WALKER COUNTY
PROUD 2020
MIKE YARGO
Promoting youth
in agriculture
Volunteer of the Year Mike Yargo spends his
time giving back through the fair association
STORY & PHOTOS BY JOSEPH BROWN
For most of his life Mike Yargo has been involved in agriculture.
Now as a father of two, he spends his free time promoting the industry to not only his
children, but all of the youth in Walker County.
“I grew up with the fair. I started showing in the third grade and did it all the way
through high school, showing everything from pigs and poultry to agriculture,” said Yargo,
who now serves as the president of the Walker County Fair Association. “I got away from
the fair for a little bit, but when my wife and I had our kids we knew it was time to get back
involved.”
The Walker County Fair Association sponsors one of the only fairs and livestock shows
not supported by any government entity. In fact, according to Yargo, the Walker County Fair
is one of only two or three in the Lone Star State that is self-sufficient.
While it is only in the spotlight a few weeks out of the year, the local fair association
spends much of its time educating residents, particularly the young people of Walker
County and surrounding communities on agricultural, vocational and academic matters.
“When my kids were growing up,
the animals got fed before they
did. It teaches them responsibility
more than anything, because if
they don’t take care of their project
they won’t be able to sell it when
the fair comes around.”
“We have a lot of kids that participate in
the fair through graduation and are massively
successful in agriculture. But, more
than anything the fair and the programs
around it molds these youth into productive
young adults,” the WCFA president
added.
With a son that recently graduated from
Texas A&M University and a soon-to-be
junior at New Waverly High School, Yargo
knows first hand of the impact that the fair
association has on local youth.
“When my kids were growing up, the animals
got fed before they did,” Yargo said.
“It teaches them responsibility more than
anything, because if they don’t take care
of their project, they won’t be able to sell it
when the fair comes around.”
During a normal year, the fair and the
subsequent livestock show generates hundreds
of thousands annually in scholarship
money. In a county with a 26.1% poverty
rate, the money generated by youth at the
fair can go a long way towards paying for
their college education.
“A lot of families in this area can’t afford
to pay for college, but if you manage your
money right, a lot of these kids can take
money from their many years of sales and
apply that towards their college tuition.”
Being a self-sustained organization
though is only possible due to the massive
community support that the fair association
has received in its 42 years of existence.
24 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | FALL 2020