Kids still raised their livestock and competed for ribbons for this year’s Montezuma County Fair. We visit a few to find out how they coped with this year’s pandemic.
EVERY YEAR IN LATE JULY, 4H KIDS INMONTEZUMA COUNTY BRING THE ANIMALS THEY'VE RAISED ALL YEAR TO BEAUCTIONED AT THE COUNTY FAIR. 4H IS A POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ANDMENTORING ORGANIZATION THAT IS OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD AND HAS DEEPROOTS IN FARMING AND AGRICULTURE. 4H PROVIDES EXPERIENCES WHERE YOUNGPEOPLE LEARN BY DOING AND AIMS TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIRFAMILIES GAIN THE SKILLS NEEDED TO BE PROACTIVE FORCES IN THEIRCOMMUNITIES. AS YOU CAN PROBABLY IMAGINE, THINGS HAVE BEEN A LITTLEDIFFERENT THIS YEAR DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS. I THINK ONE, ONE THINGTHAT A PANDEMIC HAS DEFINITELY HIGHLIGHTED IS THE INEQUITIES IN OURCOMMUNITIES AND HOW WE CAN REACH PEOPLE, ALL PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.AND SO, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADAPT TO ANDALLOW FOR US TO BE OUT THERE IN ALL DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, LETTINGTHEM KNOW HERE ARE THE RESOURCES AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THEM. SO YOUCAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF OUR PROGRAMS. I'M HOPING WHEN WE SHOWED ALOT OF RESILIENCY THROUGH THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME AND THAT WHENHOPEFULLY THINGS GET BACK TO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF NORMALICY THATWE'RE USED TO, THAT WE COME OUT OF THIS EVEN STRONGER AS A COMMUNITYAND AS SPECIFICALLY AN EXTENSION 4H COMMUNITY THAT EVERYONE'S HAD TODEAL WITH IT. AND, MY HOPE IS THAT IT BRINGS US TOGETHER MORE
THISYEAR. WE HAVE THE CORONAVIRUS AND IT'S MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MOSTYEARS.
HOW SO?
WE DON'T GET TO HAVE THE SUMMER FUNISSUE, OR WE DON'T HAVE GET TO HAVE PRACTICE SHEETS OR CONTESTSHOOTING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. CAUSE.
WHAT DO YOU MISS MOSTABOUT THAT?
JUST BEING ABLE TO SHOOT WITH OUR FRIENDS.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF THOSE KIDS THAT WERE A LITTLE MORE SHY, ALITTLE MORE QUIET THAT HAVE HAD TO STEP UP AND SPEAK UP AND DO THINGSON THEIR, YOU KNOW, BY THEMSELVES INSTEAD OF AS A GROUP. SO IT'STAUGHT THEM HOW TO BE MORE SELF SUFFICIENT,
BUT I RAISEDMARKET GOATS. SO I ACTUALLY BREED MY GOATS AND THEN TRAIN THE BABIESAND TAKE THEM TO FAIR. BUT HOW MANY DEALS DO YOU HAVE? I HAVE NINEGOATS RIGHT NOW. OH, WOW. YEAH, THEY ARE A HANDFUL, BUT THEY'REGREAT. THEY GET PRETTY CLOSE TO THE ANIMALS. YOU DO. THAT'S KIND OFONE OF THE THINGS I WANT YOU TO DO IN FAIR. SO YOU HAVE THE BOND WITHYOUR ANIMAL.
HOW HAS THIS YEAR BEEN DIFFERENT WITH 4H?
IT'SBEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENCE WITH 4H. YOU DO CLUBS AND YOU HAVE MEETINGSTO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN YOUR CLUB AND THE COMMUNITY.AND WITH COVID, YOU CAN'T HAVE LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE. THAT'S BEENHARDER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY GO TO YOUR PEOPLE AND TALK ABOUTWHAT'S HAPPENING IN PERSON. SO IT JUST MADE COMMUNICATING A LOTHARDER. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF GETTING TOGETHER AS A GROUP, DURINGLOCKDOWNS, OTHER CRITICAL ISSUES HAVE BEEN GETTING MORE OF THEATTENTION THEY DESERVE.
AS EVERYONE'S GONE TO THEIR LOCALSUPERMARKET AND ALL OF THAT AND SEEN A MEAT OFF THE SHELVES OR EGGSOFF THE SHELVES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WE NEED TO ORGANIZE MORE OF,HEY, THERE'S PEOPLE PRODUCING THAT LOCALLY AND HOW WE CAN CONNECTCONSUMERS TO OUR PRODUCERS IN OUR AREA. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THATHAVE CHICKEN PROJECTS THAT ARE RAISING EGGS. A LOT OF MEAT PRODUCERSAS WELL TOO. AND PEOPLE LOOKING NOW MORE THAN EVER TO KNOW THEIRLOCAL PRODUCER OF MEAT AND PRODUCE AS WELL TOO, THAT THIS IS A GREATOPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR AGRICULTURECOMMUNITY. THE ABILITY TO HAVE THESE 4H YOUTH MEMBERS THAT HAVEWORKED SO HARD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO ACTUALLY GET TO SHOW THEIRANIMALS AND SELL THEIR ANIMALS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTHAND GOING FORWARD. IT'S BEEN A TOUGH RESILIENT TIME, BUT IF OURCOMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR YOUTH, UM, I THINKTHAT'S A GREAT BENEFIT FOR ME.
MORE INFORMATION ON 4H VISITFOUR-H DOTORG, FOR THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. THIS IS BRIAN SULLIVAN.
