‘Farmer for a Day’ teaches agriculture skills
September 16, 2021 was opening day of the 74th annual Oley Valley Community Fair. With last year’s fair being canceled, everyone was ecstatic for this year’s fair. The fair holds many activities for all ages to enjoy and learn throughout the three days it is held. Every year our Oley Valley Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter puts together the “Farmer for a Day,” with members setting it up the Wednesday before the fair. The tent was open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and many members volunteered to work in the tent to run the games and help educate kids on different parts of agriculture.
In the tent there were seven stations. One station was petting the baby ducklings and watching them hatch in the incubator. The younger kids really liked this station. Another station had our FFA chapter duck, Daisy, in a pen. The FFA members at this station held Daisy and let people pet and sometimes even feed her. People asked about her age, name, breed, and for other information. Many people were surprised how tame and calm she was. The rabbit station was also a big hit. People came up to pet the rabbit and asked questions about rabbits, too. We had a few different breeds in the pen at different times throughout the fair. The most interactive station in the tent was the “Farmer for a Day” station. This station had a sand box full of potatoes, trees with apples, and a chicken nesting box with eggs. Each person had to collect two eggs, one apple, and one potato, and then bring it back for a prize. This game helps to inform kids where each of those foods come from and how farmers have to collect their produce to make a profit. We also had a wooden cow where kids could learn how to milk a cow and where milk comes from. On the cow was pictures of different breeds of dairy and beef cows that kids had to identify what breed they were and whether they were used for dairy or beef. The grocer game has several types of food which kids have to place in a box with different food categories to learn about what their food is made out of. Lastly, kids could spin a wheel with different food products and they had to identify which animal they come from.
Along with the FFA tent, many FFA members showed cows, sheep, goats and other animals at the fair. Some members made their own entries in the fair and won some prize money. The FFA’s food science class also entered some canned goods, maple syrup, basil and mint tea and placed well. As a requirement for the animal science class, students participated in the Dairy Management Contest for a chance to win a cash prize! Nick Guldin won first place and received $100 thanks to the sponsorship of Morrissey Insurance. Many members competed in the tractor pulls and other fun contests that the fair held.
Bradley Arnold, sentinel of Oley Valley FFA chapter and Addison Arrowsmith, president of Oley Valley FFA chapter, received the Ralph E. and Mabel D. Baus Memorial Award and $50 each for dedicating their time to help out with the “Farmer for a Day” tent at the fair each year. Both Arnold and Arrowsmith, with the presence of Daisy the duck, also spoke to WEEU news about the fair, the FFA’s tent, and the fair’s Friday night line dancing.
Written by Lilly Hetrick, Oley Valley FFA secretary