{"id":353375,"date":"2026-06-09T17:39:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/353375\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T17:39:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:39:10","slug":"south-county-families-create-their-own-livestock-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/353375\/","title":{"rendered":"South County families create their own livestock fair"},"content":{"rendered":"

Santa Clara County fairgrounds leaders caused an uproar this year for pushing the annual fair date to keep vendors happy and \u2013 as a consequence \u2013 some youth farmers out of contention for junior livestock shows.<\/p>\n

The parents\u2019 response: Fine, we\u2019ll organize our own.<\/p>\n

Preparations for an alternative fair<\/a> are now underway among farmers in South County, one of the South Bay\u2019s last remaining agricultural vestiges, as a form of protest<\/a> against the county fair\u2019s new Aug. 19-23 dates this year. All elementary through high school age students participating in two agricultural student programs \u2013 4-H and Future Farmers of America \u2013 can show their cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and chickens at the new \u201cSouth Valley Ag Fair.\u201d The alternative event will run July 27 and\u00a0July 28 at Thorson\u2019s Arena in San Martin with an auction on Aug. 1 at Rancher\u2019s Choice Stockyard in Aromas, off Highway 101.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in San Jose and have attended the Santa Clara County Fair since the late 1970s,\u201d Megan Davies, a parent of three Gilroy High School farming students who\u2019s supporting the new fair, told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201c(The county fair) is not an event my family will be supporting moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Organizers didn\u2019t have the\u00a0details 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 \u2013 considered the \u201cBest in the West<\/a>\u201d for such events \u2013 in Paso Robles every year. They added the Cal Poly Livestock judging team will be involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the livestock families and FFA chapters as well as some local 4-H clubs have come together and we have created our own \u2018Fair\u2019 as a solution to our current situation,\u201d Monica Simon, a former FFA member whose child is in the program in Morgan Hill, told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Executive Director Salene Duarte<\/a> is taking the alternative fair in stride.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really don\u2019t see the South Valley Ag Fair as competition,\u201d Duarte told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cInstead, we think it\u2019s another great place for young people to show their animals and keep building their skills\u2014whether that\u2019s caring for animals, being a leader, keeping records or speaking in public.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"In-line<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019 schedules, and will likely be the date for future years. The change was announced last December, months after youth farmers \u2014 some of whom will start college out of town by the new date \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese kids and teens are our future farmers, ag teachers and veterinarians,\u201d Davies said. \u201cIt is with pride that I fully support this amazing coming together of the community for our agriculture youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contact Brandon Pho at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>\u00a0or @brandonphooo on X.<\/p>\n

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