WESLEY — On a farm south of Wesley, it is not unusual to see 16-year-old Macy Grein working with a hog or a sheep or a duck in preparation for the Kossuth County Fair.
Near Bode, 15-year-old Jackie Reding can be seen out in her garden weeding around her peppers, green beans and onions; also in preparation for the Kossuth County Fair.
This year’s week-long event will run from July 30 to Aug. 5., at the Kossuth County Fairgrounds in Algona.
“My favorite part about going to the fair is seeing friends and getting to show what you worked so hard on,” said Grein, whose parents, Andy and Joni Grein, operate a farm south of Wesley.
Reding, whose parents Jeff and Tami Reding, have a farm outside of Bode, is in her first year of FFA. “I usually go to the fair with my friends, but this year’s will be different,” she said. “I will be more involved. I will spend more time there and look at more stuff.” Reding got involved in FFA this year because she found that it was interesting for her.
At the fair, she will be showing peppers and green beans for sure and possibly onions.
In her garden, she also has cabbage, potatoes, peas and broccoli.
Her father helped her plant the vegetable garden, but afterward it has become Reding’s project. Weeding has been a chore for Reding.
She spends at least an hour each morning going through the garden pulling weeds. In all, Reding believes she has spent at 40 hours preparing her vegetables for the fair.
For more on this story, please see the July 20 issue of the Kossuth County Advance.