‘We don’t have kids to help us raise our livestock. We have livestock to help us raise our kids’
Sure, people go to the Northwest Washington Fair for the food, the rides and the Grandstand entertainment.
But when it comes right down to it, their favorite part of the fair — by a wide margin — is the animals.
That’s what they say when surveyed, according to Jim Baron, general manager for the fair, which runs through Saturday, Aug. 17, in Lynden. An estimated 200,000 people are expected to attend.
“I think another question is why is that important to them?” Baron said.
People are more removed from farming in this day, but they still want to know where their food is coming from and they still want to be closer to agriculture, he speculated.
To Baron, the animals and the people who raise them are the fair’s biggest stars.
On Tuesday morning, Aug. 13, six of those stars were in the show ring in the Henry Jansen Agricultural Center in the form of the Brink siblings and three of their Angus heifers. The siblings are all part of Pure Country Kids North 4-H Club, and this event was for 4-H kids.
Jackson walked Buttercup on a halter, Madelyn led Duchess, and Wyatt did the same with Lizzy.
There was one other contestant in this category for Angus, which focused on late-summer yearling heifers.
The judge studied the beef cattle and awarded the siblings first, second and third place for their animals.
It was one of a number of events they competed in on Tuesday while their parents Branden and Heather Brink, both 39, watched.
By the time they’re done, the siblings will have competed in 30 showings among them during fair week. The animals will be judged for ideal characteristics and the siblings will be judged for their showmanship, which measures how well they handle the animals.
A total of 572 youths in 4-H and FFA exhibit their animals at the fair.
In all, the Brink family brought seven animals from their 15-acre farm north of Lynden to the fair.
In addition to the heifers, there was an unnamed market hog and two Angus bulls named Hank and Baker.
They also brought Rosie, a Lim-Flex heifer that is a cross between Limousin and Angus cattle, for 10-year-old Jackson to show. Jackson also showed the market hog.
“The point is for you to show off your best animals,” said Branden Brink, a captain for the Lynden Fire Department and president of the Whatcom County Cattlemen’s Association.
The fire department is Branden’s full-time job. The family also raises about 30 head of cattle for its business, Double B Angus.
When the fair ends, the cattle, which are breeders, will return home with the family. The hog is auctioned off for meat.
Long days
Wyatt, 17, and Madelyn, 14, have been showing beef cattle at the fair since 2013. This year was Jackson’s first year showing cattle, although he’s been the one with the market hog for two years.
Fair week makes for long days and nights.
Each day, the family’s at the fairgrounds by 6 a.m. to prepare and care for their animals and return home as late as 10:30 p.m.
They dropped off their cattle and hog in the Henry Jansen Agricultural Center, which also houses goats, hogs and sheep on Sunday, Aug. 11 — the day before the fair opened.
The animals, which rest on wood shavings in stalls, are there for public viewing as well. In addition to Angus, visitors ambling through the building can see other breeds that include Hereford and long-haired Highland and read about them on posted signs.
The families also are there to answer questions from the public.
Branden didn’t grow up raising cattle. As a teen he did a little milking on dairy farms and just always wanted a farm of his own. He preferred that life to living in the city limits of Lynden, where there was no place for the kids to roam.
Showing animals is a natural part of what the family does, Branden said.
It’s about “teaching the kids work ethic, how to take care of things, how to problem-solve,” he said.
Branden further referred to a saying that he posted on his Facebook page: “We don’t have kids to help us raise our livestock. We have livestock to help us raise our kids.”
“For us, the work ethic that’s built, learning how to take care of another living creature, that’s kind of the basis for us,” Branden said.
And while the fair is about a lot of work for the youngsters — they’re also judged on how clean they keep their animals and their stalls — it also gives them a chance to hang out with their friends, eat fair food and go on fair rides.
So said Madelyn.
As far as her showing, “It’s going better than last year,” Madelyn said, adding that being in the show ring was her favorite part.
Which animal is her favorite? That’s Hank, the yearling, which she described as the “little bull calf.”
“He’s easy to walk around,” Madelyn said. “He’s probably one of the tamest.”
Fair prep
On Thursday morning before the fair started, Madelyn and Jackson were busy at the family’s farm.
They cleaned the pens, fed the cows, and washed Rosie and Buttercup with Aloe Advantage concentrated shampoo to help keep their coats healthy and shiny.
Jackson blowdried Rosie’s black hair until it looked velvety. Branden then showed Jackson how to use the clippers on Rosie’s tail for a touch-up.
There’s a certain way to clip the cattle to blend the hair and to make them look as big as possible, Heather explained.
“There’s an art to it,” Heather said.
On Sunday, when they packed up the animals, the family took a bunch of other things they needed to care for them and make them show-ready, including show halters, brushes, combs, blowdryer, buckets, pitchfork, brooms, shampoo and tail glue.
Then, off they went to the fair.
Going to the fair
Where: Northwest Washington Fair and Events Center, 1775 Front St. in Lynden.
When: Gates open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Saturday, Aug. 17; carnival rides and games are open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Entry cost: Gate admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors 62 and older and $9 for youth ages 6-12. Children 5 and younger get in for free.
More information: Go to nwwafair.com or call 360-354-4111.
This story was originally published August 16, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
