Head, Heart, Hands, Health, or 4H, showcased animals at local county and state fairs during the fair season. There is significant work leading up to Fair Day, and these students are putting in most of the work and effort themselves.

These students raise their animals, requiring work every day as they attend to the animals’ basic needs. For example, Emma Wheeler said that she walked her pigs, one which was a grand champion, around her yard.

The Delaware County Fair’s Grand Champion Market Beef winner was shown by Jacob McMillen on Sept. 18 in the Junior Fair Show Arena. His story was featured in the Delaware Gazette.

McMillen said that he fed his steers twice a day and gave them water four to five times a day when raising them.

His winning steer was named Kermit. “He is a smoke-colored, crossbred steer,” McMillen said. “We bought him as a calf and my brother, Joey, showed him here last year as a feeder calf and won Reserve Champion Beef Feeder,” McMillen told the Gazette.

All this work leads up to Show Day at the fair, where students compete for the top spot. The animal is then sold during the Junior Fair Sale. Kermit sold of $8,500.

McMillen added that they brought the animals to the fair the day before showing so that they could avoid the public while they set things up. During the fair, the students have to continuously check on their animals to make sure they are doing okay, especially since the animals are in a new environment.

When the students weren’t working and checking on their animals, they roamed around the fairgrounds. McMillen said he enjoyed the fair food.

Emma Wheeler added that there are many different projects that 4H offers besides the animal and livestock fair competitions. The organization celebrates nearly every interest and hobby from arts and crafts and science, to open, self-guided projects. In addition, students can join FFA, like these students, and take on additional projects and challenges. BWHS’s FFA chapter is one of the top in the country.