Fair rightly celebrates community, youngsters

If a person is looking for a glimpse of "Bonner County past," all one has to do is attend next week's Bonner County Fair.

This fair is a throw back to a time where residents worked hard on their farms all summer, put together their best crops and animals and headed to the big city of Sandpoint to attend the fair for a few days.

It was an excuse to not work so hard for a few days and to catch up with the friends, neighbors and relatives that a person hadn't seen since last year's fair.

Don't look for a midway with big rides and games of chance here. This fair is centered around 4-H, Future Farmers of America, agriculture and youth.

That's kind of refreshing in this neon world.

Another key to the success of the Bonner County Fair is the 4-H Livestock Sale. This year the sale is on Friday, Aug. 24., at 6 p.m.

The sale is the culmination of a youngster learning to care and be responsible for an animal. Throughout the year, the 4-H member learns the principles of livestock nutrition, how to train an animal, how to budget money and time and how to complete a project.

These are great skills to develop at a young age.

The youngsters sell their cattle, pigs and sheep and keep the money. Most of the money goes to college funds or to help finance next year's project.

The Bonner County Fair is geared up this year to celebrate Bonner County's Centennial. It's also a reminder of a proud, slower-paced past.

We'll see you at the fair.

—David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee and a former Future Farmer of America.