Photo by Jim Muchlinski Marvin and Diane Patten volunteering for their 34th straight Yellow Medicine County Fair.

CANBY — The Yellow Medicine County Fair is an annual tradition for Marvin and Diane Patten, one that involves helping to sustain public interest in everything it has to offer.

The Pattens were at their usual post this week next to the fair’s open class exhibits. Marvin is still a county fair board member, a role that goes back to the 1980s when Lloyd Barber of Granite Falls was looking for someone to take over his board seat.

Patten, who used to own a floral shop and greenhouse in Granite Falls, decided fair board involvement would tie in with the interest his four children had in activities that relate to 4-H projects. All of them participated in the Stony Run Runners 4-H Club from Stony Run Township, Yellow Medicine County’s northeasternmost township that stretches from Granite Falls to Montevideo.

“At first I wasn’t sure about serving on the fair board, but Lloyd talked me into it,” Marvin said. “We enjoyed being involved in the fair and kept coming back.”

At first their biggest responsibility during the four-day fair involved managing the sheep barn, which allowed him to play a direct role in helping with his children’s animal shows. Their 4-H sheep were raised in a pen located at the back of the greenhouse property.

He and Diane then moved over to managing open class exhibits because of how they include many flower and vegetable entries similar to what they had at their business.

Diane said most of the time during the fair is spent keeping exhibits organized. They place awards next to each one that show how entrants finished in the open class judging process.. Until the fair closes on Sunday, they ensure that all displays are kept in order and that the exhibit area stays clean.

An even larger share of their time is spent talking with fairgoers; who include people of all ages, residents of many different communities within a fairly short driving distance of Canby, and a few former area residents who stop at the fair while visiting their home area on a summer vacation.

Questions from fairgoers usually fit into one of two categories. Sometimes people ask about a particular garden plant, craft item, or other entry to learn if they might be able to accomplish the same thing at home.

In recent years a growing number of guests at the fair also ask about how much time certain projects take, and wonder how fair participants find enough time to spend on them considering the other time-related demands most people face in the 21st century.

“We’ve explained that people just enjoy it,” Diane said. “We don’t worry about the time we spend because it involves relaxing projects. We can also look ahead to how we’ll eventually see the rewards.”

She said enthusiasm and encouragement from those who organize county fairs might encourage people to try the same pastimes or expand on what they’ve already done.

“Local fairs are still a good chance to meet people and to share our interests,” she said. “Sometimes we’ll see several generations of family members enjoying the fair. That’s encouraging. It shows that younger generations are still getting a chance to go the fair.”

She added that experiences in 4-H influenced what all four of their children did later in life. One of their daughters, Lisa Fest, served as an Extension 4-H program coordinator in Jackson County before taking a job with the Jackson County Central School District.

One of their sons, Jeff, raises and sells sheep in Montana. Their other son Steven lives in Blaine and still enjoys gardening.

They moved to Clara City after retirement, which means they live closer to their daughter, Cynthia Van der Pol, who is part of a farm operation that produces grass fed beef and hogs.

Marvin, who was part of Redwood County’s Loyal Scotties 4-H Club in the Delhi area north of Redwood Falls while growing up, said the Yellow Medicine County Fair is one out of at least four that he and Diane attend during a typical summer. They also take part in county fairs located in Chippewa, Swift and Kandiyohi counties.

“We’ve never totally retired from horticulture,” Marvin said. “We still have three gardens. Those and the fairs keep us busy every summer.”