Fair lessons the dairy way

    MAUSTON, Wis. – With less than 2% of the population involved in agriculture, few people have ever been on a farm and have little knowledge of how their food is produced. Giving kids the chance to connect with agriculture by participating in a youth dairy project is one way Jeannie Jones and Brian Friske help make that connection.

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    The two work together to operate Valley Hill Farms near Kendall where they milk 60 cows. They enjoy working with non-farm youth in their community to provide the experience of showing dairy cattle at county fairs. They helped nine youth, ranging in age from 7 to 17, exhibit 14 animals from the farm Aug. 18-22 at the Juneau County Fair in Mauston.
    “Most of the kids just manage to find us,” Jones said. “A lot of times they are friends of other kids who have shown with us.”
    Over the last 17 years, the duo has helped 15 non-farm youth experience the dairy industry through a dairy project.
    “It is just great to see these kids experience something new, learn something new, something they wouldn’t have the chance to do otherwise,” Jones said. “And to watch them grow and develop as leaders and responsible young adults, that is really rewarding.”
    The kids pick out their animals and are expected to do all of the work to prepare them for showing.
    “We provide the animals, the tools and transportation for the kids,” Jones said. “But we don’t do any of the work halter breaking. It is their project, so they are expected to put in the time and effort.”
    In all of their years helping kids show, Jones and Friske said they have never had a participant start working with a calf and not make it to the fair.
    “If they are there trying and working hard and having a tough time with one, I will step in and help out if one needs to be tied to a bale rack to learn to lead, and I’ve helped clip a couple of heads,” Friske said. “But most of the time, they get it done without any help.”
    Madisol Elizondo, 17, is one participant Jones and Friske have watched mature as a leader. Elizondo has shown animals from Valley Hill Farms for six years and works on the farm when she is not in school.
    “Madisol has really taken on the role of being a leader in the last couple of years,” Friske said. “The rest of the kids really look up to her and go to her with their questions.”
    Elizondo said when she began, she found a passion for working with the animals, and that she has learned many important life lessons through the cows.
    “I think I have always been pretty patient, but I have learned that with the cows, you have to be really patient,” Elizondo said. “They don’t always do things quickly, but that is just the way they are. You have to wait and can’t rush them.”
    Siblings Ethan, Evie and Caed Hubbard, and Turner and Garrett Calhoun have exhibited animals with Jones and Friske for three years. They said spending time on the farm and working with the animals is what keeps them coming back year after year.
    From his time spent working with show calves, Ethan Hubbard, 15, found that he enjoys spending time on the farm and has begun working on the farm on a regular basis.
    “It’s really not that much work. I think it seems easy because I like doing it so much,” Ethan said of preparing calves for the fair. “I just really enjoy working with the animals, and I like taking care of them at the fair.”
    Ethan said much of the preparation work comes in washing and bedding the animals. On the farm, Ethan enjoys daily chores like cleaning mangers.
    “I think everyone should try showing calves at least once,” he said. “I think they would probably like it a lot and want to do it again.”
    Evie Hubbard, 13, has found her niche in showmanship, having won the intermediate showmanship division for the second year. She has found that hard work put in before the show has helped her be successful when she enters the showring.
    “I work with my animals for a few hours pretty much every day,” Evie said. “I walk them and lead them with chain halters. It’s a lot of fun, but it is a lot of hard work.”
    Evie said the best advice she could give a new show person is to keep the animals head up and their feet set properly, and pay attention to the judge.
    Garrett Calhoun, 10, said he has learned interesting facts about cows that he never knew before.
    “Cows are really more unique than you think,” Garrett said. “Each one is very different from the others, and you just sort of get to know them. Showing is a lot of work, but it is a lot of fun too. You just have to give it your best.”        Washing and clipping the animals are things Turner Calhoun, 13, enjoys doing to get ready for show day at the fair. He works with his projects nearly every day to get them ready to exhibit.
    “When you are showing, you should always look at the judge,” Turner said as advice for new exhibitors. “Make sure to smile a lot.”
    Kaleah Pfaff, 17, and Marissa Kruckeberg, 16, were the newest in this year’s exhibitor team, each showing for the first time.
    “I enjoyed this so much; there is so much excitement and everyone is happy to be here,” Kruckeberg said of her first year showing at the fair. “I also learned that sometimes no matter how much you practice, your calf might get in the showring and not want to move.”
    Pfaff said that while show day can be stressful, it is also fun and rewarding.
    “You have to work hard to get ready, or you won’t be successful,” Pfaff said. “It has been a great experience and a lot of fun.”
    Both Jones and Friske agreed they get more out of working with the youth than they put into it.
    “These kids need to do something like this,” Friske said. “It is the best experience they could have: doing and learning something new, learning a work ethic and being responsible for something. It is really good to be a part of that.”