EVART, Mich. (AP) — Alison Smith gazed at the nearly empty dairy barn at the Osceola County Fairgrounds, once bustling with young people getting ready to showcase their animals but now quiet due to a mysterious virus disrupting a beloved summer tradition.
Smith, a 16-year-old from the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, had spent a lot of time preparing her two heifers, Evergreen and Perfect, for the fair. However, like many other fairs across the country, the recent outbreak of bird flu affecting mammals led to significant changes or cancellations of the livestock competitions.
“Normally, we have a lot of cows in here,” Smith said. “A lot of people would be here chatting and having a good time in the dairy barn.”
Due to the bird flu outbreak affecting millions of poultry flocks and nearly 200 dairy herds in 13 states, states have implemented stricter regulations on dairy cows. Several farmworkers have also been infected this year, but with relatively mild symptoms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of humans contracting the bird flu virus remains low.
The virus has caused additional challenges for businesses already struggling due to the pandemic, resulting in significant financial losses and layoffs. Michigan’s largest egg producer, Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, laid off nearly 400 employees following a bird flu outbreak at their farms.
It has also disrupted long-standing family traditions, such as Smith’s, who has been showing heifers, cows, pigs, and dairy steers at fairs for ten years.
“Unfortunately, this will be my second year not being able to show due to COVID in 2020. And now due to the bird flu this year,” Smith lamented.
When Jacob Stieg, the Osceola 4-H coordinator, informed participants about the restrictions on showing lactating cattle at fairs, Smith was disappointed. “Oh, my gosh. Another year that I can’t show,” she said.
“It’s quite sad. I miss it a lot and the memories we made in this barn,” Smith added, pointing to the empty stall where her cow, Extraordinaire, was last year. She won the Supreme Grand Champion award at the fair held near Detroit.
“I tried to find something positive,” she said. “But I couldn’t find any.”
Michigan has been heavily impacted, with two farmworkers infected, and 27 livestock herds affected.
The state has implemented strict testing and public health measures, including banning the exhibition of lactating dairy cattle and those in the final two months of pregnancy until Michigan’s dairy cows have gone 60 consecutive days without new bird flu cases. All other cattle must test negative within seven days before being shown.
While the restrictions did not outright ban dairy cattle shows at fairs, some in the state chose to cancel the competitions, according to Kendra Van Order, the 4-H dairy science educator for Michigan State University Extension.
Fairs in other states have made adjustments to minimize the risk of flu spreading among livestock and people.
Some states, like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, allow lactating dairy cows at fairs only if they have proof of negative flu tests in the week before arrival.
The “Miracle of Birth Center” at the Minnesota State Fair excluded birthing cows and newborn calves as a precaution against bird flu. Iowa’s state fair canceled two attractions, a milking parlor, and an “I Milked a Cow” experience where visitors could interact with lactating cows.
In July, the CDC recommended measures to protect livestock and people at fairs, including limiting animals’ time at fairs and avoiding direct contact with animals when possible. This guidance followed instructions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture emphasizing testing and biosecurity measures.
Van Order, who engages with fairs as part of her role at Michigan State, grew up showing beef cattle and sheep at various events. Taking care of livestock requires dedication every day, regardless of the weather or the animals’ health.
Owning and showing livestock teaches young people to care for others and instills a competitive drive, Van Order explained. The absence of this opportunity can be heartbreaking.
Dealing with disappointment is part of life, Van Order added. Working with fairs across the state, she and her team developed alternative activities like quiz bowls, photography contests, and recorded showmanship to replace traditional showings.
While these activities brought participants together, Smith acknowledged that it’s not the same. With only a few years left before aging out of 4-H, she hopes for a better outcome in 2025.
“I don’t know what will happen next year. Hopefully, they will have a better plan regarding the dairy cows and allow us to come back, but the situation might persist,” she said. “Just like COVID, I am uncertain about what the future holds.”
Reported by Cappelletti from Lansing, Michigan.
