Chauffeured by parents, the exhibitors arrived neatly dressed and loaded down with projects carefully arranged in protective coverings or cataloged in notebooks and displayed on giant posters.
Leatherwork, electrical experiments, quilting, photography and gardening exhibits were just some of the projects among a vast array laid before the sharp-eyed judges, who won't eyeball livestock and other pet entries until later in the week.
Hard as she tried, she couldn't shake herself from self-criticism.
“I've learned you can't wait until the last minute to do your projects,” said the 12-year-old Missoula resident. “It takes a lot of work to get the right weight on a market lamb, and if you feed it too much too late it will get fat or it will get a belly on it.”
Her lamb isn't too fat, Reddler said with some frustration, “it just doesn't have enough muscle.”
No matter what the judges ultimately think, Reddler said she will continue working with livestock to improve her knowledge and skills.
After all, she explained, she wants to be a veterinarian when she finishes college.
Like Reddler, the 4-H exhibitors showed off an awe-inspiring maturity and poise, said Myra Mumma, who judged the leatherwork entries.
“The answers I have gotten from these young people have been awesome,” Mumma said. “When I've asked what has the project taught you, I have gotten amazing answers that are life lessons. I've heard things like, ‘It's taught me patience and how to work alone,' and ‘When you make a mistake sometimes you just have to accept it and move on.' ”
Cathy and Brad Novak were proud of their daughters, Briana, 13, and Elaina, 12, who arrived from Seeley Lake with gorgeously crafted quilted items draped over their arms.
“I think 4-H is a wonderful program and I think it is wonderful preparation for them to enter into high school,” Cathy Novak said. “These programs teach them how to speak in public, to explain their work, and I think it teaches them about dedication and responsibility.”
In the past several years, 4-H participation has been on the rise, said Campbell Barrett, 4-H extension agent in Missoula.
“Despite the fact that the fair is right in the middle of Missoula, 4-H is growing and the livestock projects are on the rise,” Barrett said. “We have a lot of craft projects, but we have more rabbits and chickens than ever before, and we have more hogs and more sheep.”
With an increasing presence at the fair, the general public will see for themselves that 4-H is a major player in the fun-filled week's activities, Barrett said. They'll also see how cramped the quarters are for the animals.
“People will see a growing program, and although the fair facility is nice, people will clearly see it's not quite big enough for all the animals.”
Jake Bova didn't beat around the bush when asked why he got interested in 4-H: At the fair last year, a 9-year-old Frenchtown girl earned $2,000 for her champion pig.
“I wanted to make some money,” said the 12-year-old Frenchtown resident, who named his pig “Dollar.”
In the past few months, he's learned pigs are cute, they're playful and they are a lot of hard work.
But he won't be sad to see Dollar sold at the livestock auction later in the week.
“I'm happy to have it off my hands,” Bova said. “I haven't been able to do anything with my friends because I have had to do 4-H, 4-H, 4-H.”
“But I will do it next year,” he said. “It's fun.”
Head, heart, hands, health
To learn more about 4-H programs in the Missoula area, call the Missoula Extension office at 258-4203 or log on to missoulaeducationplace.org.
Reporter Betsy Cohen can be reached at 523-5253 or at bcohen@missoulian.com.
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