Garrett Croucher prods his pig at a county fair livestock show.

Garrett Croucher, seven year 4-H member, currently serves as reporter for the Willing Workers 4-H Club.

His main interest in fair projects has been beef and swine and he says his favorite activities from the past 4-H year were going to livestock shows and the county fairs. Likewise, his best memory of the year, “Finally winning in the Senior Showmanship class with my pig. I beat my sister.”

Grace Croucher showing her beef exhibit.

Grace Croucher is a member of Willing Workers 4-H Club, and has been a 4-H member for seven years.

Projects she exhibited at the fairs this year included beef, swine, goats, and visual arts.

Grace is junior vice president of her club this year.

Her favorite 4-H activities from the year were showing her animals and the Barnyard Olympic competition. She said her favorite memory was “achieving the highest score and winning the Round Robin Senior Showmanship competition at the Overbrook Fair.”

Leanne Shoup shows her visual arts exhibit.

Leanne Shoup, in her fifth year of 4-H, is secretary of Lyndon Leaders 4-H Club. Projects she exhibited at the fairs this past year include visual arts, pointillism of frog in leaves; foods, chocolate chip cookies; and photography.

Her favorite 4-H activity: “I loved going to 4H camp because I got to meet other 4-H members!”

Her best experiences of the year centered on her duties as club secretary. “I enjoyed the role of secretary because I love to write and take notes,” she said.

Garret Shoup explains his fair projects.

Garrett Shoup enjoyed his second year of 4-H as a member of Lyndon Leaders 4-H Club. Most enjoyable and favorite memory of the last year was “the Olympic games we played at our potluck and farm tour,” he said.

Projects taken to the fairs this year included visual arts, frog mosaic with construction paper; foods, chocolate chip cookies; photography; woodworking, shelf cubby.

He said his favorite 4-H activity from the year was planting flowers for his club’s community service project on Main Street in Lyndon.

By Bella Reeser, Club Reporter

With only around 15 members, the Melvern Jr. Highline 4-H Club is considered a small club, but those 15 members are determined, hardworking individuals.

To participate or show at the Kansas State Fair, 4-Hers need to meet several criteria: Must be at least 9 years of age, and received a purple in a project at a county fair (grand champion or reserve grand champion for visual arts).

Of the six members in the Melvern Jr. Highline 4-H Club that are 9 years or old or older, all six members qualified to compete at the Kansas State Fair. Justin Brinkley qualified for the Kansas State Fair in photography judging, photography, receiving a blue, foods, white, and wildlife, blue. Tara Green qualified for the Kansas State Fair in demonstration, purple, and photography, blue. Natalie Green qualified for the Kansas State Fair in photography, with a blue. Allie Reeser qualified for the Kansas State Fair in poultry judging, foods, white, visual arts and demonstration, did not participate. Ellie Sowers qualified for the Kansas State Fair in foods with a red. Braelyn McNally qualified for the Kansas State Fair in demonstration but was unable to participate.

We can just imagine what big things we can expect to see from these 4-Hers!

Wylie Young with his grand champion cat Super Mario.

My name is Wylie Young and I am 13 years old. I just finished my seventh year in the North Osage 4-H Club. I participated in leadership, pets, and poultry.

This was my second year in the leadership project. I had several new project experiences this year. I attended a flag retiring ceremony at the Franklin County fairgrounds in November. I learned how to properly dispose of a United States Flag. The ceremony was very inspirational.

In June, I attended the Shawnee County Sherriff’s Youth Academy. I spent five days learning about law enforcement, fire and rescue, and why we need it. The best part was the K-9 Unit demonstration.

This was my first year going to a 4-H camp for older kids. I attended the 4-H Leadership Camp at Rock Springs. I enjoy going to Rock Springs every year. I like swimming in the big pool. In July, I completed a hunter safety course. One of my instructors, Kyle Maichel, was very nice and made me feel less nervous about being in a large group. I attended class four nights and they were three hours long. My favorite part was the presentation by the game warden.

I’ve learned a lot about feral cats and the TNR Program (trap, neuter, and release). It helps towns get the feral cat population under control in a humane way. My mom let me adopt a feral kitten last year that was born in Scranton. My friend, Amy Miner, was taking care of him. I named him Super Mario, but his nickname is “Pizza Cat”. He was pretty sick the first few weeks, but you’d never know it now. He has grown up so much and loves to play with our other cats and chase my rabbit, Shottie. I took Super Mario to the Osage City Fair. He won grand champion at the cat show. I also did the animal costume contest and won first place in my division. Super Mario was a good sport about wearing overalls and riding in a wagon. I showed my dog, Pepper, in the pet show. She looked cute wearing a blue bandana.

I took my duck, Fred, to the Osage City and Overbrook fairs this year. I gave him a bath and cleaned his beak before the poultry shows. Fred won a trophy at Osage City and a blue ribbon at Overbrook. Fred is getting older and it’s time for him to retire. He is happy being in the backyard with the rabbit and our cats.

I plan to enroll in leadership and pets again next year. I want to work on my leadership and citizenship skills and keep learning about feral cats. Also, I highly recommend the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Youth Academy, it was awesome!

Bonnie Young accepts the showmanship award for showing her doe, Max.

My name is Bonnie Young and I am 17 years old. I have been a member of the North Osage 4-H Club for 11 years. Projects I enrolled and participated in this year were horse and meat goats.

I’ve been showing horses in 4-H for 11 years. I have also been a member of the Christian Youth Rodeo Association for the last 3 years. I have a horse named Dollar. I compete with him in barrel racing. He is an American Quarter Horse, and his registered name is “FCS Twice the Cash”. He was originally bred to be a race horse, but he didn’t make the cut. At the Osage City fair horse show, I competed in the speed events. They consist of the flag race, pole bending and barrel racing. Our county horse leader is Dorothy Chistiason. She has helped me tremendously over the years. I have known her since I was 7 years old. She is a real cowgirl.

This year I showed two meat goats at the Overbrook fair. They are Boer goats, which are bred specifically for meat purposes. I purchased a whether and a doe from a local breeder who encourages the meat goat project in 4-H. I sold my market goat at the Overbrook Livestock Sale and turned a $100 profit. I plan to use the money to buy another meat goat next year.

One of my best friends, Paige, named my doe “Goateus Maximus”, but I just call her Max. She got a red ribbon in the breeding class. I spent a lot of time working with her over the summer, so I knew Max would be my showmanship goat. I ended up winning reserve grand champion senior showman. I am looking forward to showing her again next year. She will have time to get bigger and be more competitive in the breeding class.

I plan on continuing my youth rodeo career and look forward to showing my goats again next summer. It’s hard to believe I’m almost done in 4-H, as it’s been such a big part of my life.

Brody Thompson has been in 4-H four years, and is a member in the Willing Workers 4-H Club. He loves going to 4-H camp.

“You get to catch crawdads, do archery, ride horses,” he said about camp, which he claimed as his favorite 4-H activity. “It is so much fun!”

Brody, who is the junior historian of his club, has taken a variety of projects to the fair, including foods, photography, beef, and goats.

Showing goats created his best 4-H memory of the year: “This was my first year showing goats,” he said. “My favorite memory this year was when I won reserve champion junior goat showmanship at the Osage City fair.”

Kevin Whitmer is a three-year 4-H member in the Willing Workers 4-H Club, in which he holds the office of junior treasurer.

Projects he has taken to the fair this year include entomology, foods, horticulture, and Legos. His entomology demonstration led to his favorite experience of the year, presenting it at the Kansas State Fair.

His favorite 4-H activity of the past year was Christmas caroling with the club.

Avery Thielen, a member of Willing Workers 4-H Club, has been in 4-H for two years. She is her club’s song leader.

Projects taken to the fair include a bucket calf, visual arts and drawing, and photography.

Avery’s favorite 4-H activity this year was taking her bucket calf to the fair. Her best 4-H experience has been making new friends at the fairs.

Josie Thompson, right, enjoys a moment with a fellow 4-Her.

Josie Thompson has been in 4-H for nine years, and currently serves as vice president of the Willing Workers 4-H Club.

Projects she has taken to fair include photography, foods, beef and pigs at the county fairs, and photography at the state fair.

She said her favorite 4-H activity has been attending 4-H camp at Rock Springs as a camp counselor. “I really enjoyed going to camp when I was younger,” she said. “It was fun to now go as a counselor and see the younger 4-Hers have just as much fun as I did.”

Her best 4-H memory was serving as the Osage County 4-H Queen. “I enjoyed handing out ribbons and helping 4-Hers in the show ring,” Josie said. “I also really like showing my animals at the fairs.”

Charleigh Bean, a one-year member of Lyndon Leaders 4-H Club, entered a number of projects at the local fairs this year including meat goats, foods, and sewing. Her results were: Meat goat, Overbrook, blue; foods, Osage City, purple; foods, Overbrook, blue; sewing, Osage City, blue; sewing, Overbrook, blue

Charleigh’s favorite 4-H activity of the year was sewing and cooking with Great Grandma Betty Warren. She said her best 4-H experience this year was: “Having baby goats born at our house for the first time.”

Savannah Davis, center, had fun with friends at 4-H camp this summer.

Savannah Davis is a six-year member of 4-H and served as president of the Lyndon Leaders 4-H Club.

Projects taken to the fairs this year and her results: Meat goats, Melvern, reserve grand champion; meat goat, Overbrook, blue; woodworking, Osage City, reserve grand champion; woodworking, Overbrook, purple; woodworking, state fair, blue (first time); sewing, Osage City, blue; sewing, Overbrook, blue.

Savannah’s favorite 4-H activity from the past year was raising goats. Her best 4-H memories this year were going to 4-H camp, and working on her first woodworking project with her stepdad.

Hi, my name is Gradey McNally and I am a first year member of the Melvern Jr. Highline 4-H Club.  For my first year in 4-H I wanted to do beef, swine, visual arts and foods and nutrition.

In my beef project i bought two steers, Big Red, who was my Red Angus, and Herf, my Hereford.  I was able to show them at the Melvern, Osage City and Overbrook fairs. For my pigs, I had two that I was able to show at the Osage City and Overbrook fairs.

With this being my first year of showing in 4-H, I had so much fun working with my animals and showing them as well as meeting other kids who had the same projects that I did in the barns.

For cooking I made one of my favorite kinds of cookies, No Bakes, and got purples each time I entered them! For visual arts, I put a Lego kit together and entered that at two of the local fairs.

Besides the fairs, one of my major highlights was getting to go to 4-H Camp at Rock Springs!  While at camp I had so much fun crawdad fishing, swimming and playing gaga ball!  I also got to go to our district wide judging day, where I learned a lot about 4-H and different project areas such as FCS, horticulture, photography and the Skill-a-thon contest!

A few other activities I attended were our district’s officers training, since I was one of our club’s song and recreation leaders, County Club Days, where I gave a demonstration on how to read a pig’s ear notch, then I got to go onto Regional Club Days where I gave it again.

When I went to the to the southeast area contests, in Emporia, I was able to participate in the horticulture, FCS and crops contests!  I have also had the opportunity to attend the livestock judging contests that we were offered in the Frontier District.

I also participated in my club’s local activities such as our annual East Egg hunt, Christmas caroling, making Christmas packages for local men and women who are deployed overseas, and helping with the annual Melvern Thanksgiving dinner and our local Trunk or Treat.  I cannot wait to start my second year of 4-H and continue having fun while learning about my projects!

Hi, my name is Braelyn McNally and I am a member of the Melvern Jr. Highline 4-H Club, where I am serving as our club’s vice president. This was my third year in 4-H and again this year I wanted to do five projects. They were: Beef, swine, clothing, foods and nutrition and visual arts. In my beef project I bought two steers, Cubby, my club calf, and Sharley, my Charolais. I got Reserve Grand Champion with Sharley at the Osage City fair, and Reserve Grand Champion with Cubby at the Overbrook fair! For the Melvern Stockman competition, I got champion junior with my Charolais. For my pigs, I had two that I was able to show at the Osage City and Overbrook fairs. I had so much fun showing all of my animals and hanging out with my friends in the barns.

For cooking I made one of my favorites, lemon poppy seed bread, and I entered it in two of our fairs. For clothing, I bought an outfit that I have got a lot of use out of this past summer. For visual arts, I made a spinning painting art project and I painted a gourd that I entered at all three fairs.

Besides the fairs, I enjoyed 4-H Camp at Rock Springs, as well as our district wide judging day, where I learned a lot about 4-H and different project areas such as FCS, horticulture, photography, as well as a Skill-a-thon contest! That same day, I also participated in our favorite foods contest, where I received first place by making my favorite fruit smoothie that I like to make at home for my family. I created a cute centerpiece that coordinated with my smoothie theme.

A few other activities I attended were our district’s officers training, County Club Days, Regional Club Days and also our club events. When I went to the to the SE Area contests, in Emporia, I was able to participate in the favorite foods contest, and horticulture, FCS and crops! I have also had the opportunity to attend the livestock judging contests that were offered in the Frontier Extension District. I was really excited when I got first place in the junior division at the Osage City contest.

I also participated in my club’s local activities such as our annual East Egg hunt, making Christmas packages for local men and women who are deployed overseas, and helping with the annual Melvern Thanksgiving dinner and our local Trunk or Treat. My third year in 4-H did not disappoint and I can’t wait to start the next!

Katie Lowry, a four-year member of 4-H, serves as secretary for Burlingame 4-H Club. Projects she has taken to the fair include breeding heifer, bucket calf, horse, breeding swine and visual arts.

Her favorite 4-H activity from the year was participating in the fitting clinic and contest at the Overbrook fair. “It was fun and I learned a lot,” Katie said.

She said her best 4-H memory for the past year was “raising my bucket calf, Norman. He was born during blizzard like conditions and lost part of his ears because it was so cold!”

The quilt Lauren made for her 4-H project received a blue ribbon at all three Osage County fairs.

Lauren Vande Velde is a member of Lyndon Leaders 4-H Club.

On projects I took to the fair, I received a purple ribbon for my strawberry/rhubarb pie at the Osage City fair, so I was able to enter it in the state fair in Hutchison. I earned a blue ribbon with the special honor of having my pie displayed throughout the entire time of the state fair. I learned that humidity can really affect the results of the crust.

I entered several photos in the Melvern, Osage City and Overbrook fairs, receiving blue ribbons. However, one of my photos of a yellow flower earned a purple ribbon so I entered it in the state fair, where I received a blue ribbon. I learned that the position of the sun in the sky when you take your picture can bring out more colors in your picture.

I also entered a quilt in all three county fairs, receiving blue ribbons each time. I learned it is extremely difficult to work with the satin sheet I used for the backing, but otherwise I had lots of fun with my grandma, who taught me how to sew.

My favorite 4-H activity from the year was selling mums as a fundraiser.

Kinsey interviews with the judge at the Overbrook fair, where she was awarded a purple ribbon for her cookies.

Kinsey Vande Velde has been a member of Lyndon Leaders 4-H Club for one year.

On projects taken to the fair, I got a purple ribbon on my Oatmeal Crispies cookies at the Overbrook fair, but I am not old enough to take them to the state fair. I got a blue on my No Bake Cookies at the Melvern fair. I learned how to read recipes and measure out ingredients as this was my first time of making cookies. I had fun with my grandma, who taught me how to bake.

Her favorite 4-H activity from her first year in 4-H was selling mums as a fundraiser.

Karley Lowry is a Cloverbud member of Burlingame 4-H Club. Projects she has taken to the fair include cooking, bucket calf, swine and visual arts. Her favorite 4-H activity the past year has been showing her bucket calf, Buttercup. Her best 4-H memory helping her club with the community food drive.