FARMINGTON -- Susanna Luther of Farmington has been involved in almost all aspects of the Washington County Fair since she was 5 years old. Now, as a senior in high school, this is the last year she can participate in many areas and she is a little sad thinking about it.
The Washington County Fair continues this week through Saturday.
Luther, 17, submitted entries to home economics and agronomy in her younger years, saying these entries are the easiest ways for kids to get involved in the fair. She has shown animals and started with goats when she was 5. She has participated in the youth talent show.
In 2013, Luther tried a new venue and competed for the first time in the Miss Washington County Pageant in the Teen Miss category.
"The first time was very eye opening," she said. "I knew I wanted to be involved in the fair in a different way and with a different take."
She found that being in a pageant is not "all glitzy and glamour" but gave her an opportunity to meet and get to know many girls and others involved.
"I walked in and everyone was so sweet."
Luther competed again the next year and was crowned the 2014 Teen Miss Washington County. For the 2014 pageant, she focused on what being involved in the county fair has meant to her. Her platform was to be more involved on a state level.
She wanted to take the Teen Miss title to a different level and walked around the fair wearing her crown. She handed out awards in the show ring and was available for pictures with children.
"The crown is what gets their attention," Luther said. "When I would take a picture with them, it lights up my heart. I like talking to people and educating people about agriculture."
During the past year as Teen Miss, she handed out valentines at the Veterans home, participated in the state pageant, sang at the Alzheimer's Walk to Remember, sang the National Anthem at the Bull Buckoff and wore her crown and sash at the Easter Eggstravaganza in Farmington.
She relinquished her title Saturday night and crowned her successor.
This week at the county fair, Sept. 2-5, Luther will not be as busy as usual. She is showing five dairy goats and competing in the youth talent show, her last year for both events. She did not enter the Miss Washington County pageant because girls are allowed to participate through age 21 and she decided to wait another year to compete for the main title.
For her talent, she will play guitar and sing "I Will Always Love You," a Dolly Parton song sung by Whitney Houston. If she wins, she will be compete at the Arkansas State Fair. In addition to country songs, she likes gospel, bluegrass, some soft rock and Christian.
Luther has grown up in a farm environment. Her grandfather had cattle and her mom, Casey Luther, tells the story of her daughter pointing to pictures of dairy goats.
Casey Luther gave her daughter the opportunity to save up money to purchase a goat and show it. Susanna Luther's oldest sister then became interested in goats and later her younger brother picked it up.
"We started with goats but added to it chickens and cattle," Susanna Luther said.
The family started a small dairy goat business and now sells milk, cheese and goat soap.
The senior said it is hard to pick a favorite part of the fair.
"I love it all," she said. "I'll miss everything. It's all a part of me."
She will especially miss showing livestock and said she cannot remember a time when she did not rise early in the morning to take care of her animals. She has shown dairy goats, beef cattle, chickens and rabbits over the years at the county fair.
"Showing livestock is a huge part of the fair. I'll probably never get that experience again after this year," she said.
Participating in the talent show is important because singing and playing guitar are a big part of her life. She said she will sit in the barns at the county fair and sing and play her guitar as people walk by.
The pageant offered her another way to get to know people and provided a new experience at the county fair.
"I know I've been blessed to be a part of it all my life. It's a way for people to gather together for one week. You build friendships and that fair is your family for one week."
Luther is still undecided on a future career. She has considered being a veterinarian or a nurse or possibly going into a music, more in the area of performance and teaching younger children. One personal, "very, big goal" is to participate in the Miss Arkansas pageant and if her path points to more pageants, she said she will focus on leadership and servantship.
For this week, though, she is enjoying her last Washington County Fair, with a tinge of nostalgia.
General News on 09/02/2015