Jacksonville County Fair

The month before I gave birth, I headed to the county fair. How thrilling to find educational material scattered everywhere!

Interesting cow facts.

One new thing I learned: there are dairy cows and there are cows used for beef. (This from a kid who couldn’t have been more than 14 years old and sat in front of his prize cows.) Though the beef cows can produce milk, it isn’t enough to be used for dairy products, only enough really to feed their young. I did not know this. The things we learn from a young farmer. 🙂 I also learned from the Jacksonville Bee Keepers that you CAN keep bees in cold weather areas. Didn’t know that either.

Beautiful, chocolate cows that produce chocolate milk. 😀 (That was the comment that started the whole conversation.) He said, “These aren’t dairy cows.” Ohhhhhh…..

Of course, one of my main reasons for going was to find a candy apple. I search high and low for those things year-round and can only find them at the fair. Tart, super sour, granny smith apples in contrast to the hard red candy shell… sigh. THE best candy apple I ever bit into was hands down at the Jacksonville County Fair and the highlight of my day! The juice spurted and almost hit my husband in the face. It didn’t last long enough for a picture. Bummer too because you know I had it all over my face when I finished, which he usually points out to me, but didn’t this time. I came back from the bathroom saying, “Did you SEE MY FACE? Why didn’t you tell me?”

My favorite exhibition (mixed in with the rabbits and roosters) displayed old-timey farm equipment, making me wish I’d been born 100 years ago. Took us back in time. Here’s a gallery to share what we saw. A few blurry pictures taken in the midst of the excitement. Enjoy the fair!