HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It would have been a perfect 10 days to have the Kansas State Fair with beautiful weather. But with the cancellation of the fair there were no amusement rides filling the background noise, no smells of food filling the air, nor a steady buzz of people passing by.
That still didn't stop about 200 Kansas 4-H members from participating in the last of three livestock shows featuring horse, poultry, dairy goat and dairy cattle entries.
There was the expected social distancing among competitors and a handful of spectators, and safety measures were put in place to protect all involved. But Shannon Rogge, a program coordinator with Kansas 4-H Youth Development, said what was equally evident was the spirit on display.
“Many families continued to work on 4-H projects even when club and project meetings were not meeting face to face,” Rogge said. “Local agents provided support to keep families updated on deadlines and requirements. Our volunteers also were able to adapt to changes as they prepared for shows.”
Winners in each category were named, but the predominant refrain was putting a nice wrap on another 4-H year. Rogge said that the event in the wake of the pandemic was a good learning opportunity for 4-H youth.
“I do believe these youth learned resiliency, as the situation was ever-changing,” Rogge said. “In addition, they had to make tough decisions related to their projects, which goes back to the life skills that we teach in 4-H.”
Rogge noted that youth did not have to qualify at district events in order to show at the state fair this year; the district events would normally have been held at a time when Americans were being encouraged to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results from this year’s Kansas State Fair horse, poultry, dairy goat and dairy cattle shows will be available at www.Kansas4-H.org when they are available.