Published 5:36 pm Tuesday, October 8, 2024 By Daily Herald This year, 60 4-H members from Mower County attended the livestock encampment at the Minnesota State Fair. 4-H members participate in the county fair and State Fair to showcase the knowledge and skills they’ve gained throughout the year, and to continue their learning experiences. Education is integral in the “learn by doing” philosophy of 4-H.
As part of the educational component, Minnesota 4-H requires every youth participating in the livestock encampment to participate in a livestock interview. Examples of the interview process include an online knowledge test, skill-a-thons, and personal interviews about their project area. There were 17 Mower County 4-H members who were recognized as an interview finalist or interview winner.
When it came to showing their animals in the ring, 22 4-H members received a purple ribbon on their livestock project. One Mower County 4-H member, Lawson Jax, won Grand Champion Dairy Steer and brought home a brand new Featherlite trailer. Jax is a member of the Country Aces 4-H club, which meets near Johnsburg.
He has been in 4-H for seven years and has shown cattle for six years. This was Lawson’s second year exhibiting at the Minnesota State Fair. Jax has spent many hours over many months getting his animal ready for the fair.
He walks and washes his animals everyday. He also pays close attention to their rations, making sure that the animals are fed the right amount of nutrients.