Revitalizing our roots
Fairgrounds committee fundraises to retire construction debt
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RONAN – Agriculture in the Mission Valley isn’t just a means of survival; it’s good, clean fun that teaches values and the true meaning of hard work to younger generations. While many ranchers are growing old and retiring from the business, it’s getting harder and harder to find young people willing to take the reins. This is not only the case in the Mission Valley, but is a rising trend in North America.
Locally, one of the best ways for children and young adults to learn about agriculture is the Lake County Fair, which boasts multiple events in showing and caring for various farm animals.
In 1945, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes gifted a piece of land for the sole purpose of having a place for the Lake County Fair. Arena bleachers were built in the 1920s, and over the years the support under the bleachers deteriorated until the structure was deemed unsafe last year.
“The stringers that go from the top to the bottom were wooden and broken down and rotten,” Ronan Fairgrounds Chair Sjaan Vincent said.
Upon discovering the need for urgent repair before rodeo and fair season, the fair board completely renovated the arena seating in July.
“It’s a nice arena and new seating for the community to enjoy,” Vincent said.
It cost $28,405 to fully repair the seating. The project prompted a group of concerned community members to form “Friends of the Fairgrounds” with the purpose of providing the Lake County Fair Board with much-needed funding to pay the debt without any taxpayer burden.
With the help of the Friends of the Fairgrounds, the fair board has cut the debt down to $15,000, and will hold an Equine Expo and auction May 5 to raise funds to pay off the remaining debt.
“This is the agriculture center of the Valley, so the project is preserving the ag heritage,” Vincent said. “(The arena) gives youth a place to (learn about) agriculture and is also a tourism spot.”
According to Vincent, the expo will be a one-stop shop, with 30-minute horse events filling the daylong showcase. The main goal is to connect different groups and clubs with horse breeders from around Western Montana. Around 25 to 30 horse breeders reside in the Mission Valley alone, with many, if not all, of them planning to attend the expo.
Children will be treated to games and a mechanical bull clinic, and Vincent is organizing a horse-decorating contest.
At the live auction, items like a riding lawn mower, car, and an hour’s worth of backhoe service will be sold to raise funds, all of which will go towards retiring the fairground debt.
Ronan farm owners David and Milla Koger say the decline of interest in agriculture for area youth makes it tough to find farm hands under age 65.
“I’ve seen a lot of consolidation, and (we’ve) lost a lot of ranches,” David said. “What we’re doing (by fixing the fairgrounds) is getting more young people interested in agriculture to stay here. It’s hard for us to find people to move water lines and stack hay, and a lot of other ranchers have had a hard time getting help, (too).”
“We want to support them and have a place for them to meet,” wife Milla said. “Agriculture is the No. 1 income in Montana. I wanted to support 4-H because it’s such a positive thing.”
She went on to add that children involved with 4-H learn lifetime skills that are invaluable for the community.
“Ag is good, clean fun and necessary for our survival,” Milla noted. “It’s very disciplined.”
Continuing the Lake County Fair in Ronan also promotes economic development by attracting tourist traffic through town in the summer months, a resource the fairgrounds should tap into, Vincent says.
The Friends of the Fairgrounds is not directly related to the Pioneer Days Company, which organizes Pioneer Days, a western festival that coincides with the fair each year. Pioneer Days works with the City of Ronan, while the Fair Board is run through Lake County. Pioneer Days is still working on development of the Mission Range Event Complex (MREC) west of town, according to Robin Nelson.
Anyone interested in donating items for the auction can contact Ken Snyder at 261-1759, or 676-9441.
“We want to introduce the community to the arena and welcome them to use it,” Vincent smiled.
