By Allen Hamrick
If you love the smell of barnyard with hog poo scent burning the hair in your sinuses, then the newly named Don Jarvis Memorial Park was the place to be this past weekend. Don Jarvis was one of those men who put others, especially the youth of this county, ahead of himself. He was instrumental in getting the park established in the early years. Mr. Jarvis passed in 2024 but left a legacy that will be remembered by many for years to come. Renaming the park is but a small sentiment to the life and passion he had for this county.
This year’s Clay County Ag Fair will go down in history books as one of the hottest, if not the hottest, Ag Fair on record. The only thing that was not sweating was the empty glass after the lemonade was gone. Hogs were looking for mud holes where there were none, running wild and crashing gates on occasion as the heat intensified. It was a melting box as Friday evening ushered in the festivities with the ribbon cutting. Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture Amie Minor had the honor of cutting the ribbon this year.
As the floor fans pumped out the stifling air across the building, this year’s queen, Katie Davis, was crowned by the Assistant Commissioner, and the barnyard parade got underway as some of the finest goats and rabbits strutted in front of the onlookers. Once that was over, it was time to roll out the red carpet for some of the finest looking ham, sausage and pulled pork ever seen at any event. I kid you not, every one of the hogs was of the finest quality and a welcome sight to the buyers. This year’s judge, Peyton Dugan, would have a challenging time with this bunch of swine as each one looked equally as good as the other. The hogs, like everybody else, were having a tough time with the heat and weren’t enjoying the party. Many of them laid down and refused to move, picking sure death over walking. However, boots were hoisted on the gates as the hogs did their best to escape, and the battle for containment was on. All the youth did a great job, but in the end, it was Jase Young taking home top hog honors with his pair of hogs as one was Grand Champion, and the other one took reserve Grand Champion. Jase did a fine job and seemingly took care of those hogs like they were part of the family. His hog Sage took home the Grand Champion market hog ribbon. The hog show wound down, and it was time for some much-needed R and R for the hogs and their keepers.
Saturday ushered in a new day with vendors setting up their wares outside the barn. This day brought about the fluff parade of rabbits, goats, chickens, sheep and cattle that took the stage. Judging started, and when the cutting was done, it was Matthew Neely taking home the Grand Champion market rabbit award. Savannah Rhodes took home the Reserve Champion award in the market rabbits. The Grand Champion meat goat award went to Adrian Davis and Reserve Champion was Jeremiah Davis. Taking home the Grand Champion feeder steer was Isaac Lilly as well as the showman ship award
Taking home the Grand Champion award for market wool breed lambs was Katie Davis, and Reserve Champion went to Gemalynn Lilly. In the market hair breed lamb class, Grand Champion was Carsynn Holcomb-Bennett, and Reserve Champion went to Lydia Shamblin. Taking home the FFA Showmanship award was Elijah Armes, and the 4-H Showmanship award went to Addison Jones.
After all the judging took place, it was time to get ready for the auction. Before that event started, the buyer’s dinner with some of the finest food was spread out on tables in grand fashion. The stands started to fill with bidders, and it was a great time for the youth to understand the meaning of hard work paying off. Overall, it was a good show, and participants walked away from the event with good memories, some with pockets of money and most dropped about five pounds from sweating in the heat. Some of the youth of this county still hold true the ideals of farm life and have a desire for this way of living by the sweat of your brow to continue. They did a great job of raising some of the most superb farm animals I have seen.
This event wouldn’t even take place if not for the figures that stand in the fields and pens, who brave the elements day after day. To them we raise a glass of warm goat milk and offer gratitude. The human ones who were at the helm of the Agriculture Fair also did a fine job of putting it together; it was a hot job to say the least, and it is good that we still have people who invest time and effort into the younger generation in this county. Many thanks go out to all the bidders that showed up in support of the kids. Special thanks to Betsy Keiffer for help with the information. As the evening sank across the horizon and the 2025 Ag Fair came to a close, a person could hear the hogs a hummin’, “Oh where, oh where has my mud hold gone? Oh where, oh where could it be? It’s over the ridge where the lilies bloom on the other side of the creek.”
Support the youth, they are our future!
