Encounters in barns only interaction with livestock for many urban dwellers

By STEVE BROWN

Capital Press

LYNDEN, Wash. -- Microphone in hand, future teacher Brooke VanderVeen welcomed visitors to the Northwest Washington Fair and started educating right away.

First was a history lesson, to mark the regional fair's 100th year.

"We decided that today we'd introduce you to 10 people who represent each decade and an aspect of the fair," she said.

Starting with 8-year-old Fiona Kroontje and ending with 100-year-old Florence Kredit, the honorees stood to receive applause for their involvement in 4-H, dairy, poultry, horticulture and horses, as well as arts, crafts and the Grange.

VanderVeen said young Fiona was giving two tickets to her great-great-uncle Pete Starkenburg to come watch her do her barn duties.

"Her mom, Lesa, said, 'She's showing a dairy calf on Thursday, but she'd be more excited to show him how well she sweeps,'" VanderVeen said.

VanderVeen has long been involved in FFA and is reigning national Guernsey queen. A sophomore at Washington State University, she's majoring in agricultural education and plans to be a high school animal science teacher and FFA adviser.

Teachable moments awaited visitors throughout the livestock displays.

Dairy barn superintendent Lloyd Bos said each exhibitor is required to present educational information along with the animals, with such information as how much milk they produce and how long the gestation and lactation periods are.

Pointing to a couple of pens with expecting cows, he said, "We've calved about 20 cows in the past three years. People will wait around till 2 or 3 in the morning to see it. It's a big hit with city folks."

The cows are milked twice a day. A small milking parlor was set up with windows facing the walkway just outside the dairy barn.

"We don't encourage visitors to touch the animals," Bos said. "But for many of them, this is the only exposure they get to livestock."

Bos said participation has blossomed in his 15 years working with the fair. This year saw 260 animals under his roof.

"You hear dairies are dying out, but we can't hold all the exhibitors," he said.

Elsewhere in the barn, several teams of youths worked to wash, clip and groom young heifers, putting into practice show skills they had just learned from experienced exhibitors.

Meanwhile, visitors young and old milled around the stalls, remarking on how cute the calves were -- and how big the milk cows' udders were.

Online

Northwest Washington Fair: www.nwwafair.com