This past month has been filled with so many wonderful opportunities to share our love and passion for farming and to give consumers a small glimpse into what it takes to raise and care for crops and animals. We are approaching fair season and with this comes so many chances to advocate and share our knowledge of farming with the public! In addition, June is National Dairy Month, and what better way to celebrate than teaching kids about farming while enjoying ice cream!

Foremost, fair season is rapidly approaching, and this season is near and dear to my heart. As a former 4-H member, fair week was a major highlight of my year. Not only did I have the chance to visit with friends for the week, but I had the chance to even further bond with my project animals and work very closely with them to make sure they looked their best for show. 4-H and exhibiting at the fair taught me many life lessons. Hard work, dedication and perseverance rise to the top of the list. Although fair week is the highlight of the project year, it really is an all-year project to raise and develop animals.

Now as a farmer and one who is very passionate about the agriculture industry and the future of ag, going out and supporting the youth at their sale fair week is a top priority to me. In addition, representing the animal sector of agriculture and engaging with consumers and fairgoers throughout the week is vital to educating consumers on their food, how it’s produced and all the work that goes into raising it. Our county Farm Bureau also has a great booth planned for this year with several storytime-with-a-farmer sessions throughout the week, as well as educational topics about farming and our organization — all of which are not only fun for the youth but very educational as well.

Not only are we prepping for an exciting fair week in the month ahead, but Trumbull County Farm Bureau is in the midst of several storytime-with-a-farmer events. For these events we partner with local ice cream shops, and we read the kids a story about dairy farming and all the hard work that it takes to produce milk that then goes into ice cream. Kids then can ask us farmers any questions that they have. Children get to make an ice cream cone craft or a cow craft, and finally the event wraps up with free ice cream for each participating child thanks to the generosity of these local businesses.

Seeing these events be so successful and having kids so excited and eager to learn is truly heartwarming. On the farm, my days are similar when it comes to caring for the cattle, and although I love what I do daily, seeing these bursts of happiness from others appreciating our industry is really rewarding.

Holler is a member of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau board of trustees.