 The Beltrami County Fair is in full swing and today many 4-H members were ready to show off their different animals. Our Josh Peterson was there and shows us what it takes to make it to the state fair. Poultry, swine, and just about every other animal from the farm you can imagine can all be found at a county fair. But the stories of hard work and dedication behind each animal and what it takes to get show ready is what the county fair is all about. This year the Beltrami County Fair has seen a record number of 4-H entries, meaning that more and more kids are taking an interest in learning. The 4-H program is a big component of the county fair and I think a lot of people think they're just learning about their specific project here. They're learning about cows or poultry or gardening or whatever. What they're learning is life skills. In the swine barn the work is never done. There's always constant cleaning and pig washing taking place. All this work is done in hopes of securing a place at the Minnesota State Fair. A lot of hard work. You have to put a lot of work in walking your pigs and feeding them every day and just working with them and being with them. When it comes to judging there is certain criteria each judge looks for when working a county fair. For many of the judges it's all about providing an education for each presenter. You're looking to get the animals lined up, but 4-H is so much more than that because you're dealing with the kids and it's a learning process for the kids. The key for longevity in the 4-H program is starting kids young. The clover buds are the youngest 4-H members that are learning the basics of showing animals at the county fair. In this clover bud opportunity showcasing their animals from the county fair here in Beltrami gives them that opportunity to learn from the judge to get information about how to become a quality showman. For many of the kids in 4-H it's a learning experience taking the judges critique and applying it so that if they're lucky enough to win a trip to the state fair they will be prepared for the biggest stage in the state. In Bemidji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. The Beltrami County Fair runs each day through Sunday. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.