Exchange Celebrates over 50 Years of Fair Stories
Published: Friday, July 10, 2026
County fair season is when the Exchange shines brightest. One of the paper's most repeated phrases in editorials this time of year is "See You at the Fairs."
As best as the editor can determine, Michiana's Popular Farm Paper has been covering county fairs since the mid-1970s. That amounts to 50-plus years of photographing the grand champion beef steer, barrow, market lamb and other livestock.
It's no small undertaking. Exchange editors, with help from freelance writers and photographers, travel to every county fairground in the paper's 28-county coverage area, plus the Indiana State Fair. Every effort is made to run a complete photo spread of all grand champion livestock from each fair, along with stories summarizing the 4-H/youth auctions.
The Exchange's fair coverage has mirrored the changes in county fairs and 4-H auctions. In the 1970s, most county fairs were held in August, concluding their respective runs before the start of the school year. However, as school calendars encroached upon mid-August, many county fairs moved up their events to avoid conflicts. In 2026, the county fair season in Michiana began in June.
Another difference is the economics of the 4-H auctions. Today's 4-H livestock sell for much higher prices than 50 years ago, and auction totals reflect those increases. In 1980, for example, the Elkhart County 4-H auction made headlines for breaking the $200,000 mark. In 2025, that auction surpassed $2 million in receipts.
Today's 4-H auctions feature more than just steers, hogs and sheep. Four-H'ers also exhibit and sell dairy and beef feeder calves, meat and dairy wethers, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, and both dairy and goat milk.
Every summer, Exchange editors endeavor to capture photos of the grand champion market animals from each county fair. The only year that didn't happen was 2020, when many fairs canceled their events due to the pandemic.
After five decades, the old motto still rings true: "See You at the Fairs."
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