What would a fair be without animals? And what would the Mower County Fair be without the FFA Children's Barnyard?

A lot less fun and interesting, if you ask the scores of fair-goers who wander through the barnyard each day.

It's been a fair fixture for years and each fair, the FFA tries "to display a lot of varieties of animals. "Everybody likes animals, it's part of the fair," explained FFA alumnus Darlene Miller, of Austin, who was supervising the barnyard Thursday. "It gives the children an opportunity to see farm animals that if they live in town, they do not normally get to see."

"Most of them probably don't get to see a Shetland pony or a llama every day," added Alan Blake, 16, of Austin, an FFA member who also was helping to watch over the barnyard.

In addition to the llamas and the pony, fair visitors also can see mules, ducks, goats, rabbits, chicks and many other animals in the exhibit.

While it has a wide variety of animals, the barnyard also is an attraction that intrigues a wide variety of people.

Annette Kleinschrodt and Laurie Remakel, of Albert Lea, brought the children in their day care to the fair, making sure to stop and see the menagerie of animals. "We came over to the SPAM Museum and had a picnic and then went to the fair. It's something we do every year," Kleinschrodt said. "It's a nice fair, it's free to get in and they enjoyed the barns and looking at the animals. The barnyard is interactive. They can watch, they can feed them, they can do what they want. It's a nice place to be able to bring them. It's something different for the day. It's a good experience."

One of Kleinschrodt and Remakel's charges, Mady Dahl, 6, said she especially liked the barnyard because "it has animals."

"And you can pet them. The chicks are fun to watch because they're cute and fluffy," interjected Chrissy Peterson, 8, another one of the children Kleinschrodt and Remakel brought to the fair. She added she also likes to watch the chicks ride on a miniature Ferris wheel that sits in the middle of their pen.

Durwood and Dorothy Anderson of Brownsdale say they visit the barnyard every time they come to the fair. "We farmed for 50 years, so we enjoy the animals and it's a variety we don't see all the time," Durwood said.

"Our grandchildren enjoy feeding them (the animals). They think it's the greatest thing that they'll eat out of your hand," said Dorothy. "I hope they never discontinue the barnyard because that's one of the best parts of the fair."

Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com