On the Farm: Lots to enjoy at county fair

You can always tell it’s summertime when you visit the grocery stores and farmers markets up and down the Central Coast. The fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally and throughout California are at their peak of flavor and availability.

Bins of watermelons, sweet corn, honeydew and cantaloupes greet you as you enter the grocery store doors. Beautiful displays of peaches, nectarines, plums, squash, peppers, green beans and avocados almost call out to you as you walk by.

Karen and I are lucky. Both our kids, Kathleen and Clayton, enjoy fruit and most vegetables. When I take them shopping, Kathleen is the first one to the produce section, plastic bag in hand, loading up on her favorites — plums and nectarines.

Clayton helps Dad pick out a ripe watermelon for Mom, along with a honeydew or cantaloupe for a great snack later on.

A great place to check out fresh produce locally grown is at our own Santa Barbara County Fair, held last week in Santa Maria. Dennis Pearson and his staff, along with the countless volunteers who make that event possible, deserve hearty congratulations for another job well-done.

I hope you made it down to the fair this year and walked through the agriculture building. My friend Phil Henry does a great job of coordinating the displays of locally grown fruits and vegetables, along with local ag organizations.

The ag building is a showcase for projects done by local FFA chapters and vocational education, including welded barbecue pits, trailers, wooden benches and tables, even a dragster from Santa Maria High School.

The art building is another favorite of mine. It is a showcase for artists, photographers, bakers, gardeners and future homemakers.

I like to walk through and admire the scenic photography and paintings from both professional and amateurs alike. Beautiful handmade quilts crafted by local quilters adorn the walls.

Sewing and table-setting displays done by the different 4-H Club members throughout the county are located in this building as well.

Of course, it is not a trip to the fair without walking through the barns and watching young 4-H’ers, FFA and Grange members meticulously groom their animals as they get ready to show off months of hard work to judges waiting in the show ring.

It can be a bittersweet moment, especially for the kids selling their animals at the auction for the first time.

My hat goes off to the many volunteers who help the kids with their animals. I know it must be time-consuming and highly rewarding to watch the kids start and finish their projects.

Karen and I spent three nights at the fair this year. I attended the opening ceremonies honoring Roy Killgore, Farmer of the Year; Tyke Minetti, Livestock Person of the Year; Nick Tompkins, Ag Business Person of the Year; and Marvin Snyder, Director’s Choice.

Later that afternoon, I was back with the whole gang so the kids could enjoy the rides.

The next night Karen, Clayton and I returned, leaving Kathleen and her cousin Michelle at home to rest up. We told Clayton we were going to walk through the buildings and check out the concert. No rides tonight, but Clayton was determined to come with us, probably hopeful he might get to go on a ride or two.

Well, as it turned out, we got to the fair later than we wanted to and only had time to catch a bite of our favorite fair food and go hear Little Anthony and the Imperials, along with Chubby Checker.

It turned out to be a fun concert, watching a crowd from age 70 down to age 6 rock out to the golden tunes of the late 1950s and ’60s.

Since we did not make it through the displays the second night, we decided to try again Friday night. So, we gathered up the kids, along with Cousin Michelle, and headed for the fair around 4 in the afternoon.

We went straight to the buildings and checked out all of the hard work contained in the displays. The kids were patient, and after we all found something we liked to eat, the kids talked Dad into letting them go on four or five more rides. We went home around 9:30 p.m., the end of the 2008 fair for us.

I hope you had a chance to visit the fair in Santa Maria and enjoy a great family time like we did. Maybe we’ll see you there next year.

Kevin Merrill is a vineyard manager for Mesa Vineyard Management in Santa Maria. He is a board member of the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau and president of the Central Coast Wine Growers’ Association Foundation. He can be reached at kmerrill@mesavineyard.com.

July 20, 2008