‘These Moments:’ Millers reflect on what fair has meant to them
Amanda Miller flips through a photo gallery on her phone with a smile.
“This is what I’m going to miss,” Miller says as she stops on a picture of her daughters, Abigale and Kaydence, in their 4-H uniforms last year. “These moments.”
All four Miller children — senior Abigale, sophomore Kaydence, eighth-grader Isabelle and fourth-grader Elijah — are part of the Pleasant View 4-H Club and were planning to show their hogs and goats at the Porterville Fair in May, until it was canceled on March 25 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
One element of the fair remains with the Save our Sale and Bid for the Kid allowing 4-H and FFA exhibitors to receive add-ons or sell one animal each. Buyer information must be received by 4 p.m. or postmarked Friday, May 1, for purchase or add-ons to sale animals, according to the Porterville Fair website. Visit portervillefair.com for more information.
“I was disappointed and sad for them. They didn’t get to have that experience,” said Amanda, who’s a co-leader for the Pleasant View 4-H Club and a former ag teacher. “Especially (Abigale’s) senior year and (Elijah’s) first.
“First year is a big deal too because he’s grown up watching his sisters. So for nine years he’s been waiting and waiting and waiting, and it’s his turn finally. And he definitely wanted to be with his sister, they would’ve been in the ring together.”
This year the Miller children raised two hogs, Abigale’s Lumpy (No. 1031) and Kaydence’s Miss Kitty (No. 1030), and two goats, Isabelle’s Bubbles (473) and Elijah’s Harry Truman (472).
“Most of us are just hoping that the community still shows its support like they normally do,” Shane Miller, the patriarch of the family, said. “Cause we usually get a huge amount of support at the fair and stuff, at the market. Hopefully they do still so that they at least make their money back because they pay for their own projects, we don’t pay for any of them.”
Between the cost of the animal, feeding, supplements, grooming, pen maintenance and more the cost of raising an animal for the fair can range from $800-1,500 according to the Millers.