Beyond the Barn: FFA and 4-H Students Shine at Chelan County Fair

Each September the Chelan County fair becomes a center for tradition, learning, and community. Among the many highlights, FFA and 4-H students from across the valley all gather to show their animals. These programs give students the opportunity to showcase months of hard work raising animals, preparing projects, and learning leadership skills. FFA (Future Farmers of America) is a club that focuses on agricultural education and career readiness, while 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health) specializes in projects like livestock care to science and community service. These programs help students build responsibility, confidence, and experience that they wouldn’t normally receive from the classroom.

One of Cashmere High School’s own seniors, Rylee Snodgrass, has been raising her market pig, Goose, for the past five months. Now ready to show him at the fair, she shares her experience with FFA.

 “…I don’t necessarily have a least favorite thing [about FFA]. I enjoy all of fair, and I think maybe [I dislike] early mornings, but even that I don’t mind. And I think my favorite thing is the community and the experience you get doing this.”

When asked whether or not she would recommend participation in events like these, she answered eagerly.

“One hundred percent. I think that it’s a great experience … Obviously we already have a huge FFA community for Cashmere and I think that it is definitely something that at least try once if you don’t like it after that’s fine, but I think that a lot of people tend to have fun.”

After speaking with various students, they all seemed to come to the same conclusion. Callen Pipkin, a Freshman at Cashmere Highschool proudly presented his market steer, Pumba, at the fair this past weekend. When prompted with a similar question Snodgrass was asked, he says this;

“For sure it’s a fun experience, you learn a lot about other things in life besides school, and it’s just like a life skill … I’ve learned that it’s fun to be around my friends and stuff at a fair and it’s helped my knowledge around animals.”

Many other students throughout the valley seemed to have positive experiences with FFA. Wesley Beach, a Junior at Wenatchee Highschool has been showing birds for a year and a half. When asked if he enjoys FFA, his response was enthusiastic;

“Definitely.  FFA is really fun, really exciting, and there is like a ton of different things that you can do. You don’t even have to do fair. Most people think you have to have animals, but really there is a bunch of different competitions that aren’t even related to that.”

 FFA Advisor Jackie Church from Eastmont High School says this when asked what the most rewarding part was about seeing her students compete at the fair:

“Watching them just get out of their comfort zone, and then watching them enjoy that success that they have with that. Just trying something new, and I think that’s one of the reasons I teach.” 

FFA and 4-H may start with animals and projects, but end with memories and life skills that last far beyond the fairgrounds.