It's no secret that Huntington County is a "strong 4-H county," as the county's new youth development Extension educator, Julia Miller, calls it.

Miller has been in that position since June, succeeding long-time Huntington County 4-H coordinator Linda Aldridge.

Miller has been involved with the 4-H community since she was a young girl.

She says she was a 10-year member who went on to become a 4-H leader.

"At the beginning of high school I knew I wanted to be an Extension educator. My mom was an Extension educator and I just fell in love with what 4-H stands for," she says.

Her involvement in 4-H previous to this summer was in Starke County, where she lived and worked at her family's agriculture business.

She says the 4-H fair in Starke County is smaller than the Huntington County fair, and the Starke county fair is accompanied by a carnival.

"There are some notable differences between the fairs," she says, "The Starke County fair has never had entertainment before this year, and it does not have llamas."

Miller says she is excited to judge the llamas and to work at a fair that does not have a carnival attached to it.

"It is exciting that the focus of the fair is on the kids, and making sure they have fun during fair week," she says of Huntington County's fair.

In her first weeks of employment here, she says she has most enjoyed meeting people from the 4-H community.

"It has been a positive experience and I am excited for what is to come," she says.

"This fair is full of strong traditions - I hope to learn about those traditions and continue them."

This year's fair officially begins on Friday, July 13, with a parade and the royalty contest at Huntington North High School.

Then, Miller says, she will be busy with judging llamas, cats, clothing and all the exhibits in the buildings at the fairgrounds.

The fair will take over Hier's Park beginning on Saturday, July 21, with the dairy and poultry shows highlighting the day.

Miller says she will be at the fair all day at different locations.

"I would love to continue to meet more people," she says.

Miller has high hopes for this year's fair.

"I hope it is positive, goes smoothly and it is not too hot," she says.

Miller also notes that many of the volunteers are helping her to learn as much about the fair as possible.

"The good volunteers will help us to keep moving forward," she says.

So far, Miller has only had one setback, when a large tree fell on the goat and sheep building at Hier's Park during a recent storm.

Miller says there was not a lot of damage and the building will be ready for use at fair time.

The building was used last weekend, she says, and everything went smoothly.

As she oversees the Huntington County 4-H events this year and in the future, Miller says she will keep in mind the 4-H motto, "To make the best better," and she won't forget those ideals she fell in love with as a 4-H member, those stated in the 4-H pledge and that she has displayed on a banner near her desk:

"I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world."