When Labor Day draws near, some folks head for the shore. Others go camping. Farmer Johnathan Serfass goes to the West End Fair.

The 37-year-old from Kresgeville has been showing beef cows at the fair since he was 10 years old.

Meeting up with his fellow farmers from Monroe County at the annual event in Gilbert is like meeting up with family members you haven’t seen in a year.

“A lot of the farmers that are out here — this is basically our family reunion,” he said.

Serfass and his brother, Daniel, have been working on the family farm basically from the time they were toddlers. Now Johnathan works for Chestnuthill Township, but still keeps more than 150 animals at the family’s farm.

He takes off the week for the West End Fair. This year, his family has 10 animals that are entered in the beef cow categories, as well as some hay and grain.

The preparation for the fair consists mainly of identifying a small number of animals that are ready to be shown. Show quality depends on a number of factors.

“Their quality, what they look like, and how tame they are. How much work is going to be involved in getting them ready for the fair,” Serfass said.

Serfass’ animals spend most of the year in big barns, running free. Their only human contact is when Serfass or one of his family members comes to feed them.

But during fair week, the animals’ lives change a lot. They see more people in a day than they see in a year. And many kids will get up close and personal.

Fair week is a whirlwind for the farmers, too.

Serfass has to stay on top of feedings at home and at the fair. Unlike some die-hard farmers who will camp out at the fair, Serfass sleeps at home.

He’ll start the day feeding at home, then head over to the fair and feed the animals that are being shown. After that, he’ll head home again, and return in the evening for another feeding and the festivities of the fair.

“You just make everything happen,” he said.

During the day, the farmers also like to catch up on what’s been going on throughout the year. And that’s when most of the judging takes place.

Not only does Serfass show his beef cows, he has gotten his daughters — Jayden, 10, and Morgan, 2, to follow in his footsteps.

Serfass’ wife comes from Bucks County, which is more suburban than the West End. But he said she understands the importance of farming to his family.

“It was a big change from what she grew up with,” he said.

The feeling of passing along a family tradition to the next generation is awesome, Serfass said. It’s the same thing that his dad did for him and his brother when they were kids coming to the fair 25 years ago.

“He taught work ethic and responsibility,” Serfass said. “We were all working on the farm since we were the size of my daughter.”