Extension crew revs up for Lake County Fair

The Lake County Extension office in Ronan is humming this time of year, as Agents Taylor Mullen and Claudia Andrade gear up for the Lake County Fair.

The two women could be described as 4-H cheerleaders. Both grew up in 4-H and are passionate about how the program benefits youngsters who participate.

“In general, across the state, there’s been a huge increase in 4-H enrollment,” Andrade says. She attributes some of that growth to the influx of new people in Montana “who want to be involved in the community, want to learn about the culture, the heritage, the traditions, and so they are seeking out and finding programs like 4-H to participate in.”

In Lake County, about 250 kids are enrolled in the program, designed for ages 8-19, with a special section for ages 5-7 called Cloverbuds.

“I'm hoping to see that number continue to grow, Andrade says. “And with growth in the program, we’ll be needing more volunteers and more community members to share their mastery and mentor these youth.”

The accomplishments of 4-H members will be on full display July 20-28, as youngsters show off projects they’ve been working on – in many cases for months.

Among the highlights is the Market Livestock Sale at 7 p.m. Thursday evening, preceded by the buyers’ dinner at 5:30 p.m. Lambs, steers and swine are sold through the auction ring to local businesses and individuals, and proceeds go back to the youngsters that raised the animals.

According to Mullen, around 125 animals will be sold this year.

“The community really shows up to support the kids,” she says. “It’s the businesses, it’s people’s families, it’s everybody.”

Sometimes, youngsters have a hard time parting with the animals they’ve raised, fed, groomed and cared for, especially those who haven’t had to part with a critter before.  She remembers a kid who came to the fairgrounds after the fair to load his lamb on the truck and give him a parting hug.

“Oh my gosh – I had tears in my eyes,” Mullen recalls.

She also views it as a valuable life lesson. “Just understanding the circle of life and that you are a livestock producer and that's your job to produce a product for someone to consume. It can be hard though.”

The livestock sale is also an important money maker for the young stock growers, who might use the money to buy a cow-calf pair or invest in their college fund or a new car.

Younger kids, under 5, participate in Friday’s Small Fry Stock Show, which is facilitated by 4-H Ambassadors – 12-18-year-old members who participate in community service. “The kids come through with chickens and cats and cows, and it's super cute,” Andrade says.

Afterwards, the Ambassadors will host a family-friendly dance with games woven throughout that ends with a raffle for a wheelbarrow.

The fair culminates Saturday with Boots on Fire, a new event that includes line- and swing-dance lessons followed by a dance to live music. Lessons are free, and those who participate gain free admission to the dance; tickets are $5 at the door for everyone else.

While 4-H is a big part of the fair, it’s not the whole shebang. Administrative assistant Kristy Gibbs has been busy promoting and recruiting exhibitors for open-class exhibits, which offer divisions in almost every category imaginable, from livestock, carpentry and crafts to baked goods, flowers and garden produce.

“It's just a matter of going out and acknowledging the mastery and the skills of other people in our community and telling them there's a platform for them to come and join us,” says Gibbs.

“And people love to look at it,” adds Mullen, who noted that her grandmother would enter pies and pickled beets in the Missoula County Fair, even as her grandkids displayed their 4-H projects.

“It seems to be a little bit of a lost art and I wish it would pick back up again. It was very wholesome,” she said. 

Andrade also pointed out that donations are welcome for the annual pie auction, which raises funds for cooking, baking and food-preservation programs.

For more information on this year’s fair, or to pick up a fair book, stop by the MSU/Lake County Extension office, 300 Third Ave. NW in Ronan or call 406-676-8600.