This is the beginning of a very busy week in Fond du Lac County as the fair kicks off on Wednesday morning. Even though the fair isn’t for a few days yet, Riley and his younger brother Eli Zick of Busy Bees 4-H Club in Eldorado have been preparing for months ahead of time with their beef and pigs.
The brothers said that one of the main reasons they started showing at the fair was because of the lessons they’ve learned along the way. “You learn a lot of lessons, like how to work hard and you can see the work that you’re putting in, because the more work you put in, the better your animal will be, and the better you’ll do,” Riley said. Eli explained, “I started because I wanted to learn life lessons and also how to take care of animals.”
Riley explained that in order to get ready for the fair, the two are typically in the barn with the animals for about four hours every day. Eli said that the work doesn’t stop when the fair’s over with because once September rolls around, they’re already starting to work with next year’s steers and planning who to bring. With the hogs, they have a little bit more time because they aren’t thinking about them until late winter or early spring.
Almost from day one, the brothers are working to get the animals comfortable with them, cleaning, feeding, and walking them. Eli said that with the pigs, the easiest way to get them to trust you is basically just hanging out with them, but with the steers, it’s all about walking, washing, and brushing them.
A special tactic they’ve decided to use for the beef steers is a “fan cage,” as Riley described it. He walked through how the process works, “at night we put them outside when it’s cold and dark, and then around five in the morning we rinse them and put them in a fan cage room with a lot of fans.” The room is kept cool and dark to imitate the winter season to promote hair growth for the show because it can help the animal look larger and more muscular.
Even with all of the time and energy put into the county fair, Eli explained that it’s all worth it in the end. He said that he loves the fact that all the work is up to him and his brother. They’re the ones putting the hours into making these animals the best fair-ready projects they can be, with the help of their parents.
Riley said that when fairgoers head to the grounds it’s important to step in the barns and see the animals the kids have been working with because even if you don’t have an agriculture background, there’s still a connection there. “If you think about it, every time you eat, that comes from a farm. So, if you go to the fair, you can have fun with your friends on the rides, but then you can also go and appreciate the hard work people put in to provide all of that.”
The Fond du Lac County Fair will be from July 14th to the 18th in Fond du Lac. You can hear the full interview with Riley and Eli on our podcast page.
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