because farmer's markets are bringing in local goods, no two are exactly alike. You will find anything from locally grown produce and meats to handmade crafts and soaps - and more! It's also a very laid back atmosphere and it's a great time to chat with locals and get to know the community of farmers around you. Always friendly and ready to tell you about their experiences and often offer you some great tips and advice.

Another thing I love about the farmer's market is knowing exactly where my money is going. I know that when I buy something from a vendor that that family will then be able to use that money to buy more seed, land, tools, and return next year with a greater harvest. That connection just feels good. Especially significant and interesting is a "producer's only" market - where the people selling you the goods are the people who produced them. No middle man. How great is it to be able to ask the man who is selling eggs what kind of chickens he has or what their housing is like? Or talk to the woman about her bountiful harvest this winter because of it's milder temperatures. It creates a greater awareness and responsibility between producer and consumer.

So get out to your local farmer's market - buy up their tomatoes, eggs, and sweet tasting jams and jellies! Your kids will love it and you'll know your doing your community good! Just make sure and bring some cash. These markets, especially the smaller ones, don't usually have credit card machines!

Not sure where your closest market is? Click here and find out!

~Megan

Fieldtrip: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

Since it's my son's spring break from school we decided to make a trip down to the largest Livestock Show & Rodeo in the world. The Houston LS & R has concerts from top Country artists, all sorts of Rodeo Events like bull riding and cow roping, along with an extensive showing of animals and livestock. Top that off with a huge fair and barbecue cook-off and you've got one heck of a venue. We arrived just before lunch to beat the crowds and as much of the heat as possible(yes, even in March it's hot down in Houston). We ate our traditional rodeo lunch of smoked turkey legs and boy were they tastey!

We didn't want to spend the money on the big ticket events like concerts or rodeo shows so after a lunch of smoked turkey legs we headed over to the livestock show. The show consists of rows of vedors selling everything country from hats to ropes to furniture to tractors and trucks. It's a lot of fun and if you're like me you may decide to become a total cowgirl - until you check the price tag of that belt buckle! The other side of the arena is filled with all of the animals there to be judged and displayed. People don't seem to mind if you stroll down the aisles of animals waiting to be judged. And like us you can ask to pet the cows and hear more about them - teenagers love to talk about themselves so most will oblige!

There is also an entire section dedicated to farm life and raising livestock and you can spend a lot of time looking around. Every hour there was a small show about milk and where it comes from. A cow is brought up milked right before your very eyes. Though a couple hundred years ago this would have been slightly less than interesting - for us city folks it was fascinating! There are rabbits and guinea pigs for sale that were raised by local school kids - and actually a friend bought one a couple years back and because they were hand raised from birth by one adoring child or teen - they are totally family ready. There is another area dedicated to animals giving birth and you can actually see piglets nursing and cows giving birth. I felt a special affinity to this display! Here I am with a cow that was going to deliver sometime in the next few hours - that look is supposed to say, "I know EXACTLY how she feels."

But by far our favorite section each year is the chickens. We love to go and see the eggs hatching, chicks taking their first steps and then pullets running around like teenagers. You can even see it come full circle with the hens laying eggs right in front of you!After wandering around for almost two hours it was time for our last stop - the fair. The boys were super excited but so we wouldn't empty our wallets we prepared them in advance that they would get to ride one maybe two rides. We spent some time looking around and made our final decisions. The boys had loads of fun and watching them was better than actually riding ourselves! ;)

All in all, I love shows like this one - large or small. In fact, I might even enjoy the smaller ones better where you get to see local farmers display their beautiful pumpkins and intricate quilts. I love seeing folks who live their lives on the land, dedicated to farming and a simpler way of life. I also love seeing all of the sparkley hats and belt buckles! Check your local listings and I'm sure you'll find a county fair and livestock show that the whole family can enjoy!

~Megan