The 2025 Greene County Fair starts soon and the first candidate for this year’s Fair Queen Contest represents the Paton-Churdan School District.

Kaliyah Minnihan is going into her junior year of high school at P-C where she competes in high school volleyball, girls basketball, softball and girls track, along with being a cheerleader for boys basketball, is involved in Student Council and participates in 4-H and FFA. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio that she is part of the Cedar Highland 4-H Club and has been in 4-H for six years, while she is going into her third year of FFA. Minnihan talks about why she joined 4-H.

“My family is ag, very ag, and I wanted to show cows and my family did not have animals, except for dogs. I decided that I wanted to bottle calf and I thought it was so fun. So I convinced my dad that it was a great idea to start a cattle business.”   

Minnihan was the overall Grand Champion for her rabbit at last year’s Greene County Fair, while also getting third place market heifer and second place in her class for sheep. She also had several static exhibits that featured two that advanced to the Iowa State Fair, where he earned blue ribbons. She is planning on showing rabbit, cattle and static exhibits at this year’s county fair.

Minnihan explains why she wants to compete for the title of 2025 Greene County Fair Queen.

“I thought it was going to be a great opportunity for me to open up to different things, like enhance my speaking abilities, my speaking skills, just something to better myself.” 

The other contestants for the Fair Queen Contest include Ella Tasler, Tatum Tucker, Savannah Lansman and Addison Gannon. The Fair Queen Contest takes place Wednesday, July 9th at 7pm in Clover Hall on the Greene County Fairgrounds.