By Julie McCay Turner
Dozens of young Bedford farmers will travel to the Westford fair grounds to exhibit the animals they’ve raised, compete in the horse show,ordisplay their visual presentation projects at the 2016 Middlesex County 4-H Fair.The fair opens at 1:30 on Friday afternoon, August 26; the closing ceremony begins at 4:30 pm on Sunday afternoon, August 28.
In addition to the 4H Farmers Club and activities at Chip-in Farm, Bedford boasts a member of the Massachusetts 4H Foundation’s board of trustees, Steve Hagen.
Hagen became involved in the 4H Foundation after meeting the participants in the Middlesex County 4-H Fair, and the people who support 4-H fundraisers. “They seemed …willing to donate their time for many years to healthy, enterprising youth activities,” noted Hagan. “I decided I’d like to do my part to help.”
Hagan is a Vice President of Engineering at Oracle, a company that encourages its employees to become involved in their communities. He and Dr. Ann Kiessling are co-proprietors of Bedford’s Blueberry Goat Farm.
Enthusiastic proponents of the fair, Hagan and Kiessling began bringing their grandchildren to Westford “at least six years ago,” according to Hagan. “They like the goat and sheep show, the rabbit races, the music man, the barn animals and the corn husking.”
The principals of 4H resonate with Hagan because, “4-H fosters independent projects in many areas, from art and photography, to beekeeping, to crop and livestock management. Young people learn to be responsible not only for their project, but for discussing and explaining it to the public.”
Hagan noted that 4-H is relevant to suburban kids in today’s world because, “4-H’ers learn sustainability skills, [and] healthy foods can be grown in very small spaces, including pots on the deck. Food and clothing do not automatically appear in stores; they are grown and sewn by people.
“As the youth arm of the US Department of Agriculture, 4-H (head, heart, hands, and health) historically received support and guidance from local Agricultural Extension Services,” he added. “Federal funds to those services have been dramatically cut in the last two decades, leaving the burden of 4-H activities to willing parents who in turn deserve all the support they can get.”
What you need to know about the 2016 Middlesex County 4-H Fair:
When: Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27 from 8:30 am until 8 pm; Sunday, August 28 from8:30 am until 4:30 pm Click here for a PDF of the daily schedule
Where: The Middlesex County Fairground, 55 South Chelmsford Road, Westford
Why: The fair offers a unique opportunity for families to interact with cows, horses, cats, dogs, goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits and guinea pigs, chickens.There are also pony rides, face painting, a Moonwalk, chicken barbeque, and demonstrations of sheep shearing, along with exhibits of arts and crafts, cooking, gardening, cooking, photography and much more.All of the fairground barns are open and accessible to the public.
Click to see events by day at the 2016 Middlesex County Fair