Summer in Butler County offers residents numerous opportunities to support local farmers.

According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are 955 farms in the county and 94 are family farms.

“Fresh from the farm” is readily available here. There are farm markets sponsored in communities like Butler, Slippery Rock and Zelienople, farms have their own stands and some entrepreneurs sell what they grow from the side of the road. Even supermarkets tout locally grown produce.

Eggs, milk, vegetables, fruit, beef and poultry – even garlic – can all be bought from local farmers.

A summer staple looked forward to by many is sliced fresh tomatoes with locally grown corn on the cob – and, yes, you will have to husk it.

Agriculture is showcased at the Big Butler Fair, traditionally offered over the week of July 4, and the Butler Farm Show, scheduled Aug. 8 to 13.

Remember to leave the midway and visit the barns. Take time to marvel at the beauty of the Swiss cows, the care taken with the grooming of the horses and their braided manes, the variety of bunnies and the energy of the goats.

Meet an alpaca. Stand beside a draft horse. Watch a pony race.

Parents can take their young children to see the livestock and talk to those who care for them.

Members of 4-H and FFA in the county compete and show off the animals they raised. The children, aged 5 to 18, decorate the stalls and clean the pens. In addition to the responsibility and knowledge learned from raising an animal, they must demonstrate poise and confidence in the ring.

The purpose of the fair and the farm show is to inspire. And those time-honored agricultural showcases do — for those that raise and grow our food and we who enjoy and are sustained by it.

On July 8, the fair board will host an awards program for the 4-H and FFA competitors. According to the fair premium booklet, “It is a special way to commend our young people in the county and let them know, they are the “Future in Agriculture!”

An equally important way to ensure the future of agriculture in Butler County is to make the effort to buy locally grown food. Here, we have the opportunity to talk to the farmer who is selling you the eggs, and learn about the kind of squash or beans they planted as you select some for your table.

Supporting our local farmers is a recipe for success.

— DJS