It’s the time of the year when 4-H youths showcase their animals at the 2013 Hawaii County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale. This is a culmination of months spent in nurturing, balancing patience and perseverance with love for their 4-H
It’s the time of the year when 4-H youths showcase their animals at the 2013 Hawaii County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale. This is a culmination of months spent in nurturing, balancing patience and perseverance with love for their 4-H animal or animals.
This Friday, June 14, at 3 p.m., come to view the small animal show (rabbits and poultry) or Saturday, at 8:30 a.m., to pick your winner at the lamb, hog, and steer shows followed by the grand finale, the auction. This all takes place at the Mealani Research Station in Waimea.
This event is sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
However, everyone who goes will recognize that it’s the youths who make it special.
As Leiana Andrade Stout puts it: “it’s all on you.”
“It is my responsibility to fend for myself. I am in charge of the animal’s life, to make it the best that it can be,” she explained. This year, Leiana, 12, is raising both a lamb and a goat. Her first year at 9, her lamb took Grand Champion. This took lots of hard work, a lamb that soon was heavier than her and very headstrong had a grand time pulling her around during the daily walks.
She found that personality makes the difference in the showmanship portion of the show. Showmanship is the presentation. Standing your animal to show off its muscling, or finish, to the judges is very important. Having developed a rapport with the animal which then puts its trust in “you,” their handler can be dependant on their individual personality.
It is a special person who can bring out that winning personality with even the most willful animal.
Sister Malia Andrade Stout, 16, has more than seven years in the Hamakua 4-H Livestock program. Among her accomplishments, she raised a 1,400-pound steer, becoming the Grand Champion that year. Her practice with raising three pigs, three sheep and a goat has given her a richer understanding of relationships.
Each individual animal has its own personality, where, as with people, cultivating their strengths is one of the keys to developing a successful animal. For more than 100 years, 4-H has helped youths across the nation develop into resourceful citizens and responsible leaders.
Malia enjoys judging the animals, which, as she points out, is an important part of raising a market class animal.
“I have to explain my reasons for the choices I make about each animal,” she explained.
With her judging abilities, she has won first place at the county level, which then took her to Honolulu to participate and judge in the State 4-H Livestock Show and Sale. Knowing how to raise a “finished animal” takes experience.
Being aware of what the buyer is looking for when bidding at the auction determines the price the animal will be worth. This money is used for the purchase of next year’s animal, including feed, bedding, material for building the stall and more.
“This is my own business. I have to keep track of all the expenses,” she noted. Knowing your customer takes practice and having judging workshops throughout the year, she finds is a valuable hands-on experience.
As an important side note, “judging taught me to talk to people. I met a lot of people and made many new friends.” Marketing takes initiative. Leiana explains how she, Malia and others in the club, wrote letters with pictures and sent them to supporters like Hilton Waikoloa, Hapuna Prince, Restaurant Chefs, KTA Super Stores, Malama Market, Foodland, Merriman’s and Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agricultural Festival, among others.
“I talk about the animal I am raising and about myself,” she said, because it is important to sell both herself and her animal to these supporters in hopes they will be the purchaser.
KTA Super Stores has showcased the 4-Hers on the show “Living in Paradise” on Oceanic Time Warner Cable 27. Both Malia and Leiana admit that personality makes sheep different from raising the goats, which they are trying for the first time this year.
Malia said, “They are hardier and smarter!” However, Leiana said, “Goats are more stubborn than the sheep.” The 4-H animals are purchased from local farms. Malia and Leiana’s sheep came from Ron and Daphne McKeenhan, who are staunch supporters of this program and the youths.
It’s a lot of work, however enjoyable, to take care of their animals. It is up early each morning to walk and feed their two animals and again walk and feed in the afternoon. Now the time is coming near to saying goodbye to this year’s friends, companions.
How do they handle this experience from the age of 9? “Yes, I’m sad. I’ve gotten to know them and we are all buddies, my lamb, goat and I,” said Leiana. Malia agreed, “The first few I was very sad. But I know I gave them a good life with better care than they might have had otherwise.”
Another 4-H program is the Cultural Exchange Agriculture and Livestock Program. Last year, Malia’s participation took her to New Zealand for three weeks, where she stayed with a 4-H New Zealand family. This year the New Zealand youths came to Ahualoa. The 4-H program is for ages 5 through 19, and reaches approximately 35,000 young people annually throughout Hawaii.
How do young people learn in 4-H? “Learn by doing” is the clue. The 4-H Motto is “To Make the Best Better.”
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The North Hawaii Education & Research Center is now taking registrations for its Summer 2013 Lifelong Learning Classes. This summer, we are pleased to offer Portuguese Culture & Heritage. The class will be taught by Marie Ho who serves on the board for the Portuguese Heritage Club of Hamakua.
Participants will learn the history of Portuguese in Hawaii, culture and customs, basic vocabulary and Portuguese food.
This class will run for four weeks on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. starting on June 18. Tuition is $30, plus a $10 materials fee for food supplies. For more information, or to register for this class or any other upcoming summer classes, please call 775-8890.
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Can the globalization of engaged Buddhism help bring an end to violence? Sharing their thoughts, noted Buddhist scholars, authors and educators — who also happen to be husband and wife — Dr. Ugo Dessi and Dr. Elisabetta Porcu will present two talks in East and West Hawaii. Dr. Dessi speaks at the Honokaa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple on Monday, June 10, at 7 p.m., and Dr. Porcu is a guest speaker at the Puna Hongwanji on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. Both presentations are free, and the general public is enthusiastically welcome.
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Book Sale alert: Please come by the North Hawaii Education and Research Center (NHERC) to help support scholarships for North Hawaii students. Books start at 25 cents each or 10 for $1.50. Sale is for the entire month of June. We have romance, history, literature, science and tech, do-it-yourself and much much more. All proceeds will go to the NHERC Scholarship Fund. Sale held at NHERC, below the hospital from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., now through June 30.
Carol Yurth’s column is published every Sunday and spotlights activities on the Hilo-Hamakua coast. She welcomes items for her column. Reach her by mail (46-1250 Kalehua Road, Honokaa HI 96727) at least 10 days before the requested publication date, call her at 775-7101, or e-mail waiukahenutz@gmail.com.
