We believe that the 2015 Berlin Fair date interferes with school dates and was not planned with 4Hers in mind. 4H exhibites are the main attraction at the Berlin Fair and we believe that this new date will make it very difficult for members to enjoy their time at the fair. It is not fun for kids to have to work everyday after school to train their animals when they should have the majority of the summer to work coutless hours with their animals. Please help to change the 2015 Berlin Fair date and make fair fun for 4Hers once agian!
This new date is not convent for members that attend day school until June. The majority of schools get out on Friday, June 5th and others are still in session during this new fair date. For many, the last two weeks of school are filled with very important final exams and it is nearly impossibly for members to study for these exams and continue to work with their animals before show day. This new date will force members to chose between their entire educational future and their 4H projects. With this date being so early, members will have less time to work with their animals resulting in the possiblity of untrained animals that could be sent home early or could cause physical injury. In the past, 4H equestrian shows have been the Friday before fair week begins. With this new date members will not be able to attend the show because of final exams at school, posing as another school conflict with this new date.
This date is also not convient for those who breed animals that will later be prepared to come to the fair. Also, June is a very busy time for those in the agriculture industry.
This new date also does not allow for some crops and produce in the exhibit barn to be put out on display. In addition, it does not give much time for members to work on other exhibits.
In 2014, the fair date was moved to June 16-21 in hopes for cooler weather and higher attendence. The average temperature the week of June 15-21 was 65 degrees. In July 2013, the week of the Berlin fair, the average temparature was 82 degrees. One year later, the week of July 13-19 (which would have been the 2014 fair date) the average was 66 degrees, just one degree warmer than the week in June. This proves nothing but that weather is unpredictable and should not be a large factor when deciding the fair date.
There are many cons to moving the 2015 Berlin Fair date up one more week to June 8-13 and we hope that the date will be reconsider to make it more suitable for 4Hers.
