Walking through The Evergreen State Fair can nearly overwhelm the senses: the flickering lights of carnival rides, the bleats of goats and bass thumps from the concert stages, the soft wool of sheep, a Purple Cow’s cooling flavors of blackberry ice cream and lemon lime soda, the aroma of fried Walla Walla onions and baking scones and — in the interest of full disclosure — the sights, sounds and smells of the swine barn.
The feast for the senses is matched only by what the fair offers for nearly every interest in entertainment, commercial wares and agricultural bounty.
Marking its 66th year at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, the fair opened Thursday and continues until Labor Day, Sept. 7.
Everyone has his or her favorite attraction: concerts and comedians, rodeo and equestrian events, auto races, carnival rides and the food. But at its heart, the fair remains a celebration of agriculture, farm families and the above-average children in 4-H and Future Farmers of America, some of whom will make a commitment to continue in a family business that feeds us and remains an important part of Snohomish County’s economy.
While dwarfed by aerospace and other industries in the region, agriculture generates more than $150 million annually in products and services in the county, according the Snohomish County Blueprint’s agriculture report for 2015. Of the nearly 1,600 farms in the county, 70 percent are family owned.
Snohomish County ranks first in the state in milk production per cow, second in the state in broiler chicken production and third in strawberry production.
While larger farms are responsible for most of the production in the county, smaller farms are filling an important niche. Between 1997 and 2002, 200 new farms started in the county, small businesses that are being supported in part by the growth in farmers markets throughout the county and state.
Americans are increasingly viewing farmers markets and other community supported agricultural as a trustworthy source of high-quality, often organic, produce, and they are eager to support the local farms that produce it.
This is why we’re encouraged for the future of farming in the county:
- The fair’s Grange displays artfully show the bounty and variety of vegetables, fruit and other agricultural products that are grown and raised in the county.
- Visit the fair’s 4-H and FFA displays and watch the competitions and exhibitions as young farmers demonstrate their skills and knowledge in handling and caring for their livestock. Need an example of the devotion we’re talking about? See if you can find a young farmer — who was certainly up earlier than most of us — leaning against her dairy cow to grab a quick nap.
So, yes, enjoy the concerts, the carnival and food. Scratch a cow on the top of her head. (Then wash your hands at one of the stations set up outside the barns.)
But take the opportunity to watch a 4-H or FFA judging event or walk by the pens in the livestock barns. Talk with the young farmers and ask them about their animals.
And support your local family farms.
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