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Collector’s Cha
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VOLUME 4 ISSUE 7
S w ho
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FEBRUARY 17 - FEBRUARY 23, 2023
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Growing future agriculturalists The Southeastern Youth Fair, the oldest allyouth fair in the country without a midway and the largest all-youth fair in Florida, is a showcase for our area’s budding farmers and ranchers. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
W
ithin minutes of arriving at the Peebles property in northeast Marion County, you quickly learn that generations of this farming family have a deep love for each other, the land on which they live and the agricultural aspects of their lives. In the center of the sprawling spread is the home of Meghan and Josh Peebles and their children Conner, 14; Clay, 10; and Hannah, 4 1/2. On either side of them are parents and grandparents. Other family members live nearby. The Peebles have long raised cows and young Clay is approaching his second year of showing a steer at the Southeastern Youth Fair (SEYF), which will run from Feb. 23 to March 4 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala. Conner has been a past participant but is sitting out a year. Hannah will be able to participate in the 2024 fair, after she turns 5. The SEYF is the oldest all-youth fair in the country that continues to operate without a midway. All of the exhibitors must be registered with a local 4-H club or the National FFA Organization. This year’s theme is “Let The Good Times Grow.” Sara LeFils, executive director of the SEYF, said it also is the largest all-youth fair event in the state of Florida. The Steer Show, which was the foundation of the SEYF, began in 1941. The fair in its current configuration started in 1978. That was the year that saw the start of the beef heifer, dog obedience, dairy and meat goat, garden, home arts, horse, kitchen, poultry, rabbit and swine show categories. Dog agility was added in 2004. “I believe the Southeastern Youth Fair to be one of the most rewarding and inspiring events observed in our
community. Watching hundreds of our local youth showcase their hard work and seeing our community leaders and businesses support them in such a tremendous way gives me great encouragement for our future,” said LeFils. The SEYF operates with one paid employee and more than 200 volunteers, whose time is valued at over $50,000 and who provide almost 4,000 hours of service each year. This year’s fair is dedicated to one of those volunteers, local CPA Terri Kane. “Terri has been an integral part of the SEYF community for decades,’’ said LeFils. “She served as the treasurer on the executive board from 1998 to 2014. She has devoted an endless amount of volunteer hours over numerous years at the SEYF. She supported the fair financially as a sponsor, an animal buyer and donated her accounting services for several years. Her influence is immeasurable and her devotion to serve the youth in this community is admirable. Terri’s passion for and commitment to the fair will always be treasured and will continue to inspire future generations to come. It is an honor to dedicate the 2023 Southeastern Youth Fair to her.” The guiding principles of the SEYF are to maintain a production show; foster a unique experience for a child to act as a producer, to market their animal from beginning to end; protect that project as much as possible for the buyer’s sake with a high-quality product, for the child’s sake in protecting their initial investment and with a goal for the highest possible return for the child; and create educational experiences for Marion County youth. The mission is to recognize youth through the fair as a showcase for competition, exhibition, enhanced educational opportunities and
Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Top: The Peebles family, from left: Conner, 14, Josh, Hannah, 4 1/2, Meghan and Clay, 10, with Tex, a 3-month-old bottle-fed steer and Charlie, who Clay will be showing in Steer Showmanship during the Southeastern Youth Fair pose at their farm in the Ocala National Forest on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Bottom left: Clay Peebles, 10, tries to lead his steer, Charlie, as they practice for Steer Showmanship. Bottom right: Hannah Peebles, 4 1/2, leads Tex, a 3-month-old bottle-fed steer, as her brother, Clay, 10, works with his steer, Charlie.
the promotion of self-esteem and personal growth and development, while educating residents about the importance of agriculture and related industries in the local area. “The Southeastern Youth Fair has a tremendous impact on youth development and is necessary in growing future agriculturalists,” said SEYF
President Molly Rowe. “It’s a treasured tradition in our county that brings our community together and honors our roots in agriculture.”
BY THE NUMBERS
In regard to the agriculture industry in the region, here are some statistics from Patricia “Lynn” Nobles,
director, UF/IFAS Extension, Marion County: • Marion County is the Horse Capital of The World, with more horses than any county worldwide. However, we are also ranked 10th in the state for beef cattle, 1st in the state for sheep and goat numbers See Youth fair, page A5
Better serving seniors
The Elder Co-Responder Program for Marion County is the first of its kind in Florida and is being looked at as a potential model. By Rosemarie Dowell rosemdowell@gmail.com
A Vicki Harper, a Human Services Case Manager with Marion Senior Services, left, and Capt. Chris Hickman of Ocala Fire Rescue, center, talk with Shirley McEarchern, 87, the widow of former Ocala Fire Rescue Chief George McEarchern, as they take her vitals and provide support at her home in Ocala on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.
rea at-risk seniors who previously tumbled through the gaps of available resources now have a big safety net, thanks to a new and unique collaboration between Marion Senior Services (MSS) and a host of other agencies. The Elder Co-Responder Program for Marion County assists seniors with medical and mental health issues, food insecurity, as well as the strain of caregiving and social isolation by linking them to vital organizations and agencies that can provide them with aid and relief. The program, a first-of-its-kind in Florida, officially launched in 2020 but gained traction in 2021 when it received crucial funding from Lutheran Services Florida in the amount of
$150,000. Last year, Lutheran Services backed the program with another $145,000 infusion, funding the program through June of this year. “We were watching seniors fall through the gaps, despite our best efforts, and we were determined to find a better way to help them,” said Jennifer Martinez, executive director of the nonprofit MSS since 2015. The agency provides supportive care to seniors and the disabled community, including meals and transportation. “We wanted to find a more dignified and unified way to approach their problems,” she said of the program’s beginnings. What initially started out as a joint effort between MSS, Lutheran Services and the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office (MCSO), under the approval of Sheriff Billy Woods, See Program, page A7
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