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Hartford Courant Editorial |
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Here's To The 4-H Club FairWhen the first Middlesex and New Haven County 4-H Club fair was held on Samuel Russell's farm in Middletown, horses were still mad at Henry Ford for pushing them off the road. Times may have changed since 1924, but the enduring values and pleasures of animal husbandry and home economics are evident as the club opens its 75th fair today at 5 p.m. at the Durham Fairgrounds. Livestock exhibits and judging, horse shows and oxen pulls are on the three-day schedule for the fair, which is expected to draw more than 200 4-H'ers from across the state. The youths will watch nervously as the animals they raised and groomed are closely examined by judges looking for the best in show. Connecticut is still home to farms and stables, though the balance has tipped as rows of houses replace those of corn in towns that were once rural. The 4-H fair reflects the importance of skills that - while practiced by fewer people - are still worth learning. Modern times have changed the methods used to keep animals healthy and productive, but time has not altered the need to have people skilled at farming. The fair does have elements that no club member imagined in the 1920s, such as a canine Frisbee tournament set for 9 a.m. Saturday. The fairs of old never had an Internet Web page (www.4-hfair.org) that allowed fairgoers to see what events are planned, get directions to the park and link to information about other agriculturally-based fairs in Connecticut. The Middlesex and New Haven County fair is particularly notable because the event is the oldest of its kind run entirely by the youthful club members. As part of this weekend's celebration, the club will display a timeline showing the fair's development from its beginning to the present. It's time to relish the accomplishments on which the event has been built and from which it continues to draw strength. Reprinted with permission from the Hartford Courant |
The Middlesex and New Haven County 4-H Fair Association
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