The Washington County Fair's Dairy Barn is a busy place.

The fair typically is the culmination, the crowning achievement of a busy year and a lot of hard work. Walking through the Dairyland Seed Dairy Barn, located on the grounds of the Washington County Fair, is a chance to get up close with prize-winning dairy cattle and meet local 4-H and FFA youth showcasing their animals.

"It's a lot of sweat and tears," according to a smiling mother of one hard working 4-H member in the dairy barn on Tuesday, July 21 - opening day of the Washington County Fair.  

You get the feeling that it's all worth it.

Kids can get involved with raising cows and cattle through impressive programs with agricultural clubs. They offer hands-on animal husbandry, breeding, and showing projects that teach critical life skills, like responsibility.

"It's a major undertaking for these kids," according to Chairman of the Livestock Sale Steve Yontz. "The Washington County Junior Livestock Auction is a big event, it's a huge night for those kids.  It teaches the kids great responsibility. They learn about money, they learn about work ethic. They learn to deal with adults, they have to contact people to come and buy their animals at the fair. When they are done with this project, they are considerably more prepared for the world than most kids nowadays." 

It's quite a sight when the annual auction begins at the Farm Progress Arena. It's filled with people, with the crowd spilling out and surrounding the arena. Registration starts at 4 p.m. and the auction begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 23. 

All of the feeding, watering, grooming and training that goes into raising and showing a calf comes down to one moment at the Washington County Fair. And they walk away with a well deserved paycheck and valuable business skills from managing feed costs, tracking expenses and understanding the beef or dairy market. 

Perhaps the most amazing part of this process is how composed the animals and handlers are while showing in front of a large crowd.

Those funds usually go toward their college expenses or toward their next project.