South County families create their own livestock fair

Santa Clara County fairgrounds leaders caused an uproar this year for pushing the annual fair date to keep vendors happy and – as a consequence – some youth farmers out of contention for junior livestock shows.

The parents’ response: Fine, we’ll organize our own.

Preparations for an alternative fair are now underway among farmers in South County, one of the South Bay’s last remaining agricultural vestiges, as a form of protest against the county fair’s new Aug. 19-23 dates this year. All elementary through high school age students participating in two agricultural student programs – 4-H and Future Farmers of America – can show their cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and chickens at the new “South Valley Ag Fair.” The alternative event will run July 27 and July 28 at Thorson’s Arena in San Martin with an auction on Aug. 1 at Rancher’s Choice Stockyard in Aromas, off Highway 101.

“I grew up in San Jose and have attended the Santa Clara County Fair since the late 1970s,” Megan Davies, a parent of three Gilroy High School farming students who’s supporting the new fair, told San José Spotlight. “(The county fair) is not an event my family will be supporting moving forward.”

Organizers didn’t have the details yet on operating costs, funding or expected attendance for the alternative event. But they said sponsorships are steadily flowing in with official backing from Future Farmers of America and support from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students and faculty who run the Western Bonanza Junior Livestock Show – considered the “Best in the West” for such events – in Paso Robles every year. They added the Cal Poly Livestock judging team will be involved.

“Many of the livestock families and FFA chapters as well as some local 4-H clubs have come together and we have created our own ‘Fair’ as a solution to our current situation,” Monica Simon, a former FFA member whose child is in the program in Morgan Hill, told San José Spotlight. “I think the Santa Clara County Fair will look much different this year as well as in the future as a result of our new fair and community support we are receiving.”

Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Executive Director Salene Duarte is taking the alternative fair in stride.

“We really don’t see the South Valley Ag Fair as competition,” Duarte told San José Spotlight. “Instead, we think it’s another great place for young people to show their animals and keep building their skills—whether that’s caring for animals, being a leader, keeping records or speaking in public.”

The county fair has traditionally happened in the month of July. Duarte has said the new August dates are meant to accommodate post-pandemic shifts to fair vendors’ schedules, and will likely be the date for future years. The change was announced last December, months after youth farmers — some of whom will start college out of town by the new date — had already purchased cattle and bred sows. Parents said that would have forced youth farmers to balance their participation in the junior livestock shows with their first week of school. Parents said the date change would also affect some youth finalizing their farmer degrees. It also possibly meant three extra weeks of financial burden to feed and care for livestock.

“These kids and teens are our future farmers, ag teachers and veterinarians,” Davies said. “It is with pride that I fully support this amazing coming together of the community for our agriculture youth.”

Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.