Fair, Food, Fun! Fair food scents fill the air, friends and families enjoy the numerous activities, and 4-H’ers showcase the projects that they have worked so hard on. County fairs are the highlight of summertime, embracing all of the events, activities and moments that make summer so fun! Hopefully, you have had an opportunity to visit a county fair. Our State Officer team has had the honor to travel to our teammate’s county fairs to celebrate their achievements and to experience the place that we have heard so much about. We had the opportunity to visit the Clay County 4-H Queen and Princess Pageant and celebrate our 2014 Clay County 4-H Princess, Chaela Minor. Not only were we able to honor Chaela’s reign as princess, but experience her home community and congratulate the newly selected royalty. It was a great opportunity to meet Chaela’s family and friends while supporting Chaela as she showed her heifer and sheep and her many achievements throughout the 4-H program. Thank you South Newton FFA for the AMAZING Lemon Shake-Up's! Newton County welcomed our team with open arms as we traveled to Kentland, Indiana for our teammates Logan and Nathan. We celebrated with Logan and she received her 10-year member awards and showed her hogs. Our team had the opportunity to meet both family and friends of Nathan and Logan. To conclude the day, we were able to enjoy the tractor pull – and were even announced during the pull! Thank you to South Newton FFA for the lemon shake-ups and North Newton for the delicious food. Our team had a wonderful time promoting Indiana FFA at the Johnson County Fair Parade. Although Franklin, Indiana is a quick 15-minute drive from the Indiana FFA Leadership Center, Johnson County is the place that I call home. I had so much fun showing my teammates everything about my favorite county fair and meet my family and friends. I am so thankful for their support while showing my steers, receiving my 10 year awards and celebrating my project achievements with me. We had the honor to have a float in the Fair Parade, serve milkshakes at the Farm Bureau Building, enjoy Indian Creek Ice Cream (Thank You to Indian Creek FFA!), attend various events and even participate in Farmer’s Olympics.   We are looking forward to cheering on Sneha as she competes in Public Speaking in Hamilton County, hearing Leah’s stories from her time in Hancock County 4-H and heading to Boone County for Jessica’s county fair. Three different fairs, four teammates and more to fairs to come within the next week – but this represents something greater than fair, food and fun! We have experienced where our teammates call home, the places that they have made memories, interacted with FFA members, and celebrated our teammate’s achievements at their county fairs. We enjoyed our time at the Newton County Tractor Pull - and all of the County Fairs we visited! The saying ‘Always Famous in your Home Town’ rings true throughout these experiences. At each stop, we have seen supportive and loving communities who truly care about their ‘hometown hero’ and the entire team. Seeing where our teammates come from, hearing about their stories and diving deeper into exploring the beautiful state of Indiana has held great value through our country fair experience. From meaningful conversations to free food and attractions to new friendships, these communities have amplified the opportunity to embrace us and make us feel like we are a part of their home. In conclusion, thank you to each and every community for being a part of the village that it takes to raise a child. Thank you for including us in your county fair celebrations and sharing each teammate with us this year! We are so thankful for the communities and county fairs we have visited and are looking for to continuing to visit the remaining within the next week. It has been an honor to come and to be included in your activities. So thank you, for not only the days we have spent with you, but the teammate you have given us. As county fairs continue to conclude, the State Officers look forward to seeing you during the Indiana State Fair Work and Experience Days! The State Fair is quickly approaching and YOU have the opportunity to come help set up the FFA Pavilion during Set-Up Days and interact with the public during State Fair Experience Days! Please ask your advisor or contact any of your district officers with any questions. The State Officers cannot wait to see you amplify FFA at the Indiana FFA State Fair! With Gratitude, Emily Dougherty 2016-2017 State Southern Region VicePresident