Lucy Gustafsen, left, and her sister Lily get a handle on their lambs July 29 during a practice run for the Okanogan County Fair.
14 in Cascaders 4-H to enter sheep this year
If you want to learn patience, responsibility and tenacity, try raising sheep for the Okanogan County Fair.
By the looks of it, the not-so-little lambs that were gathered in late July at a small ranch off Twisp-Carlton Road didn’t enjoy being led around a lawn by the young members of the Methow Valley Cascaders 4-H Club. The animals’ shrill bleats of protest would freeze many an untrained handler in their own tracks.
Despite the difficulties, about a dozen Cascaders persevered with their stubborn charges. They were practicing for the fair, which starts Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds.
The Cascaders’ sheep contingent has grown considerably since one year ago, when two 4-H members brought the animals to fair. This year, 14 youths are raising sheep, said Deanna Melton, one of the parents in charge of the sheep group.
Cascaders leader Hilary Kaltenbach explained the surge in the popularity of these cute but often uncuddly animals.
“A number of these kids were involved with chickens last year and have decided they want to raise a larger animal that involves more care and responsibility,” Kaltenbach said.
Heading to market
While some of the youngsters just graduated from the fair’s fur and feather division, Melton’s daughter Sadie Michelsen is a sheep veteran. She’s been showing them at the fair for five years.
Sadie has had her hands full, raising four sheep for the fair. She’s named them Bell, Iris, Pip and Poppy. Pip doesn’t know it yet, but he has been selected for auction, so he will be judged not only for his cleanliness and grooming, but also for what he might bring to someone’s dinner plate.
Pip and the others will also enter the fitting and showing division, which is as much about the exhibitor as the animal. The 4-H members must display poise and confidence before the judges.
Club members had some expert guidance on that July evening. Kassidy Wilfong, currently enrolled in the agricultural education program at Oklahoma State University and a former state officer for the Washington FFA Association, put the youths through their paces, showing them how to position their animals. The animal’s legs should be planted firmly on the ground, and the child needs to brace him- or herself as well, keeping the sheep at ease while also keeping a smile and a wary eye on the judge.
Wilfong, who graduated from Pateros High School in 2024 and now operates K&W Show Lambs in Chelan, played the part of fair judge, feeling the lambs’ brisket, backstrap and loins to get a sense of their market value.
Wilfong happens to have a Methow connection. Alisha McMillan, who is organizing the sheep group this year with Melton, said she showed sheep at the fair with Wilfong’s mother.
Wilfong asked 4-H members the sorts of questions a judge might ask:
What breed is your lamb? Southdowns have white, woolly faces, while Hampshires are taller and sport a black face.
What are some typical diseases to watch for? Hopefully, none of the 4-Hers’ sheep will come down with pneumonia or parasites.
Months of preparation
Fair sheep are typically born in February and picked up by 4-H kids by late April. By then, the animals have already outgrown their cute baby-lamb phase. The kids are responsible for their care, feeding market lambs rich grains to “fatten them up,” as Sadie put it, while also shearing them and watching for illness.
A final shearing happens right before the fair, Melton said. The judges need to get a good look at a market animal’s parts.
“It’s a lot of work,” Melton said, but her clan has gotten the hang of it, reducing shearing time from a grueling two hours to about 30 minutes.
Lambs may be big with Cascaders 4-H this year, but the group will also participate in several other divisions. Some 75 youth ages 5 to 18 will bring steers, pigs, chickens and rabbits to fair. “Our club’s rabbits will account for half the rabbits in the barn this year,” Kaltenbach said.
Some members have opted to enter displays of their gardening or crafting skills.
“Whether they are piecing together their first quilt, working with their steer or presenting in front of an audience, 4-H members learn how to be resilient and how to help each other,” Kaltenbach said. “As a leader, I love seeing members grow in their confidence, and I also love seeing families from all around the valley support each other.”
The 79th annual Okanogan County Fair takes place Sept. 10-13 at the Fairgrounds in Okanogan.
