Fair highlights animal husbandry skills

The judge was running late. Gathered parents watched over nervous youngsters wandering around the hay-strewn barn with its neat rows of rabbit clutches. Many youngsters gently held their rabbits, cradling them in their arms, looking very comfortable with their tiny charges.

Welcome to the Sonoma-Marin Fair’s Rabbit Showmanship competition, a culminating event for many local 4-H members that was held during the second day of the fair last Tuesday.

Carolyn Lacerra, Petaluma’s Golden Hills 4-H Club Leader, said that most children love animals and so it’s a great way to get them involved in 4-H early. She said that, as an added benefit as they do their project with their animal, they also develop confidence.

Lacerra explained that this is the show where kids are dressed in their whites and perform a routine, like a vet check, in front of the judge. She said that the exam is basically the same as what a vet would do. It’s about learning the stages, she said, but as they get older more information will be added to the exam and the judges’ questions will become increasingly difficult. Lacerra noted that she had watched their vet basically perform the same exam on their rabbit.

Livia Mickelson, 6, of Golden Hills 4-H club, competed with her rabbit and moved to the second heat to compete for the blue ribbon. The young woman standing next to her won the blue ribbon that day, but Livia had competed well. She smiled and accepted her yellow ribbon graciously.

Mickelson also competed in the fair’s poultry showmanship on Wednesday morning. She did her demonstration using a toy stuffed chicken because poultry was banned at the fair due to an outbreak of Newcastle disease. Mickelson also entered a table place setting for competition, two Pysanka Easter eggs, a mask, an ornament and a mini garden. She said 4-H is fun and she thinks other kids will like it too.

Local 4-H clubs traditionally attend the fair, competing and practicing showmanship and presentation. However, today it’s so much more.

“4-H is more than animals these days and many people don’t realize that,” Lacerra said. “Our club has Lego robotics, STEM crafts, and 3-D printing.”

Lacerra and her son Orion Vaske, 11, helped out at the fair’s 4-H booth, where a STEM activity “Happy City” was being offered each afternoon.

There’s still the old favorites as well. Golden Hills 4-H club member, Phoenix Strasen, 12, won “outstanding junior photography exhibit.”

Max Pedrotti won four blue ribbons with his photography. The 14 year-old has been a member for six years and has served on Golden Hills 4-H Executive Board as Vice President. He said he’s enjoyed the photography project and always enters photos at the fair. He says he’s also working extremely hard raising two lambs for the sheep project.

“4-H has been a great experience for me,” Pedrotti said. “I have met a lot of people in my community.”

Sisters and Golden Hills 4-H members Cora (9) and Elise Matley (12) did well at the fair. Elise entered photographs and a Pysanka decorated Easter egg and received 2nd place for each. She also entered an Apollo 13 poster from a school project which won Best in Show. Cora entered a sewing project, a 3-D crafting light-up card and a Pysanka decorated Easter egg. All of her entries won blue ribbons.

Ten-year-old Rupert Sawyer showed sewing projects, Lego building projects, a triorama of Puerto Rico, a Bull Run report, art pieces and a wooden sculpture. When asked his favorite thing about 4-H, Sawyer replied, “friends.”

Lacerra said that she thinks a great strength of 4-H is the involvement of parents. Parents and even grandparents help with their children’s projects and some participate in local clubs by teaching those skills that their local 4-H members are interested in.

Lacerra explained that Golden Hills 4-H club had held bake sales and raised money to buy Christmas presents for a family who had lost their home in the Camp fire.

“We were glad to provide a little cheer for the season,” said Lacerra.