Dairy competition shows the other side of the Alabama National Fair
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – The Alabama National Fair is more than just the midway rides and the food. It has a history in agriculture that is the backbone of this annual event.
This week, students who are members of the 4-H organization and Future Farmers of America came from all over the state for a dairy cattle show and competition at Teague Arena on the fairgrounds.
Each contestant got the chance to show off their judging skills in different age classes and put their knowledge to the test in quiz bowl contests.
Organizers say this is a great way for the young contestants to show off their hard work and commitment to the future of agriculture.
“It’s a great thing to see this whole weekend, the public coming around to get exposed to agriculture,” Reid McGuire, a youth livestock specialist at Auburn University, told Action 8 News. “It’s such a small percentage of the population that’s involved in it, so it’s really, really great to see all these people coming and getting to see where their food comes from ultimately.”
“I want them to walk away realizing what they do impacts others and that it’s also their job to educate, no matter where they’re at, they should have a goal to share that desire with others or share that enjoyment with others and then teach others while they are at it,” Courtney Wrenn, a parent of a participant said.
“When they get older, I mean, this is going to help them get into college. It’s going to help them with their education. The agricultural industry is wide open and there are people out there in the ag industry that are so willing to help our young people,” Mary Norman of Montgomery County Livestock said.
The Alabama National Fair continues through Sunday, October 18.
