Fair time is bittersweet for 4-H kids

The Northwest Montana Fair is in full-swing, and while kids are eager to get to the annual event in Kalispell to go on the rides, play the carnival games and eat the traditional foods, there's one group that has a little more at stake — the 4-H Clubs.

At the beginning of the week. kids from several 4-H Clubs hailing from all over the Flathead Valley took their livestock to the fairgrounds in Kalispell to begin the judging process of their animals, which will ultimately be sold at an auction at the conclusion of the fair.

The young ranchers-in-training raise their desired type of animal — there are many to choose from including cows, pigs and goats — from the time it is a baby.

Morgan Marvin, a 14-year-old from Creston, is among the hundreds of kids who participate in the Flathead Valley 4-H. His club is called Dandy, Dudes and Dolls and includes kids from Bigfork, Creston, Columbia Falls, Kalispell and several rural communities in East Valley.

"I just think the camaraderie that there is among the 4-H kids is great," said Morgan's mom LeAnne. "You can really see it at the fair. They're all always together. They play cards together, they hang out in the barn together and they all go to the carnival together."

Morgan has entered livestock at the Northwest Montana Fair for seven years now. The first three years he raised pigs and the past four, including this year, he has had steers.

"It's really fun. I've learned a lot about taking care of animals and keeping records," Morgan said. "We learn a lot of life skills too."

The steer he is entering this year is an Angus Sentinel that was born in March 2009 and last November Marvin penned it up away from the other cows at his parents' farm to raise as his own for competition.

Most kids buy livestock from others to raise and enter in the fair. However, Morgan and his older brother, Chandler, 16, are fortunate in that their father, Ken, is a breeder. So each year the boys pick a cow to raise for 4-H and pen it up separate from the rest. They feed those cows a special diet of corn and barley to ensure that they are taken care of as well as possible.

"It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun and it's very rewarding," Morgan said.

Although the steers are all grown up and ready to be shown at the fair, Morgan's job is far from done. The Marvins took their steers to the fairgrounds Sunday evening.

Upon arrival, the animals were weighed to ensure that they fit within the 1,050-pound to 1,450-pound requirements.

Chandler's steer was deemed too heavy and was disqualified from judging, though his dad weighed it days earlier and saw that it was 100 pounds within the guidelines. Morgan's steer was well within the range at about 1,300 pounds.

The steers will be judged on appearance in what is called market. The animals and their young owners will also be judged together in the showmanship category, which Morgan said can be a little stressful.

"It's pretty fun and exciting," Marvin said of entering steers in the fair. "It's a little nerve wracking too. He might act up in the ring and embarrass you. You just never know how it will go. It also makes you nervous to not know how the judges will score you."

In showmanship, the kids dress in black pants, white long-sleeved shirts and cowboy hats. One by one, each kid takes his or her cow out into an arena where it's walked it around the judge in different patterns as requested.

Then the judges ask the kids questions about the type of animal they are showing. Questions cover topics like animal health and different types of cuts of meat that come from that animal.

"It's kind of exciting to know that you're almost finished, but you get nervous about what the judge will think and what questions he'll ask," Morgan said.

With Morgan's years of experience under his belt, he should do well though. In 2008 he was the Reserve Champion in Showmanship.

The third and final judging category comes after the fair is over. The animals are then butchered and their carcasses are examined and rated for quality.

"It's interesting to see which animals won for market compared to which animals the judges picked to win for carcass," Morgan said.

A 4-H livestock auction will be held at the end of the fair to sell of all of the animals for the kids. Cows generally go for about $2.50 per pound.

"The economy isn't real great, but this Valley comes out and still supports these kids," LeAnne said. "There are so many individuals and businesses that come out and pay more than market value for the animals. They really can't be thanked enough."

Morgan said he is thankful for the support as well. That support helps keep him able to take part in the fair annually, which he thoroughly enjoys.

"It's pretty cool knowing that you're being watched by people that you know and people that you don't," Morgan said of being in the spotlight at the fair. "It's fun too because a lot of people, especially little kids, come by and admire them and that makes you feel good because you've raised them and taken care of them for so long."

With the time and energy that is put in to raising the animals, there is an undeniable bond formed between the kids and the animals that makes selling them a little tough.

"It's sad because after you have worked with them, they're tame and nice, and you want to keep them as a pet, but you have to sell them and that's OK really," Morgan said.

With the livestock bringing in a sizable paycheck, Morgan admits that the money he earns from entering into the fair isn't a bad trade off. However, that money is spent with guidance.

"They get to buy one big item and the rest goes into their college fund," LeAnne said.