Dear editor:
As another county fair season comes to a close, the memories, accomplishments, friendships and life lessons will last long after the barns are empty and the fairgrounds are quiet.
For our family, this year’s Williams County Fair was another reminder of why we love 4-H and everything it represents. The Carpenter girls had a successful week showing their livestock and rabbits, and we couldn’t be more proud of all three of them.
Cyrus had an outstanding week with her sheep. She was named Grand Champion Junior Showman, placed first in her County Born and Raised Market Lamb class and fourth overall, and placed fourth with her breeding ewe.
This year also marked the end of her ewe’s showing career. She will now return home to the farm to hopefully have babies of her own.
Lelah had a great week with her cattle. She placed first in her showmanship class and third overall in showmanship, along with placing sixth with her feeder calf and third with her market steer.
Bailey had an incredible week as well. She was named Grand Champion 1-Year-Old Heifer and went on to be named Supreme Grand Champion Heifer Overall.
She also placed first in her showmanship class and first with her heifer, along with placing fourth with her feeder calf.
The girls also had success in the rabbit barn. Bailey earned Grand Champion Mini Lop, while Lelah received Reserve Champion Doe and Litter.
While ribbons and banners are exciting, they are not what 4-H is really about. 4-H is about the life lessons that happen behind the scenes. It is about getting up early in the morning to feed and care for your project before you even think about eating breakfast.
It is about coming home late after a long day and heading straight to the barn to finish chores before sitting down for dinner. It is about responsibility. It is about noticing when something isn’t right with an animal and knowing what steps to take.
Through Livestock Quality Assurance, 4-H members learn how to evaluate their animals. Are the ears alert or hanging? Are the eyes bright or dull? Is there anything coming from the nose? If there is, what does it look like?
How is the animal breathing? Is it normal, heavy or short? What is a normal temperature? These young people aren’t simply learning how to show an animal. They are learning how to care for another living thing.
Then comes the training. How often should the animal be walked? Is morning or evening better—or both?
When should the animal be washed? When should it be weighed? How much should it be eating? Does it need more feed or less? What is its average daily gain?
How many days are left until fair, and where does the animal need to be by then? Suddenly, the math learned in the classroom has a real purpose.
4-H teaches young people that what they learn in school doesn’t always stay in the classroom. Science, math, responsibility, communication and problem-solving are all part of raising and showing a 4-H project.
Many 4-H members also attend open shows throughout the summer. They go to get practice, gain confidence and hear what a judge thinks about their animal.
Sometimes they agree with the judge, and sometimes they don’t. Either way, they learn to listen, accept constructive criticism and ask themselves, What can I do better? How can I improve?
After months of feeding, training, walking, washing and caring for an animal, that animal becomes much more than just a 4-H project. It becomes a teammate. There is a bond that develops through all those hours spent together.
The successes are celebrated, but the difficult days are remembered too. There are days when an animal doesn’t cooperate, days when something doesn’t go as planned, and days when a child has to learn that hard work doesn’t always result in a championship banner.
And that’s okay. Because 4-H teaches patience, loyalty, respect, responsibility, perseverance and compassion. It teaches young people how to accept both compliments and criticism and use each one as an opportunity to grow.
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons of all comes during fair week. Families help families. Someone is always willing to lend a hand, answer a question, help hold an animal, offer advice or simply sit in the bleachers and cheer someone on. The 4-H community becomes one big family, and members learn that they don’t have to do everything alone.
That support was especially evident this year. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who gave up summer evenings to help, teach, encourage and guide our girls through their projects. Your time and support mean more than you know.
We are extremely proud of Cyrus, Lelah and Bailey—not only for the awards they earned, but for the work, dedication and growth they showed throughout the entire year. The fair may be over, but the lessons learned through 4-H will stay with them for a lifetime.
That is what makes 4-H so special. It isn’t about winning every time. It’s about learning how to work hard, care for something other than yourself, overcome challenges, accept both success and disappointment, and become a better person along the way.
We are thankful for 4-H, thankful for the people who make it possible, and proud to support an organization that continues to teach young people lessons that reach far beyond the show ring.
Now that the fair is over, we can take a deep breath… …and start thinking about next year!
Megan Carpenter
Stryker, Ohio
