08/08/2025
We’re officially in the countdown to county fair, and I wonder if you realize just how hard the 4-H kids in your community are working to get ready.
It’s something I didn’t fully understand myself—until I had a 4-H kid of my own.
Because it’s more than just one busy week out of the year. It’s months (and months) of lead-up and thoughtful preparation.
Months of these kids pouring their hearts and souls into their animals and projects.
Learning new skills for their indoor exhibits:
Carving leather.
Building displays.
Working with metal, wood, and fabric.
Decorating cakes and sewing full outfits.
Practicing their demonstration skills.
Discovering what it means to truly care for animals:
Feeding them.
Walking them.
Grooming them.
Practicing patience when they don’t cooperate, and loving them through the ups and downs.
Opening their hearts to the companions that are only theirs for a little while.
And the list of life skills 4-H teaches goes on and on:
The value of hard work.
How to give a strong handshake and look an adult in the eye.
How to be part of a team.
How to build real resilience—physical, mental, and emotional.
None of it is easy. In fact, it’s A LOT for the kids and their families. We’re living proof.
Right now, our kitchen island looks like a leather workshop. There are record book pages scattered everywhere. The animals are being walked and worked with multiple times a day.
And our son is growing right before our eyes.
So when’s the last time you showed up to your local fairgrounds to support these kids?
If it’s not something you usually do, I urge you to go this year. Step outside your comfort zone and take a look around.
See what it’s all about. I bet you’ll walk away amazed and filled with renewed confidence in the next generation.
The kids are gonna be okay, you guys.
Go to your county fair and see for yourself.
© Casey Huff
