Williston Rickard Elementary School fifth grader Ty Kvande provided a four-word summary -- "This is pretty awesome!"

The huge smile on the youngster's face also served as an indicator of the fun that he and fifth graders from 12 area schools enjoyed during the 28th annual Bread Fair Monday afternoon at Wiliston's International Airport Inn. The gathering is part of the 57th annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show that continues through Wednesday.

Kvande worked with classmate Matthew Smith as the pair followed the directions given by event leaders Malory Nygard and Randa Cody.

Nygard and Cody stood high on a platform that overlooked a sea of students who gathered in the facility's courtyard.

Each pair of students had a box of breadmaking ingredients to use that had been prepared earlier in the morning. North Dakota State University Williams County Extension agent Mary Froelich said the wheat show committee gathered at 8 a.m. to create the kits. Froelich said the North Dakota Mill and Elevator donates about 600 pounds of flour, while the Dave Nelson Apiary donates honey and Red Star Yeast of Milwaukee, Wis., donates yeast and thermometers. Some of the kits the committee made Monday are also used at events in other communities, she said.

Froelich said the bread event took off from the very beginning.

"We've never had a school drop out," she said. "They seem to really enjoy it."

"It's kind of fun because sometimes parents don't have the time to spend in the kitchen with their kids," Kvande said of making bread dough in a bag with his classmates.

Smith said the process is fun, especially adding the ingredients together to form the dough.

"I like how it looks when it's done," Smith said.

Kvande admitted he and Smith kind of beat the dough around before it was to be formally kneaded.

"I'm sure we're going to take the recipe home and do it again," Kvande added.

Meanwhile, classmates Victoria Tanner and Madison Birkeland partnered to create their dough in the bag.

"I think it's really fun," Tanner said. "My grandmother likes to bake, so I'll probably do it with her."

Birkeland said the afternoon was exciting.

"I've never made bread before," she said of the process that produced "perfect" dough.

Getting to be with all of her friends to do something also added to the enjoyment, Birkeland said.

It wasn't just students, however, who enjoyed the opportunity to make bread dough Monday. Wheat show board President "Farmer" Floyd Miller from the Round Prairie area also got into the act.

"I've wanted to do this for awhile and I decided it was time," Miller said.

This is his first year as wheat show president after serving about 10 years as vice president.

"My plan is to have every fifth grader in the state make this some day," Miller said of making bread dough.

He remembers his mother making dough for buns that were really good.

"As I got older, I liked them better and better, but she doesn't do it anymore," he said. "So I guess I have to learn it myself."

Miller appreciated seeing how the students were learning the right steps to make the dough, which they then took the dough home to bake.

"They have homework to tell a grandparent, to eat it with their folks tonight or call and tell someone they made bread," Miller said.