The Chautauqua County Fair wraps up Sunday while the neighboring Cattaraugus County and Warren County fairs take place in the next few weeks — which makes this a good time to take a moment to appreciate that this tradition is still going strong.

The fair offers residents and visitors alike a chance to enjoy a variety of food, watch a variety of entertainment and visit with a variety of vendors. It also gives fair-goers a chance to learn about agriculture, and to see youngsters from throughout our county learn about agriculture and related pursuits.

The 4-H program is an integral part of our fair, and for many of our neighbors an integral part of their lives.

It teaches children hard work and responsibility. Children raise livestock, sacrificing long hours to learn invaluable skills — skills that made Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties and our surrounding areas a pillar of farming.

4-H teaches skills that can be applied directly to a number of important, oft-neglected careers. Moreover, it teaches values that can be applied to any and every career and to any and every life: dedication, teamwork, service and leadership, among others. It teaches children how to be responsible.

It’s an important program and we are thankful it is seeing another successful year. We can only hope that it continues to see successful years in which our younger leaders learn and teach and foster an environment of both supporting each other and of “finding their own way.”