KC McGinnis

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State Fair and Bird Flu

DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Randy Fra...gton Post) DeWitt United States

DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Randy Franck pats his five-year-old granddaughter Rosie Franck's head while he milks cows at his family's dairy farm in DeWitt, Iowa on Sunday, August 4, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) DeWitt United States

DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Randy Franck tests a cow's milk at his family's dairy farm in DeWitt, Iowa on Sunday, August 4, 2024. He tests each cow's milk supply visually before attaching milking equipment. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) DeWitt United States

DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Dairy cow...gton Post) DeWitt United States

DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Dairy cows relax at the dairy farm of Randy Franck in DeWitt, Iowa on Sunday, August 4, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) DeWitt United States

DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Cows feed...gton Post) DeWitt United States

DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Cows feed and relax at the dairy farm of Randy Franck in DeWitt, Iowa on Sunday, August 4, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) DeWitt United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Fairg... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Fairgoers make their way through the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Amand... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Amanda Hunt prepares a heifer for competition at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Hoof ... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Hoof prints outline a heifer's freshly-painted hooves at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Jorda... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Jordan Hunt drinks milk with his three-year-old daughter Skylar Hunt near cows at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Baile... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Bailey Geise of De Witt, Iowa bottle feeds her six-month-old daughter, Oakley Geise, at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Lee B... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Lee Barber eats breakfast at his family's booth at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A con... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A contestant looks at his phone in a horse ring at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A jud... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A judge evaluates heifers during a competition at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A boy... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A boy showing his heifer yawns during a competition at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Rosie... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Rosie Franck, Payton Hunt and Everett Franck watch the heifer competition at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Boys ... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Boys play near a raw milk disposal tank at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A pho... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A photographer takes a picture of a family's cow while an assistant uses a stuffed animal to hold the animal's attention at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Camde... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Camden Nuzum drinks raw milk from a cow at the SteinRidge Genetics dairy farm booth at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. To contain the avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control recommends against drinking raw milk. The Iowa State Fair required dairy competition participants to test their lactating cows for H5N1, and discontinued some of its usual offerings, including an exhibit that allows fairgoers to milk a cow. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Brook... Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Brooklyn Van Horn reacts as Skylar Evans drinks raw milk from a cow at the SteinRidge Genetics dairy farm booth at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. To contain the avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control recommends against drinking raw milk. The Iowa State Fair required dairy competition participants to test their lactating cows for H5N1, and discontinued some of its usual offerings, including an exhibit that allows fairgoers to milk a cow. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Fairgoers walk past the butter cow at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post) Des Moines United States

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Thumbnail of DeWitt, IA, AUGUST 4: Cows feed _ngton Post) DeWitt United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Fairgo_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Amanda_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Hoof p_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Jordan_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Bailey_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Lee Ba_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A cont_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A judg_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A boy _n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Rosie _n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Boys p_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: A phot_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Camden_n Post) Des Moines United States

Thumbnail of Des Moines, IA, AUGUST 4: Brookl_n Post) Des Moines United States

Public Project

State Fair and Bird Flu

Copyright KC McGinnis 2025

Updated Apr 2025

Location Iowa

Fear at the fair, and the cows stay home. A story of bird flu and tradition.

Photo and video by KC McGinnis for The Washington Post

State and county fair season is in full swing. but the H5N1 outbreak is changing the look of the annual ritual of summer and fall.

By Lena H. Sun

612

KC McGinnis

Fear at the fair, and the cows stay home. A story of bird flu and tradition.

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