Et cetera : VS FFA members teach about farm life at Benton County Fair

Thanks to VS FFA members and others, children had hands-on experience with livestock at the Fair.

On the 23rd of July, members all around the county where bringing in their animals and projects for the Benton County Fair, that is hosted at the Vinton fairgrounds each year. This year, like the year before, the FFA members used an available barn as a makeshift FFA barn. In the FFA barn, community and FFA members brought animals, and displays where set up for the community to learn about FFA and to have more fun while visiting the fair.

Every day that week, multiple members of the county came into the FFA barn to attend classes that where taught by FFA members from Vinton-Shellsburg, La Porte- Dysart, Benton Community, and Belle Plain, as well as stopping by to visit all the animals. When the members weren’t teaching classes they were allowing community members to hold the ducklings, chicks, and piglets- which happened to be born on the 24th of July- during fair.

Besides being involved in the FFA barn, some FFA members were also busy taking care of, and showing, their animals. Members Caleb Svoboda, Katie Isbell, Cassie and Karley Kenney, Sadie Novotny, and Brittany Hansen showed their animals under FFA, and did an amazing job doing so!

Katie Isbell and Karley Kenney were involved in another part of fair as well; they were both candidates for the Benton County Fair Queen. After many activities that allowed the community to get to know the candidates and an interview, a queen and princess was finally crowned. Karley Kenney: Benton County Fair Queen, and Dorothy Zaugg: Benton County Fair Princess.

Congratulations to all of the members who participated in this years’ Benton County Fair and thank you to all of those who provided the FFA barn with multiple animals and displays!

-- Jessica Alderson and Katie Isbell

Co-Reporters