Probably because of where I grew up on the city's West Side, I've always loved the State Fair.

When we were kids, my friends and I would find various ways to sneak in. We'd wander around, stuff our faces and just act like goofballs. During the off-season, the Fair Park was our adventure land -- we could bike around, explore and wind up in places we probably weren't exactly allowed in.

One of my first jobs was hawking turkey legs at the fair. It was awful; spending hour after hour breaking apart frozen piles of legs, seasoning them and carrying them out to the pit while being told to announce "ya wanna see my legs" as I tended to the grill.

That was then, of course.

A few years ago, my roommate was working as an intern in the Agriculture Department. One morning, she called to ask if I was interested in helping out.

Being the morning after German Fest and not feeling very "well," I declined, changing my mind after I was told I'd be paid.

Pardon the cliche, but that day changed my life.

Until then, I didn't care about agriculture. I got my milk at the grocery store, along with my meat, eggs and bread. I didn't think about where they came from or the work that went into them.

More importantly, I didn't give a damn.

Quickly, though, I started to learn. I was paired up with a guy that first day, a sheep farmer from Dodge County, who's become one of my best and closest friends.

Spending overnights at the park the last six years, I got to know the Junior Dairy exhibitors and their chaperones very well. I've watched heifers become cows; I've seen pigs born, I've chased and safely caught animals that managed to get out of their pens.

I've gotten filthy, pushed my body to its physical limits and I've learned how to watch where I step when wearing sandals. It's been a pretty amazing experience; one for which I'm eternally grateful.

I have a better appreciation of how hard our state's farmers work to put food on our plates and how hard they struggle just to keep putting food on their plates. It makes you think twice when you are angry that your grocery bill is so high.

I doubt I'll ever give up journalism and I'm pretty sure I'd never be able to hack it as a full-time farmer, but being able to get up close to livestock and learn the true importance of agriculture makes these next two weeks of double-duty, sweat and elbow grease the best two weeks of my year.