Rachel and Thrip
May 10, 2019
FAIR PROJECT FRIDAY
Rachel Shedal has selected Guinea Pigs and Call Ducks as her projects to compete at this year’s Manitowoc County Fair. This will be her fourth year participating in the Cavy (guinea pig) division. Her guinea pigs, Thrip (pictured), Nutmeg, Expresso, and Mocha, will each be entered in a different category. She is planning to enter 5 of their Call Ducks for her second year of showing in that category of the poultry division. She has been working with all the animals, gaining more knowledge about them and is excited for the rewards that could bring for her at this year’s fair.
To get her animals ready to show, Rachel has to trim nails, pigs get haircuts, the ducks get their feet washed and she has to make sure she has all their stuff ready for their time at the fair. She will be showing on Saturday of fair week; the Call Ducks during the day and Cavy at night. “Come watch the show and see how I do it,” she said, “anyone who is interested can come ask me questions.” That statement demonstrates the confidence Rachel said she has gained by doing fair projects. She loves working with the animals and learning about them, but has also learned things for herself. “I’ve learned to be proud of what you have, to always show respect, and to always be engaged and ask questions.” She also appreciates the connection she has with her family. “My mom, dad and sister have been a big support for everything I do and they are always there for me.”
Rachel is a member of the School District of Mishicot FFA. Her ag teacher has a lot of animals and gave her the opportunity to visit them. Seeing how Rachel interacted with the animals, her teacher encouraged her to get more involved. She joined the FFA program her freshman year of high school and used her guinea pigs (that she got as a present for her 12th birthday) as her first show project. This year she is excited to be adding some young cavies for the show. She bought two from an online ad listing and noticed one got really chubby. She ended up having 4 babies! Watching them grow up has been a lot of fun and Rachel will now be showing two of those babies.
When it comes to being at the fair, Rachel likes being able to experience the different shows, hanging out with friends and eating the fair food. (DEEP FRIED CANDY BARS may have been mentioned here!) Good luck at this year’s Manitowoc County Fair, Rachel!
#FairProjectFriday...post #6... To show our support to the next generation of agriculture, Country Visions Cooperative will be giving a snapshot look of youth and their fair projects each Friday.
