Noble Co. Fair Life

CALDWELL, Ohio – Many rural families work year-round raising animals that they exhibit during the week of their local fair.

Noble County Farming Family Members Randy Winegardner and his daughter Jaylin explain the role that farming plays in their lives as well as the functions in which they serve during the fair.

“I’ve always been involved in ag,” Randy said. “My grandparents farmed, my parents and then of course myself. So I’ve been involved in 4-H and FFA programs and we’ve always… it’s something that we’ve always valued. So like I said, it’s just kind of something that’s family tradition. We’ve always been involved in agriculture. So it’s just a way of life for us.”

Showing just one animal requires a lot of attention but some 4-H’ers work with different kinds of animals that present different challenges.

“I take horses, goats and cattle. I also do the roping project each year,” Jaylin said. “Goats are, of course like a little lighter, easier to handle. Throughout the year, you just… you got to make sure you’re getting them out, like getting them in the routine and walking them. They’re hard to keep clean, especially the white ones. I think goats are like, probably harder than any other animal we’ve had to really keep clean.”

Not all children follow in their parents footsteps and become farmers but the farming lifestyle instills time-honored values and the fair offers that once-a-year opportunity for families and friends to either showcase or reconnect with their rural heritage.