Flathead 4-H Northwest Montana Fair

Published: 2022
By Richard Balestri

Hundreds of Flathead County 4-H members participated in a wide range of projects at the 2022 Northwest Montana (NW MT) Fair. Nearly 40% showed a market livestock animal (steer, hog, or sheep) and participated in the showmanship, market, and carcass competitions for their animal’s respective species. Flathead 4-H youth participating in the market livestock projects improved their discipline, goal-setting, and record-keeping skills during the rigorous, six-plus month process of raising, training, and showing animals. Also, Flathead 4-H members submitted over 1,500 total entries for the NW MT Fair 4-H horse, dog, goat, small animal, mini-horse, general, and home economics project competitions. The animal-related project competitions at the 2022 NW MT Fair required the Flathead 4-H youth to display composure under demanding circumstances and commitment to training their animals over the preceding year. The Flathead 4-H level of participation during the 2022 NW MT Fair rebounded after two years of decline in 2020 and 2021. Wade Willis, a first-year member of the Flathead County Glacier Stars 4-H club competed in the swine (showmanship, market, and carcass) and woodworking projects at the August 2022 Northwest Montana Fair. He commented on his 4-H fair experience, “Everyone is so nice and helpful. This makes me want to be a better person. Now that they have taken time to help me, I want to help everyone too.”