Farmers find new spaces, educational opportunities, at 151st Thurston County Fair
Growing up, Theresa Reid showed rabbits at the Thurston County Fair as part of the 4-H program.
Reid, who has been part of the fair board for about 20 years, is now entering her 10th year as coordinator for the Thurston County Fair. She said she comes back year after year for the people, who are some of the most generous she’s ever met.
“Once you become part of a fair, it kind of gets in your blood,” she said. “It’s exciting. It’s a comfort for me. I feel really at home when the fair is up and running.”
The fair, which started in 1871, launched its 151st year on Wednesday morning. Many of its longtime traditions have returned, including old time games, baking contests and the Thurston County Commissioners’ pancake breakfast.
But one longtime structure is no more. With a $250,000 grant from the Washington Department of Agriculture, Thurston County fair officials took down the Willuweit Pavilion, built prior to 1970. Reid said the structure, which had housed fair animals for years, was long past its prime.
The team found temporary structures for many of the animals. Most compete through 4-H, Future Farmers of America or an open class division.
Myla Peck, who is heading into her senior year of high school, brought several family goats to the fair this year. Honey, her first dairy goat, was back for another year. But Peck also was looking forward to displaying a market wether goat at the fair for the first time.
Peck said she was inspired by her grandparents who own a cow farm. When she was a sixth-grader, she approached her mom about raising a cow, but her mom told her they didn’t have the space. Raising goats has been a family hobby ever since, she said.
“It takes a lot of work and effort, and some years are better than others,” Peck said. “I spend a lot of hours in the barn, late nights, early mornings, a lot of dedication.”
AnnaLisa Moore, who raises cows with Oak Hills Herefords in Rainier, echoed Peck’s sentiments. Her two cows, Sassafras and Poppyseed, are young herefords, and she said she’s put a lot of effort into raising them. She brushes, rinses and feeds cows for about an hour and a half each morning, and spends the days exercising and practicing with them.
“It’s pretty much a full-time job,” she said.
Moore, who is showing at the Thurston County Fair for her 10th year, got started through FFA and is now in an open class entry. As much as she looks forward to her animals competing, she comes back for the people.
“I love the aspect of teaching the public. Everybody has questions, and I love to answer them,” she said. “I love to be the one that advocates for the agriculture.”
Fairs, which are some of the world’s biggest classrooms, are an opportunity for people to learn about different communities, Reid said. Moore said a lot of people “don’t have a clue” where their beef comes from. One year, her friend, a dairy cow farmer, was asked if brown cows produce chocolate milk.
Getting to show how everything runs is rewarding for Moore, and is a key theme in the farm exhibits. Posters display information on everything from hoof identification to lactose intolerance in cats.
“This is a chance for people who don’t grow up with agriculture, or haven’t experienced living on the farm, to see what it is and to learn some new skills,” Reid said. “We hope everybody who comes to the fair walks away learning something new.”
A full list of programming, entertainment and exhibit information is available at the Thurston County Fair website. The fair runs daily through Sunday, July 30.
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 2:08 PM.
