By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent

FRANKLIN, Ind. — The last day of the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair is normally an easy one for 4-Hers. Judging is over and livestock is sold the night before.

“Usually, Saturday is our sleep-in day,” said Tracy Noel, mother of 4-Hers Makayla and Sarah. “But this morning they were out walking their heifers and wethers.”

The sisters showed in the open class sheep show on Saturday afternoon, but on Saturday morning, also showed their Brown Swiss dairy calves in the county’s first dairy feeder calf show.

The competition is held at the Indiana State Fair and at some other county fairs, using calves in the 300- to 750-pound range. The size is more manageable for young 4-Hers and organizers hope it will encourage more members to enter in the cattle competition and work their way up to larger animals, as cattle barn numbers were down overall this year.

Some calves could be shown in the feeder calf show and the next year in the dairy competition if their weight is right, said county extension youth educator Sarah Wagler. It’s a good investment for families to show a calf two years.

“The show turned out really well,” Wagler said. “I hope the project continues to grow.”

Fourteen 4-Hers of all ages entered the show, including Kelley Mann, a 10-year member who led friends and family in organizing the event. She had seen the event at the state fair and knew it would be a way for members to get comfortable with the show ring process before moving on to larger animals.

At the end of Saturday morning’s show, second-year 4-Her Makayla was rewarded for her early-morning work, earning grand champion honors for her calf weighing 724 pounds. She enjoyed the show better than the regular dairy competition.

“The bigger ones drag you around a lot, and this one was easier to train,” she said. “It did better in the ring. But it may weigh too much to show next year.”

It was a grand end to a fun week – a good thing, since the fair counts as the Noel family’s vacation. Their farm is near Shelbyville, but is located just inside the Johnson County line.

In all, Makayla and Sarah, a first-year 4-Her, showed five dairy cattle, three dairy feeders, two beef heifers, two beef steers and 22 goats.

Tim and Tracy Noel appreciate the new feeder calf show. “It’s less work for them, since the calves were born Jan. 1,” Tracy said. “It’s something easy, and we know they’re not going to get hurt.”

This farm news was published in the July 25, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.