A Look at Thurston County 4H Leaders After the Fair

thurston county 4h
Nolan Watson takes a break from tending to the cows.
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By Libby Kamrowski

dairy queenEvery year in the first week of August, the Thurston County Fair sprouts up in Lacey’s normally desolate fairgrounds. If you wander away from the rides, food trailers, and carnival games, you will find the source of all the mooing and braying.  These are the sounds of farm animals, and the youth members and adult volunteers of the Thurston County 4H are in charge of animal competitions.

thurston county 4h
Rachael Leber, Racheal Ferdinand, Addalyn Hughes, and Grace Cecil of the Diamonds in the Ruff Dog Project pose with Max the pug.

Doreen Tudor, member of 4H since 1982 and in charge of countywide leadership and citizenship, explains about the year of preparation and testing before the fair. “The public doesn’t see that. They only see that the kids show up to the fair and have fun, but there’s a whole lot of work behind the scenes,” Tudor said. “We’re a preventative youth program. It’s an avenue to keep busy, and kids can excel when they learn, expand knowledge, and find similarity with others.”

It is just the tip of the iceberg, as the fair isn’t all fun and games. Youth members are in charge of their own projects. Each 4H project contains the same goals, from cake decorating to showing a sheep; they strive to exhibit good sportsmanship, public presentation, citizenship, dedication, and mastery of chosen skills. Most programs give the opportunity for judging, to enhance the value of personal choices.

Many people in the area aren’t aware of the opportunities of 4H, and may have never heard of it. In most other places in America, 4H is a club available at school. The Thurston County chapter is not connected to public schooling, but still contains 400 members and anyone from kindergarten to twelfth grade is welcome to join. It balances educational work and volunteering with community ties and valuable relationships.

thurston county 4h
Danny Ewing, an 11 year member of 4H, shows off Sammy the Steer before going to market.

“I came out of my shell more, and I’m better at public speaking,” said Danny Ewing, 11 year member of 4H, while reflecting on his experience. “It’s really fun.  You should get involved because you make new friends and lifelong memories.” Ewing participates in the Thurston County Teen Club, former member of the Interstate Exchange program, and president of the Little Hustlers 4H club. His goal was to be Grand Champion of Market Steer, and he also achieved Reserve Hefer Champion of Showmanship, and Reserve Champion Type.

Aside from relationships and educational experiences, 4H is a means of personal growth. As a proactive program that binds community with lessons such as “learn by doing,” members can develop personal character. It is an alternative to traditional learning, as real-life independence is cultivated.

thurston county 4h
Riley Hanna, age 16, of Highpoint Farms in Rainer, sells his 240 pound hog named Kitkat for $3.50 per pound in front of a large crowd at the Thurston County Youth Market Animal Sale.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself, and who other people are. You learn how to work with them, and how to get the job done,” said Racheal Ferdinand, eight year member and graduate of Yelm High School. “It teaches you that you can be your own person, and step outside of yourself to grow.” Ferdinand has been involved in a variety of leadership, including president of the Thurston County Teen Club, president of the Diamonds in the Ruff Dog Project, Thurston County Interstate Exchange member, and she was a retired Washington State 4H ambassador.

Tudor also stresses the life-long value of all of the practices of 4H. “For example, with dog judging, the skill is they’re learning decision-making skills. They might judge a dog on obedience. But later it can be a life decision, down to what pair of shoes you’ll wear for the day.”

Caitlyn Meek, a 17-year-old student, is a prime example for judging.  She will be headed to the national competition of dairy judging in Wisconsin this fall. A four-year state returner for cow judging, Meek never knew a life without raising animals. “I’ve always wanted to have a dairy farm and sheep farm. I wanted to build up my herds by the time I graduated high school so I wouldn’t have to start from scratch,” Meek said.

thurston county 4h
Nolan Watson takes a break from tending to the cows.

Meek has extensive experience with dairy heifers, and grew to know pigs and sheep. She competes for both Thurston and Lewis Counties and this year racked up the ribbons. For sheep, she won the awards of Grand Champion Senior Showman, Supreme Southdown Ram, and Champion Southdown Mew. Meeks also blew the competition out of the water on the dairy side of life as Grand Champion Senior Showman, Champion Holstein Cow, Reserve Junior Champion Milking Shorthorn, and Best in Fitting Showmanship.

“It’s a fun experience. You learn so much. If I wasn’t in 4H, I wouldn’t know anything about animals, honestly. I don’t know where I would be without it,” Meeks said.

You can expect to see Thurston County 4H members and their animals at the Washington State Fair in September at the fairgrounds in Puyallup. 4H enrollment occurs every October and the program extends, giving ample time to construct and practice projects that can be eventually exhibited at the local fair at the end of the 4H year in August. Existing members highly recommend the club to anyone looking for community involvement, and as Ferdinand will say, “In the short span of time I’ve had with 4H, I’ve had a world of experiences.”

 

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