Buy at the Fair
Add comment July 8th, 2009
July is here, and along with it, comes the kick off to one of our busiest seasons, the county fairs. Most people think of the food that is consumed at the fairs, and while we do supply some food stands at the various fairs, what keeps us going most is the processing of the livestock animals that are shown at the fair.
While some people may browse the farmers markets for produce and cuts of meat, at the county fairs you can actually browse for whole animals to purchase. There really is no better time for anyone thinking to put a hog, or a beef into the freezer then at the fair. You have the producers of the animal on site, and you have a selection to choose from. If you don’t have a farm contact, you can build one. If you were raised your whole life not understanding how livestock are cared for, the young individuals that raised their project animals are more than willing to share what they learned, and what it takes to produce a great animal.
Often, fair animals that are going to be sold are sold in one of two ways. The easiest way to purchase one of these animals is by attending the quality livestock auction. Each fair holds one of these auctions, and businesses and individuals come together to purchase animals and support the youth. I will warn you, these are live auctions, and you need to understand how they are run before bidding.
The second method is to roam the barns. Not all the animals on the fairgrounds will go through the auction. Often, individuals have extra animals that are going to go to traditional markets after the fair is over. These individuals can tell you all the details of the care of their animals, the feed, and the love that went into raising them. They can also set up transportation of these animals to a local processor, so that after the fair, you can enjoy the hard work put into the project to make a quality meat product.
Even if you’re not in the market to have a lamb, or hog in your freezer, please feel free to talk to the producers. These may be the people that produce your food already, and you never even knew it. The more educated you are about your food, the better it seems to taste.
If you have questions, please contact your local U of I extension office, or your local processor. Stephenson County fair is coming up the in the middle of July, followed by Ogle County, Dekalb County 4-H Show, McHenry County, Boone County, and Winnebago County. What better time to shop to stock up the freezer.
