This time of year always produces excitement for kids and adults in Cache County. August means it’s county fair season, providing an opportunity to get together for festivities and good ol’ fashioned family fun. From evenings spent taking in a top-notch PRCA rodeo, hours of carnival rides, stuffing ourselves with delicious treats, perusing vendor booths, watching live demonstrations, and viewing 4-H showcases, there’s easily something for every member of the family to enjoy at the Cache County Fair and Rodeo. For those who submit entries into judged contests, the county fair also provides an opportunity to bring home the coveted blue ribbon and a year’s worth of bragging rights.
Some of the biggest highlights of the fair come in the 4-H showcases. This traditional component of every great county fair provides our community’s youth with unique opportunities they may not get from other extracurricular activities. 4-H participants gain a better understanding of the science behind feeding our growing population, an appreciation for working the land, and the benefits and challenges of working with animals. They learn worthwhile skills like patience, hard work, weights & measures, budgeting, and a host of other skills that will benefit them throughout their adult lives.Â
Unfortunately, a recent Herald Journal letter to the editor incorrectly implied that the fair has reduced support for 4-H programs. Cache County, which runs the fair, and USU Extension, which runs 4-H programs in Cache County, continue to fund, support and grow 4-H programs. Our show-dog program is now the state’s largest, supported by recent equipment investments by the county.
In the same letter to the editor, an example of a private, non-accredited milk goat program no longer continuing as part of the County Fair was mentioned. In early 2020 and only after discussions with their leader failed to reach an agreement to bring the program into alignment with national standards set forth by the American Dairy Goat Association, the Fair Committee made the collective decision to reallocate limited resources to other programs that have experienced sharp growth. Sheep and other goats have become very popular in recent years and more space and time has been needed for 4-H participants to show their animals in these programs.Â
Working collaboratively, the county fair’s managing committee, USU Extension and 4-H leaders, as well as numerous community volunteers continue to support the success of our local 4-H programs. As evidenced by the growth in some of our judged competitions and how we need to adapt to accommodate them, Cache County is still home to a wonderful culture of agricultural heritage and fun family activities at the Cache County Fair and Rodeo.
We welcome comments, however there are some guidelines:
Keep it Clean: Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexual language. Don't Threaten:
Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be
Truthful: Don't lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice: No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading. Be Proactive: Report abusive
posts and don’t engage with trolls. Share with Us:
Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
We welcome comments, however there are some guidelines:
Keep it Clean: Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexual language. Don't Threaten: Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful: Don't lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice: No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading. Be Proactive: Report abusive posts and don’t engage with trolls. Share with Us: Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles.