A special way to be a part of the
Deschutes County Fair In our fast-paced world with its high-tech, complicated communication systems and travel, we tend to lose track of the simpler side of life. It’s amazing though, how words can conjure up memories of sights, sounds, and smells that instantly take us back to our childhood. Every year since
1919, these memories have been made for all Central Oregonians; generation after generation, families have benefited either through participation in or just enjoying a day together, at the County Fair. The Deschutes CountyFair is not run by a professional organization that goes
from town to town. It is run by the local fair association, with support from, 4-H volunteer leaders, FFA advisors, fair board, fair & expo staff, and volunteers. Your friends and neighbors, sharing their time to provide a vehicle to recognize the hard work of the youth involved. The Fair Association was established to run the county fair. Our local fair association consists of 30 volunteers who work hard to make sure the fair runs smoothly. You can’t miss them — they’re the hard working ones in the red vests. 4-H is one of the largest out-of-school youth programs in the Nation. It encourages youth to learn by doing, be it through animal science, home economics, art, or other project area. It helps youth, grades k-12, develop life skills through projects, leadership activities, and community service opportunities. In Deschutes County, 4-H serves and supports over 1,000 youth, their families and 200+ volunteer leaders. The OSU Extension Service is a program, through Oregon State University, that offers several local program areas,
including: forestry, small farms, commercial and residential horticulture and the master gardener program, a foods and nutrition education program, and, of course, youth development through the 4-H program. Within these programs, Extension offers many services and activities to the community to extend educational opportunities. FFA is a program offered to high school students in Bend, Redmond, and Sisters. It develops leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. FFA has been in existence for more than 70 years. In our county there are over 300 students involved. FFA Alumni is an affiliate to the FFA program; their purpose is to support agriculture programs and instructors with scholarships and project assistance and to send FFA members to state and national leadership conferences. The FFA Alumni work together with FFA advisors, as judges, guest speakers and activity coordinators.
The Bulletin & The Redmond Spokesman | 2013 Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo | 33