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Our County Fair

          Nothing ever quite says summer like 4-H projects, jumbo corn dogs, and a Tuesday night hog show. Well, at least that’s the case for the Van Gilst family. Every year the Southern Iowa County Fair rolls around with much anticipation and excitement. This year is like many of the ones that have preceded it: hot, busy, and fun.


          The journey for this year’s fair began back in March when the pigs were weighed in. On a chilly Saturday morning, the swine superintendents (all volunteers) took the weight and registered all the pigs that were raised by local 4-H and FFA members. A few months (and 200+ pounds) later, the same pigs have returned to the fair to be shown and judged. This fair is a little different for us, for the first in a very long time, only one Van Gilst kid showed in last night’s hog show. With Trent on a camping trip in South Dakota, Ryan was alone in his second to last year of showing. Meanwhile, his two older siblings worked the ring alongside their father, a superintendent for the show, as mom cheered from the stands with grandparents.

                                         
          At the end of the day, that is what makes the fair so special to our family. It is not about what projects get sent to the state fair or how well the pigs grow. Yes, we always try to do our best in both of those categories, but the fair is a delight regardless of result. All over the fair there are families just like ours with three and even four generations gathering together to exhibit something they are passionate about. For some its sheep and goats, others its a prize steer, while for another it could be vegetables in the horticulture class. We place our passion in our pigs and the swine contest – for obvious reasons. Grandpa Van Gilst showed pigs; now he comes to watch his grandchildren do the same.




          The fair isn’t just a place for great food, hot weather, and a Ferris wheel ride. It is a place for young kids to show what they have learned through their projects. It is a place where volunteers come together to create an opportunity for that learning. It is a place where a senior FFA member will stop what he is doing with his own animal to help a novice 4-Her with theirs. We love the county fair, without it the summer wouldn’t feel complete. 

- VG Farms

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