Before deep fried foods and fun, the Wisconsin State Fair is about farm animals

WEST ALLIS -- The Wisconsin State Fair officially begins Thursday, Aug. 2. But the fair grounds are already buzzing with activity.

Before all the sky gliding and deep frying, the real treat of the State Fair is happening inside the Junior Dairy Barn. High schoolers and recent graduates like Nathan Ferfecki have come from all across the state to show off their herd.

"I like to come here for the fairgoers, you know people who aren't familiar with farms, kind of get them educated and tell them things," Ferfecki said.

Ferfecki will be judged on the quality of his dairy cow and how well he shows it.

"Competing with other ones of each age from all across the state," Ferfecki said.

When Ferfecki said "from across the state," he was not kidding.

"Most counties in the state are represented. I know it's one of the biggest junior shows in the country. So that's pretty exciting for all these juniors that get to come down here for five days and compete against each other," said Cody Moeller from Shawano County.

Shawano County Junior Dairy has brought eight boys, ten girls and 24 cows.

"There's fall calf, winter calf, spring calf, it's big," said Sydney Gwidt.

Gwidt will be showing her cow, Bubbles, an ayrshire she has been grooming for the last year.

"Usually they have that reddish color, these are all ayrshire," Gwidt said. "It's a lot of fun but it's a lot of work."