This past August, Amelia Verschaeve, a junior at West, watched with pride as her older sister Avery showed and auctioned off her 4H pig for the last time. After 8 years together in the 4H program, Verschaeve saw years of hard work and skills build up to her sister’s last time as a 4H-er.
“Her last moment at fair was all of her projects, and her final project culminating into the best year she’s ever had and she did better in the shows than she ever had before and it was her best year at auction. So, it was amazing to see how all of the hard work pays off and she’s able to continue her education and be more independent,” Verschaeve said.
Verschaeve has been raising pigs on her grandparents farm, showing, and auctioning them off since she was in elementary school. This year she also expanded her horizons to the craft sector of 4H events, winning four first place ribbons for her skilled crochet work. Verschaeve’s time in the 4H program has led her to see the value in working one on one with animals and seeing how beneficial local farming can be to the community.
“In the 4H program, buyers often donate the animal to programs like Feed the Kids, so it goes to help people who sometimes can’t afford food or don’t have access to food, so that’s just another layer of meaningfulness,“ Verschaeve said.
4H is an organization where students are able to raise animals and sell them for meat at auction. Though students take care of their animals for months and often form a strong bond with them, they go into it knowing that they will eventually be selling their animal to be processed.
“Its never really been hard for me because at the start I never really think about having to sell them off at auction. I usually don’t get super close with my lamb until closer to fair, so by fair week it is when I really bond with my lamb and then by the end it’s really heartbreaking to see them go,” freshman Faith Herrington, who has been raising lambs for the last several years with her sisters, said.
However, there are other categories in which students do not sell their animals and only participate in showmanship categories. Morgan Lane, a freshman, has raised a number of different animals for 4H, but uniquely, she has a horse that has a showmanship process very different to most other 4H animals.
“I show my horse all year round and it’s a big commitment but I love it. You have to take care of them, keep them alive, there’s a lot to go into it,” Lane said.
Lane is kept very busy with 4H and being a full-time student. Due to the demanding requirements and schedule of raising an animal, she doesn’t have time for much else.
“Thats all I do with my life is raise my animals, immediately when I get out of school that’s what I do. So really it’s just school and them,” Lane said.
Herrington also recognizes the commitment and responsibility being a 4H-er requires. Through raising a lamb every year, she has seen the importance of a program like 4H and the timeless and practical values it teaches its participants.
“Its definitely taught me a lot about managing my time which has come in handy, especially starting high school. I didn’t know how to budget at all before joining 4H, and now I know savings. When I get my check at the end of the year a majority of that goes back into my lamb because otherwise I wouldn’t have money the next year for my lamb.” Herrington said.
Through 4H, students at West have learned a great deal outside of the classroom. They take with them lifelong lessons, like budgeting, community, and maturity. All things that 4Her’s like Verschaeve believe gives them a unique advantage in their lives.
“4H is an amazing program, and I think anybody who has the opportunity or is interested in doing it should because it teaches you lessons, it’s fun, you make amazing memories and friends who are interested in the same thing as you,” Verschaeve said.
