It was my day at the county fair; my chance to sit back, relax and watch the open dairy show that normally features some of the best dairy cattle in the state, and this year was no different. I took my camera just in case, but mostly I was there to enjoy a show where I didn’t have to take pictures or type up results.

It was a beautiful, clear morning and the warmth of the sun was inviting, warming up the small crowd that had gathered in the bleachers. Some young people, but mostly retired farmers, grandparents and veterans of the county fair, were scattered around the ring.

Sitting next to Duane and his wife, 4-H leaders for some 40 years, I heard him begin to rattle off all the noteworthy events that had taken place throughout the week.

He began with the tree branch that fell on a truck and ended with the familiar story that he and his wife have never gone away overnight their entire married life, but that their vacation is the week of the county fair.

Of course, his chatter wasn’t constant; it was interspersed with greetings to anyone who climbed up into the bleachers, him calling each one by name. And if he didn’t know them, he introduced himself – never meeting a stranger.

While I sat on those bleachers I listened to the men and women visiting around me. Talk ranged from who had the champion hog to the acknowledgement of a family of sheep exhibitors that been showing for 99 years at the fair.

There was conversation of the antique tractor display, reminiscing of plowing with a John Deere 720 and who had the best herd of Jerseys in the county.

One of the most successful dairymen in the county sat behind me and welcomed by name almost every person who found a place to perch in the bleachers.

Free milk and doughnuts are a tradition of the show and as I passed out the freshly made doughnuts to the crowd, folks from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana – some friends for 50 years, some friends for five minutes – all enjoyed delicious food and sweet, reminiscent conversation on a quiet morning in the bleachers at the county fair.

Five days later found me sitting with thousands of dairy enthusiasts from all over the world, watching some of the best cattle parade across the colored shavings at the “Big Dance,” otherwise known as World Dairy Expo.

While that was an exciting event that we anticipate and count down the days to, my morning in the bleachers at the county fair with 25 people was somehow equally as satisfying – reminding me the Big Dance has its roots in the sawdust of that tiny ring where neighbors meet to compete, solidify friendships and build family traditions.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.