Dear Editor,
The 2011 Allen County Fair is now in the record books, and as the excitement dies down, we look back over the past year at all the hard work put in by the kids, leaders, parents and numerous other supporters to make our fair a success. Many of these folks receive mention in the post fair tab, or are given thank-you notes from the 4-H’er directly, but there are many who deserve credit who stay quietly behind the scenes. I would like to acknowledge at least a few of these people here.
First, a huge thank-you to the supporters of the Allen County Born Livestock market class. This class is for market steers, hogs, sheep and goats. The requirement for a 4-H member to enter this class is that their animal must have been born in Allen County. They may either raise an animal from their own breeding herd, or purchase it from a local producer. This fosters a relationship between the youth and area producers. The 4-H member can win additional prizes in this class. These extra prizes are made possible by the support and sponsorship of local businesses and individuals. This year a big thank-you goes out to SEK Stockyards, Loomis Wholesale Tack, Denny Lasley, Gene & Carol Covey, and the Elmenhorst family. If you are a local producer who may have animals available this coming spring for 4-H youth to purchase, please let your local club leaders know so they can get that information to the kids.
I’m sure you all noticed that this was one of the hottest fairs we have had in a long time. Keeping all of the animals cool this year was a number one priority. As the temperatures soared on Monday, it became increasingly difficult to keep the small animals in the baby barn cool. The rabbits and poultry in particular were having a rough go of it despite the 4-H kids constant use of ice bottles, wetting the animals down, and utilizing all available fans. When it became apparent that those efforts were not enough, an emergency call went out for help. Coming to the rescue with immediate offers to loan the baby barn large fans were Diebolt Lumber, Mike McEwan, and Orschelns. Numerous families provided small fans, and also the transport of the large fans. Thank you to these companies and families for all they did to help make this year’s fair a success!
Sincerely,
Amanda Allen,
Moran, Kan.
