4-H and Youth Fair brings agriculture education to St. Clair County
GOODELLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The St. Clair County 4-H and Youth Fair is underway at Goodells County Park.
It includes attractions like a carnival, petting farms, exhibits, and most notably, agricultural education. Throughout the week, there are competitions that show anywhere from rabbits to horses.
On Tuesday, CBS News Detroit took to the fairgrounds to learn more about the showings, and what a competition looks like before the livestock goes to auction.
"It's a big responsibility, but fun to have a responsibility', says Garret Whitenight, a novice showman during Tuesday night's beef showing.
Garret and his sister Avery, who's in the young showmanship group, are just two of the hundreds of 4-H competitors showing off what they've worked nearly a year to do. Raising and now showing their steer.
"It's a good chance to learn something from other people," Avery Whitenight says.
"You're just so proud of yourself, especially after doing this for like 10 years," says Elizabeth MacKenzie, who's in the senior showmanship group. "You really learn a lot, and you change so much in your way of thinking; and the way you work with these animals," MacKenzie says when seeing her time with the steer come full circle.
"This is a big stage for them for sure," says Justin Nofziger, the judge responsible for picking a winner in the various categories of veal and beef.
He says at the end of the day, he enjoys working with the kids and helping them learn as much as possible in hopes of continued participation for years and generations to come.
"You don't have to stand in first or be the champion. I try to work with all the kids down the line, it's no matter if you stand towards the bottom of their class because regardless of if you're champion or not, these cattle still take time. They take a project. It's a lot of hard work," says Nofziger.