I remember growing up and thinking that the midpoint of summer was always marked by the Fourth of July. Soon we would begin to see stores advertising back-to-school specials.

I knew the carefree days of summer we enjoyed on the ranch would rapidly give way to the more disciplined schedule the first days of school always brought.

In the vineyards along the Central Coast, we begin to see our pinot noir fruit change from emerald green clusters to hues of pink and purple as the berries begin to go through veraison.

It is a sign that we are getting ready to make the transition from summer to fall.

We will apply our last sprays for mildew control as the sugar content in the berries goes up. Our attention is directed to keeping swarms of birds, especially starlings, away from the fruit.

It is generally a slower time on the vineyard as we work with our partner, Mother Nature, to bring the fruit to full maturity and hand it off to the winemakers. Depending on the weather, harvest should begin just after Labor Day.

Another gauge of summer activity is the Santa Barbara County Fair in Santa Maria. This year, Karen, Kathleen, Clayton and I visited the 116th annual event on opening day. Dennis Pearson, his staff and all of the fair board members deserve credit for another great event.

We always stroll through the barns containing livestock ranging from rabbits, chickens and turkeys to lambs, steers and pigs, all representing months of hard work from kids involved in 4-H, Grange or high school FFAs who show their animals that are eventually sold to a very generous community on auction day.

I think the kids enjoy seeing the animals as much as riding on the carnival rides.

I remember going to the fair when we were small. We would walk in the front gate, and there before us were two lines of tractors. There were green John Deeres and Olivers, red International Harvesters, orange Allis Chalmerses and yellow Caterpillars.

For a little boy who grew up with a cub Farmall and an International T-20, it was like walking into a candy store.

Representatives from the tractor dealerships would be there, and if you asked, they would let you sit on the shiny new tractors.

Times change. I think vandalism became a problem with the equipment, and soon tractor companies began to merge and there were fewer and fewer dealers in Santa Maria. Today there are some small tractors on exhibit inside the ag buildings.

All things evolve with time, and I am sure Pearson and the fair board have their hands full trying to keep the agricultural flavor that many of us expect while keeping the profitability up and providing a nonagrarian society with a venue they appreciate and support.

The fair does represent an opportunity for agriculture to educate fairgoers on the importance of keeping us economically viable. Both Bonita Packing and Babé Farms from Santa Maria did a great job showcasing the plethora of fresh vegetables grown in our area.

The same building displayed shiny new barbecues, trailers and other projects fabricated by FFA students from area schools. Several 4-H Clubs and FFA chapters had colorful, well-thought-out booths promoting agriculture, reminding me how important this younger generation is to agriculture and its viability.

That display, part of the bounty of American agriculture, used to be housed in the first building as you entered the fairgrounds. For the last two years, the ag display has been moved to the building farthest away from the main gate.

It has been replaced by a display of jungle reptiles and other interesting creatures. I think it is a big draw for the nonagrarian society I mentioned earlier.

It would be good if the ag display could be moved back toward the main gate. I volunteer and offer my help to Pearson and the board and welcome help from my fellow agriculturists throughout our area to do the same. Let/s see if we can make that a reality.

The fair offers a great opportunity for us to connect with a public that takes for granted the opportunity to buy the safest, freshest food anywhere in the world.

Karen, the kids and I had a great time at the fair. I hope you were able to enjoy some great family time there as well.

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

July 29, 2007