4-H members offer 1,069 entries
Jason Shueh/Valley Press Competitors presenting their chickens not only had to make sure their birds looked well groomed they also had to relate specific information to judges about how they card for their bird and specific qualities their chickens had.
Pigs are Joe DeTienne’s specialty. This is the 12-year-old Hot Springs resident’s third time bringing a swine to the Sanders County Fair.
“Pigs are easier to get fat than cows and their fun to play with,” DeTienne said about his barnyard animal of choice. He enjoys running around his backyard with his pink companion. It’s fun for him to spend time outside and good for the pig, too. This year, DeTienne said he learned that exercising a pig will help fatten it up when it comes to fair time.
“Like if you run around, you get hungry and thirsty,” he explained. “It’s the same thing.”
DeTienne carefully measures how much to feed his pig based on last year’s amount. However, he had to be careful — last year, his pig was disqualified for not making weight.
This fair, however, his work paid off. DeTienne said he earned $648 for his pig at auction. The money, he said, will go for feed for next year’s livestock. Anything else will be put aside for college.
Detienne wasn’t the only 4-H member who brought something to the fair this year. According to Shirley Kinkaide, an administrative assistant who’s been handling the entries at the fair for the past few years, 132 exhibitors brought 1,069 total entries including animals, items and interviews. Those exhibitors included Cloverbuds — children too young to be 4-H members.
Kinkaide said that entries in welding, gardening and woodworking especially increased over last year.
One of the highlights of the fair for Kinkaide were the interviews, which ran more smoothly this fair because of a new organizational scheme.
“We had a really successful interview day,” she said. “We had a very good response from parents and judges.”
The 4-H club held a new shooting event this year, which offered people the chance to use bows and arrows. Kinkaide said six 4-H members registered to shoot but more decided to try the event.
Another one of the newer events was a silent auction held in the fairground pavilion. 4-H members sold their work to the highest bidder. MSU extension agent Meghan Phillippi said the auction raised $472 total for its 14 participants. Entries included everything from banana bread ($12) to dog hammocks.
“It offers kids a pay-off for the talents,” explained Phillippi, who bought a “quillow” and a welded tractor from the auction herself. “There are only so many quilts or afghans that they can use.”
Phillippi said some 4-H members played it cool while others rushed in regularly to check the bids. The highest-priced item was a $95 log table handmade by Charlotte Palmer.
“It was really well-made,” Phillippi said.
In the end, Kinkaide said that the fair wouldn’t have been possible without the help of parents and volunteers.
“We’d like to say thank you to all the volunteers,” she added. “They really helped out.”