COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Farm Bureau Day at the State Fair means members can get in for free today. That is one way the fair shows appreciation for farmers and agriculture, which fairgoers can learn more about daily.
"I am fourth generation on my side of the family," Amanda Lutz said. "My father milked dairy cows when I was growing up, and now I do."
In addition to the food and the rides, livestock is another key part of the fair. Lutz, a farmer and owner of Her-Man Jerseys in Chester, has shown off her cattle here since 2007.
"It's getting to interact with the public and teaching them about our industry and about our cows and about dairy farming and just being able to reach out to them so that they can put a face to where their milk is coming from or their food is coming from," Lutz said. "It's amazing to me that, you know, a lot of people just think they go to the store and buy their food and they don't realize exactly everything that goes into putting the food in the store. And we just need to do a better job as industry and as agriculture in general of educating the general public so that they know what facts are and what some of the myths might be."
Fairgoers Jessica Jenkins and her daughter Julianna said they appreciate meeting with farmers like Lutz.
"I mean, it is so much work," Jenkins said. "It's so hard to take care of these animals, and having access to the people that care for them on the day-to-day is a big deal to be able to ask the question to know where your food is coming from and all the hard work that goes behind it and to watch them."
Hobbs Lutz is 13 years old and, having grown up on a farm, thinks exposing other kids to it can be helpful.
"See, if for younger kids it might want to be a career path that they want to take one day or just give them opportunities to see what they're interested in," Hobb said.
Superintendent of Livestock Shows Tom Dobbins said it's also a way to highlight an industry with deep roots in the state.
"When you think about the South Carolina State Fair is based on, it's run by the South Carolina Agriculture Society. And so, agriculture is the number one industry in South Carolina. Most people don't understand that and don't realize that that is our number one economic driver in this state. As you look at the South Carolina State Fair, it plays a lot of tribute to agriculture in the past, the present and in the future," Dobbins said. "I'm a member of the South Carolina Farm Bureau. They really support agriculture; they support locally grown initiatives. But the best thing about it they support young people wanting to learn more about agriculture, whether that's on the farm, their ag in the classroom program that they got, it's to teach everybody about agriculture, the importance of food safety and the importance of locally grown products."
You can find livestock and shows at the fair near the George B. Nutt Cattle Arena nearly every day.