Families came out in droves for Salem’s annual Ag Fest, a celebration of Oregon’s agricultural industries held annually at the state fairgrounds.
Kids attending the April 25-26 event came away with free tomato and Douglas fir seedlings, agriculture-themed crafts and the chance to dig in the dirt for a potato or ride a tractor.
Bodhi Kemper Seeley takes the wheel of a tractor at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)A matched pair of draft horses gets an affectionate pat from a visitor at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Ben the border collie shows his expert herding moves at Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)A champion at the dairy show shows her emotions after being told about her final placement at Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)A young cowboy tries out stationary saddles at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Few things are cuter than a baby goat as these attendees experienced at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)JoAnne Stevens proves that big people like petting baby animals too at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Ben the border collie shows his expert herding moves at Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Ben the border collie gets a well-deserved soak and some attention after demonstrating his herding capabilities at Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Jasmine Johnson takes a break with her first place winner Holstein calf Cedar at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Rick Martin shears a sheep during a demonstration at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. Martin learned to shear at Oregon State University from New Zealand practitioners and later traveled to New Zealand to further refine his shearing skills. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Patty Conner hugs a friendly young llama at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Edith Brown investigates a freshly sheared fleece at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Sheep wait in a holding pen at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)An Icelandic horse shows tolerance while being petted by the crowds at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)The Zaniac entertains the crowd with an assistant from the crowd at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Rick Martin demonstrates long blows while shearing a sheep at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. This method uses long continuous strokes with the shears to maximize efficiency. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Freya Peterson plants a tomato seedling at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Maggie Saunders from the Amity FFA, and Bella Arena and Savannah White from the Oregon State University Women in Timber Club unload Douglas fir tree seedlings to give away to attendees at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Delta Staggs reaches out to receive her free Douglas fir seedling at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Brian Howelton and his son look at logs stacked on a truck at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)Oregon Dairy princesses May Jimenez, Nora Liesegang, Isabelle Bernier and Caitlin Brown pose at the Oregon Ag Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2026. They each represent their county of origin and travel to most county fairs across Oregon as part of their reign. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter)
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Laura Tesler has lived in Salem, Oregon for 20 years and is originally from Flint, MI. Laura has been an underwater photographer for 15 years, and is an avid scuba diver. Topside, she has been taking photographs since age 12, and currently works on assignment for the Salem Reporter, and full time purchasing land for fish and wildlife habitat in the Willamette Valley. Laura attended Oregon State University, and has traveled extensively all over the world and the United States.
