October 2021 Farm Life Blog
by Jordan Miller
Another fair season has come and gone. This year, I attended the Van Wert County Fair as a mentor to my younger generation of cousins helping them foster life skills such as communication, work ethic, responsibility, and sportsmanship.
I have a 20 cow-calf herd of pasture-raised Maine-Anjou cattle. When I was 6 years old, my dad and grandpa helped me purchase my very first heifer, with which I won several champion ribbons over the years. Since that time, I have bred better genetics into the herd and have built up a higher quality show strain.
The young people that I mentored this year came away with an arm load of awards! Our animals excelled in show ring appearance and weight gain. I attribute much of the success to our feed program from United Equity Feeds. We met with feed sales consultant Shawn Kennedy and formulated a custom show blend for our cattle. It worked! Our wall of blue ribbons includes 1st place dairy feeder, champion intermediate dairy feeder showman, reserve grand champion beef feeder, champion cross bred heifer, champion intermediate beef showman, class winning commercial meat pen chickens, and class winning market lamb!
Next year when the fair rolls around, please take time to visit your local county fair! There is more to it than just cotton candy and com dogs – you will see families that take time to learn together and build long lasting life skills. Be safe out there and Happy Fall, ya’ll!