Livestock show a diverse sampler

RONAN — The snow melted away from the Ronan fairgrounds as the doors opened for the 20th annual Lake County Expo and Livestock Show, held at the Ronan Community Center.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. more than 100 attendees gathered to sample food, including a chocolate fountain, visit vendors ranging from jewelry makers to livestock breeders and pet goats and Hereford cattle from Livin’ Dream Ranch.

“It gives people a chance to meet their neighbors,” Les Buchmann, from Westland Seed, said as people shuffled past him to chat and visit the vendors’ tables.

Buchmann, who kept Bob, the pet Quaker parrot he was selling, on his shoulder for part of the day, said he was happy with the turnout, but that he remembered more vendors at last year’s event.

Chris Jackson, of Community Bank, which has participated in the expo since its inception, said the event has scaled back with fewer vendors each year.

Some years, bad weather contributes to a lower turnout than expected, Jackson said.

A snowfall Friday evening left roads slick through the night. The roads were still wet Saturday morning.

Among the people who attended this year, spirits were high.

In an adjacent barn, goats bleated as people crowded around a table to guess the weight of cattle. Children carried heart-shaped balloons around while feeding the dairy goats treats that were provided by Beatrice and Dan Jensen from Livin’ Dream Ranch.

“The goats are great with the kids because they’re so personable,” Dan said.

This was the first year the Jensens participated in the expo. Beatrice said they came because they wanted to educate people on the benefits of the smaller breeds of Hereford cattle and dairy goats and the advantages of goat milk over cow milk.

According to the Jensens, smaller breeds of Herefords and goats are easier to handle and are a more economical buy because they eat less and require less space. They also said goat milk is beneficial because it is easier to digest than cow’s milk, less allergenic and contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and proteins that are easily utilized by the human body.

Employees from St. Luke Community Hospital set up a booth and were checking blood pressure and blood sugar levels for anyone wanting to get a checkup.

“This is a great opportunity for people to get a quick look at the state of their health, so they will know if they need to see a primary care provider,” said Wayne Fuchs, public relations and marketing executive at St. Luke’s Hospital.

One vendor, Jill Mehall, came all the way from Bigfork to showcase Native American jewelry. Her store, Creative and Native, represents 125 tribes and 50 local artisans, with products ranging from painted artifacts to turquoise rings.

The Mission Valley Rodeo Team helped clean up after the event. Earlier in the day, the team held a fund-raiser lunch, with the proceeds going toward its upcoming season, which begins in March.