West Virginia State Fair Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. 4-H Expands Its Educational Focus

West Virginia’s 4-H presence at this year’s state fair demonstrated a much more diverse educational platform from its agriculture base.

With representation from all 55 counties, the sprawling 4-H State Fair exhibit hall was not big enough to contain the nearly 3,000 student project entries.

First organized in 1912, West Virginia 4-H has more than a century of experience in youth development. In 2022, there are about 142,000 4-H club members in all 55 West Virginia counties.

Club members may also learn about higher education opportunities and even be eligible for scholarships offered by WVU Extension.

State 4-H Curriculum Specialist Jenny Murray said a strength of the organization has always been to embrace diversity. She said 4-H is doing just that with an expanded instruction platform.

“We’re in the business of educating our next generation of West Virginians in the areas of agriculture all the way through things,” Murray said. “Areas such as cooking, rocketry, science, healthy lifestyles, and being good citizens in our communities.”

Murray said the biggest challenge for 4-H is getting all student members access to resources like transportation, mentors and financial support.

“For the young people in our state, some of them are positioned to have better access than others,” Murray said. “Trying to break down those barriers so that all youth have the same access is probably our biggest challenge.”

Anyone between the ages of 9 and 21 can join 4-H with a parent or guardian’s permission. Younger kids, ages 5–7, who are interested in the practices of 4-H can start in the Cloverbud program, which focuses more on fun and social activities that set the stage for future learning.

To find a 4-H club or 4-H Cloverbud club in your area, contact your county Extension office.

W.Va. State Fair: Live Dairy Cow Births Bring In The Crowds

One of the most popular and unique exhibits throughout the past 10 years at the State Fair of West Virginia is the Dairy Birthing Center.

In an exhibit barn complete with bleachers for an audience, 20 pregnant cows, all at or near full term, wait to give birth.

Dairy Birthing Center exhibit director Remington Perkins is owner/operator of Perk Farm Organic Dairy. He started breeding 60 cows on his nearby Frankfort, West Virginia farm last November.

“We’re trying to play the odds game,” Perkins said. “We brought 20, and as these calve, we will leave some of the calves here for the kids to play with and take the mom’s home, start milking them and bring more pregnant moms down.”

Other fair activities happen on schedule, say at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Perkins said there’s no timetable for giving birth, so he waits for telltale signs to cue a fairgrounds-wide announcement.

“As soon as we see a water bag come out, we know that she will calve within an hour,” Perkins said. “Once that happens, we’ll call the announcer at the fair here, they will put it over the P.A. system, and the crowd shows up.”

Perkins said the exhibit allows non-farm folks to better understand where their food comes from. He had an explanation for those who get upset that they take the newborn calves away from their moms right away.

“We explain to them that these cows are bred to give enough milk for 5, 6, 7 or 8 calves,” Perkins said. “If we only left the one calf with her, the mom would get sick and the calf would get sick from having too much milk. We want the calves to think of us as mom.”

Perkins is a third generation farmer; his family dairy goes back to 1942. He said to survive in today’s corporate dominated agriculture economy the small dairy farm needs a niche, like producing organic milk.

“The Organic Valley is the company that we sell our milk to,” Perkins said. “You can buy it at the local Walmart, and that has made a huge difference in our farm. It’s a flat milk price and we know at the beginning of the year what we’re going to get paid all year long. It has stabilized our farm and allowed us to start investing back into the farm and bring the next generation back to the farm successfully.”

When you’re at the State Fair of West Virginia, listen for that P.A. announcer’s call to the Dairy Birthing Center barn – and see something brand new enter the world.

W.Va. State Fair Day One: Competition, Exhibition, Tradition

Competition, exhibition and tradition are three key components to the State Fair of West Virginia. But it’s the people – and their animals – who make this annual event a must see for so many.

Mya Workman’s pole horse Bugs is ready for competition. Just back from the nationals in Wyoming, the Hillsboro teen is preparing to compete in barrel racing, pole riding and team roping. Workman said to go fast and win, she and Bugs endure years of slow, deliberate training.

The Zuzu Acrobats come from Kenya and Tanzania.

“Doing barrel patterns slowly is what it’s all about,” Workman said. “Rodeo is such a humbling sport. You can be doing so great and it’ll humble you so quick. These animals are like family.”

From the heart of Africa, the high flying Zuzu Acrobats come to the fair just off a world tour. Performer Amdul Dora said they are here to entertain and extend a message of global unity.
“My intention is for people to enjoy our show,” Dora said. “We want them to enjoy themselves and for all of us to make the world a better place.”

The Halstead family from Boone County comes to the fair every year.

In the Zuzu audience, there are about a dozen members of Boone County’s Halstead family. Patriarch Jeffery said he’s brought his clan to the fair every year for at least a decade.

“We like it up here,” Halstead said. “We like looking at animals and watching the shows and all of the free concerts. Sometimes we watch a paid concert.”

Mountain State expatriates Steven and Felecia Elliott come back home to the State Fair every year.

Coming in from Thaxton, Virginia, Mountain State expatriates Steven and Felecia Elliott said they never miss a West Virginia State Fair.

“We grew up in southern West Virginia. We’ve been coming here since we were little people,” the Elliotts said. “We love going through the animal barns, especially the goats because they have so much personality. It just brings back wonderful memories.”

The State Fair in Fairlea, West Virginia, runs daily through Saturday, Aug. 20.