‘Responsibility and hard work’

MT. PLEASANT — 4-H is a program built on helping kids grow and become better. In Iowa that has worked out to include livestock shows, static art exhibits other competitions at county fairs.

This weekend at the Henry County Fair at McMillan park spectators, 4-H members, FFA members, and proud parents and grandparents gathered to watch the livestock shows and the 4-H members that raised and cared for the livestock.

It’s no easy job having to bathe, feed and work the animal every day to ensure that it will be ready to take home a blue ribbon come fair time, according to Mt. Pleasant FFA member Grace Scheetz.

A Mt. Pleasant High School grad and the 2020 FFA president in Mt. Pleasant, Scheetz showed three pigs at the swine show Friday morning.

“It was really fun, and you have to work with them everyday. You get close to the animals, and it’s a great experience,” Scheetz said.

For some that hard work culminated with blue ribbons and grand champion banners, like Grant Anderson who took the grand champion market swine at the swine show Friday morning.

The judge complimented the build of Anderson’s prizewinning pig.

“He liked the amount of muscle and the mass, and there wasn’t too much that he didn’t like about it,” Anderson said about his show-winning pig.

Anderson showed four pigs. Anderson goes to Winfield-Mount Union schools and is the son of Matt and Karri Anderson. Anderson enjoys working with swine and wouldn’t show any other animals, even though he works with many different kinds.

“I like helping my grandpa with cattle, but not showing them. But, I love showing pigs,” Anderson said. “There’s not like a certain way to show them, you can pick your own way to get the job done.”

Anderson’s older sister and Henry County Fair Queen Maddie Anderson was the champion of the commercial gilt hog competition on Friday. Maddie enjoys the fair and all that it stands for, including 4-H which is dedicated to teaching young kids not just how to raise livestock but providing essential lessons that the program offers.

“I love the fair, and I love being involved in everything,” Maddie said. “I love showing pigs, and I haven’t been doing it that long.”

She said she will miss competing next year.

“It’s so busy around here, but I wouldn’t change it,” Maddie said. “I am going to miss it next year.”

She enjoys the 4-H program and the life skills it builds.

“I think 4-H has taught me a lot about responsibility and hard work so I definitely would recommend it to anyone,” Maddie said. “It teaches you a lot of life lessons that you can’t learn anywhere else.”

From pigs to rabbits to horses spectators saw it all at the Henry County fair.

4-H members from all around the county roamed the grounds including Quintrie Lee who was near the poultry and rabbit barn tending to her rabbit.

Lee showed rabbits, chickens, cows, a horse and a goat at the fair over the weekend and racked up wins and ribbons.

Lee is part of the Salem Stars 4-H group based in Salem. She said she participates in 4-H because she likes to spend time with the animals.

“It’s fun and It’s gets me out of the house having fun with my friends,” Lee said.

Another large competition over the weekend was the beef show, that took place in the livestock arena Saturday morning.

Dedra Graber was one of those who participated in the beef show, she is a member of the Jefferson Juniors 4-H Club and goes to WACO Elementary School.

Graber won the champion market heifer class at the beef show.

“I think he liked her weight, she also had a very good stance in the way I set her up, and also she’s squirrelly, so she gets a lot of muscle mass because of that,” Graber said about the judges thoughts on the cow.

Graber showed two cows and three sheep over the weekend at the fair. She is heavily involved in the 4-H Club and loves the program.

“Doing 4-H is a great experience for all kids, no matter what age they are. 4-H and Clover Kids help you learn leadership and different skills that help you in life, like taking care of livestock,“ she said.

Cole Meyer also participated in the beef show on Saturday, winning the championship of the lightweight division of cows. Meyer is part of the Jefferson Juniors 4-H Club and also goes to WACO Elementary.

“He’s his own creature,” Meyer said about his winning cow, “but he’s a good cow.”

Not only does Meyer show cows at the fair, he has a plethora of 4-H static exhibits that are going to the State Fair including his license plate clock.

“I have a few [exhibits] going, and one is a license plate clock. We just had them around and decided to use them and a few old barn boards.”

Meyer also performed a duet to “Better Together” with his sister Morgan in the 4-H share the fun competition during the queen contest Wednesday.

For a complete list of results from the Henry County Fair see the Henry County Fair Results section in the July 29 edition of the Southeast Iowa Union.