Every summer, thousands of people pass through the gates of the Thurston County Fair.
Some come for the rides; some come for the food; some come for the concerts. Some come because it's simply become a family tradition. This year, my family is experiencing the fair through an entirely different lens.
For the first time, my daughter Sage is participating in the Thurston County Youth Market Animal Sale. That meant bringing home a lamb. She named him "Potato," or "Tato" for short.
Like most families jumping into something new, we didn't really know what to expect. What I've discovered over the past several months is that raising a market animal has very little to do with livestock.
It has everything to do with raising young people.
Every morning begins with responsibility, feedings, watering, checking on his health, cleaning his pen, monitoring his growth, and preparing for showmanship. There are no days off because it's raining. No vacations because you're tired. Potato still needs to eat. He still depends on someone showing up.
One thing I've learned through this experience is that Sage wasn't simply raising a lamb. She was learning to manage responsibility. She was budgeting feed, monitoring weight, paying attention to health, preparing for competition and discovering that another living creature depended entirely on her consistency. I've watched her confidence grow right alongside him. I've watched her learn that responsibility isn't something parents lecture about. It's something you practice, day after day. I've watched her discover that animals don't care about excuses. They care that you're there. I've watched her learn patience and consistency, work ethic, stewardship and, most importantly, accountability. Those are lessons that will stay with her long after this year's fair has ended.
Those lessons are exactly why organizations like 4-H, FFA, and the Thurston County Youth Market Sale matter. Many people assume the Youth Market Sale is simply about selling livestock; it isn't. It's about developing future leaders. Young people spend months raising, feeding, training, and caring for their animals while learning budgeting, record keeping, animal science, public speaking, showmanship, sportsmanship, entrepreneurship and responsibility.
Then they step into the show ring where complete strangers evaluate months of hard work. That takes courage.
After all that work comes the Youth Market Sale itself. Local businesses, families, organizations and community members purchase these market animals, not simply because they're buying high-quality agricultural products, but because they're investing directly in young people. Those purchases help students recover the cost of raising their animals, fund future agricultural projects, invest in college or trade school and often make it possible for them to return the following year with another project.
The buyers aren't simply purchasing an animal. They're investing in character.
Over the past five years alone, the Thurston County Youth Market Animal Sale has facilitated more than $1 million in livestock sales and youth sponsorships. That's more than an auction, It's a community investing in its future. At a recent commissioners meeting, Agriculture Program Manager Kevin Jensen said, "The future of agriculture in Thurston County is in the barns at the Thurston County Fair." He's absolutely right. The future isn't standing on four legs; it's standing beside them.
The young exhibitors represent the next generation of farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, agricultural educators, business owners, and community leaders. Leadership doesn't always begin behind a podium. Often times it begins behind a wheelbarrow. As a father, there's something uniquely rewarding about watching your own daughter discover confidence through hard work.
There's no shortcut. No app. No social media post. Just months of showing up. Every day. One feeding at a time. One lesson at a time.
In a world where so much of childhood happens behind screens, there's something refreshing about watching young people learn responsibility the old-fashioned way.
Before sunrise. After school.On weekends. Every day, regardless of the weather. The animals still need to be fed. They don't accept excuses. That's a remarkable teacher.
As county commissioner, I recently had the privilege of presenting this year's proclamation recognizing the 155th Thurston County Fair. Looking around the room at the young exhibitors, volunteers, fair staff and families who make this event possible, I was reminded that the fair has always been about much more than entertainment.
It's where generations come together. It's where agriculture meets the community. It's where traditions are passed from parents to children. It's where urban and rural Thurston County reconnect.
And it's one of the few places left where you can watch responsibility being taught in its most practical form. So this year, I have a small favor to ask. Come to the Thurston County Fair between July 30 and Aug. 2. Spend some time in the barns. Talk with the exhibitors and ask them about their projects. Listen to their stories. Then, if you're feeling adventurous, find Potato in the sheep barn. Take a selfie with him.
Send it to my Facebook page, Wayne Fournier, Thurston County Commissioner – District 4.
I'll post every photo, and whichever selfie receives the most reactions will win $100.
The prize is coming out of my own pocket, not the county's.
Mostly, though, I hope it gives you a reason to spend a little extra time in the barns.
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Wayne Fournier is a firefighter, Thurston County commissioner and former mayor who has spent more than three decades working in public safety. His column appears in The Chronicle twice each month.
