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2011 Fair Magazine
Lynden Tribune
Whatcom County Dairy Facts • Dairy Farms: About 125 • Dairy Cows: About 49,000 • Average milk production per cow: 23,344 pounds, or 2,714 gallons, per year • Dairy Products Market Value: $186 million (2007 census) • Lynden Darigold plant production: Over 1.2 billion pounds of powdered milk per year
Kids from several dairy families pose in the area of the Northwest Washington Fair dairy barn that will be revamped for better fairgoer interaction for the 2011 fair. There will be a new viewing window and microphone narration of what is happening during the milking of dairy cows. With Whatcom County Dairy Ambassador Danae Tiemersma are Grace, Thijs, Emmy and Fiona Kroontje; Gary and Lauryn Young; Rocklyn Osborn; Noah Berry and Alexis Neil.
Theme: multi-pronged effort Continued from page 44 ter tent in the center of the fairgrounds, the 15-minute video “A Day in the Life of Darigold” will be shown continuously. Darigold is the dominant producer cooperative in Whatcom and Washington. Most local dairy farmers ship their milk to Darigold, and the company’s Lynden milk drying plant sends powder product throughout the world. The video uses the DeJong family of Lynden, multi-generation major milk producers, to show what a day in the life of a farmer might be like. • The dairy antique exhibit and dairy educational displays that were elsewhere before will now be gathered in the Agriculture Adventure Center. • The success of the Milk Makers Fest — a gathering of first graders to the
fairgrounds each spring to learn about milk production — is being carried over to the August fair. The Circle of Farming concept can teach both kids and adults how a dairy farm is a continual circle involving animals, crops, nutrients, land and water. Look for practical learning aids to take home. A dairy scavenger hunt is also available for kids. • A dairy maternity ward sponsored by Elenbaas Company will be set up in the dairy barn. Several live births are expected during the fair. • Twice each day, there is an opportunity to bottle feed a baby dairy calf at the Small Animal Experience in the Jansen barn. • Dozens of fairgoers can help to “make butter in a bag,” i.e., churn by
doing some vigorous shaking, in the Ag Adventure Center. • Dairy farmers on the fairgrounds — and there should be plenty of them — will be giving out “I Met a Dairy Farmer” ribbons to those they talk to. • Bring your camera and take a photo of your friends and family with a cow. The Dairy Cow Photo Op will be in the northeast corner of dairy barn; look on the official schedule for exact times. • From 5 to 6 p.m. each day, meet the Whatcom County Dairy Ambassadors of 2011 — Danae Tiemersma, Taylor Sytsma and Victoria Wasisco — near the milking parlor. • Dairy families will be featured in the fair’s opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15, in the Washington Tractor Arena. During the preceding Blue and Green Parade, the Dairy PRIDE sign will lead the way. • Closing day Saturday brings a pair of special attractions. At 1 p.m. 4-H kids will compete in the Best Decorated Cow Contest in the dairy barn show area. At 4 p.m. anyone can participate in the Cow Hand Milking Contest. This is all in addition to the regular dairy cattle exhibits, shows and judging going on in the dairy barn each day. Check the official schedule for details. And look up occasionally to see the giant dairy scene art mural that is painted all the time on the big water tank on the fairgrounds. — Calvin Bratt