Weekly Ag Update

By ned birkey

msu EXTENSION EDUCATOR EMERITUS

SPARTAN AG 

Summer is time for fairs and is a wonderful place to see new things, meet people and experience some agriculture that many people normally don’t get a chance to experience! In Michigan alone, there are 86 county fairs, two state fairs and several community fairs. The Allegan and Monroe County fairs are a couple of Michigan’s largest and best county fairs. In southeast Michigan, the Lenawee County fair, started in 1849, is the longest running fair; it runs from July 29-Aug. 1, 2026. Washtenaw County does not have one county fair but has three community fairs: The Washtenaw Youth fair July 19-24, followed by the Chelsea fair Aug. 25-29 and the Saline Community fair Sept. 1-6.

The first county fair in the United States was held in 1765 in Pennsylvania’s York County to promote agriculture. The first Ferris wheel is credited to George Washtington Gale Ferris Jr., as a landmark for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The first corn dog was invented at the Texas State Fair in 1942.

The Monroe County fair, Aug. 2-8, is terrific because everything is here – all kinds of animals, crops, plants, produce, baking, arts and crafts, old and new farm machinery and 4-H youth projects are on display to the public. This is also a community fair with a fair history museum, Little Red Schoolhouse/Eby Log Cabin, Mid-America Shows Midway carnival rides and game booths, a wide variety of food vendors, paid grandstand performances, free entertainment, “Little Smokey” steam engine train rides, auto dealers, and commercial vendors and exhibits of all kinds.

Monroe County is somewhat unique in that all the barns and buildings have something different, whether animals, arts and crafts, fruits and vegetable produce, crops, flowers and horticulture, sewing, drawings, paintings, photography or baked and canned goods. The diversity of exhibits allows everyone to see and learn about something.

If you attend a large livestock animal judging show, it is always interesting to listen to the judge’s comments. Notice that they always start by saying something positive about the animal, regardless of where it is being placed. Then they always have a constructive suggestion or comment, even for the champion. The judge finishes with another positive statement. This is a great lesson in personal relations in any field.

A judge’s wording is unique to the profession of livestock judging. Watching a livestock show or seeing animals in pens can be a new experience that helps if you understand some of the language and terminology used. Here is a brief outline of some of the lingo used around the fairgrounds. Livestock is shown by species, either by breed, age or weight for purebred animals; or by age or weight for animals going to market.

Sheep animals used for their wool and meat. Sheep are one of the first domesticated animals that have been identified over 6,000 years ago, coming from the Middle East. There are more than 29 different grades of wool used for blankets to socks. There are more than 200 distinct breeds of sheep worldwide. A lamb is a young sheep, either male or female. Sheep shown at the fair as wethers (males that cannot breed and are raised for meat and wool) or ewes (females).

Cattle (dairy) cattle have been found in the region of Asia Minor, now known as Turkey, from around 6,500 years ago. A mature dairy cow can weigh 1,500 pounds and produce over 100 pounds of milk per day. (Beef) cattle were originally used for meat, milk and labor, though “draft” horses replaced them for drafting (pulling) implements used in farming later replaced by steam engines, then internal combustion engine tractors. It is generally agreed that the domestication of cattle followed the domestication of sheep, goats, pigs and dogs.

Pigs (or hogs) are either barrows (males that cannot be used for breeding and are used for meat) or gilts (a young female that has not had a litter of piglets). Male animals (boars) are generally not shown due to their testosterone levels making their temperament unpredictable and therefore not safe for this type of environment.

The above only scratches the surface of ag terms and lingo. Talk to the youth, parents and superintendents about 4-H projects. Other animals shown at the Monroe County fairgrounds include horses, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, cavies and pocket pets. They even have a cat show and a dog show.

Growing up one of my favorite things to watch was the Heinold pig races. Young pigs, wearing different colored and numbered belts, race around a track for the prize of an Oreo cookie. And then there was the greased pig contest, the calf roping contest and the combine and car demolition derbies. The figure 8 demolition derby featured schools buses racing around the track or cars pulling boat trailers all trying to win the race without getting smashed up.