4-Hers take talents to State Fair
Published 2:06 pm Monday, September 6, 2010
More than 110 Mower County 4-H members, sixth-grade and up, recently competed in the Minnesota State Fair.
The Mower County 4-H-ers competed in categories ranging from livestock, general encampment (studies including science and arts) and llamas.
Melissa Koch, Mower County 4-H program coordinator, attended this year’s State Fair and was particularly impressed with Christopher Mandt’s livestock results in the dairy goat category. Mandt, 14 from Rose Creek, won his dairy interview, receiving the chair as top prize. He was also Reserve Champion of intermediate showmanship and received RC with his Junior Nigerian Dwarf exhibit.
“It is rare to see someone place so well in three categories like that,” Koch said.
Mandt also completed a project that displayed goat soap and goat fudge. “This year was good, and I had a lot of fun,” Mandt said. He has been in 4-H since he was a clover bud in first-grade. Mandt went to the State Fair last year, and plans to keep showing goats until he graduates.
“The State Fair is a very fun, Minnesota tradition,” said Koch, who was also in 4-H as a student. “We have great volunteers. It involves everybody in the community, and it just has a family feel to it.”
This year’s State Fair will continue through Sept. 6.