Clydesdales, Cheese, and the Coliseum

The sheep shown at the 2024 Indiana State Fair seem to be a lot bigger than the sheep we saw last year! 😉 

We attended the Fair as both media and visitors, watching the Clydesdale show, covering 4-H exhibitions for an ag newspaper, and recording a podcast episode for a farm radio network.

One of my favorite attractions is Indiana Dairy’s Cheese Sculpture. Pace Dairy (which supplies cheese for Kroger) donates 1,400 pounds of cheese in giant blocks. Once these blocks are lined up, the cheese sculptures work their magic.

This year, with the Fair’s theme of “The Art and Nature of Fun,” the artists sculpted “Moona Lisa” and “American Cowlick.” (You can see the sculpture up close in this video I edited!)

I wrote stories about Fair events for The Farmer’s Exchange, including the Indiana 4-H Supreme Drive. This competition recognizes Supreme Champions for several species, including the dairy cows seen below. The 4-H members’ excitement is contagious as I watch them show in the Coliseum.

And the sheep that look like Clydesdales? Well, they were waiting by the sheep barn before entering the show arena across the road.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• What are you looking forward to this week?

Share your answer and this newsletter with a friend or family member you’ll see this week.

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This Week on the Farm

Thanks to Jeff for the Clydesdale, Coliseum, and ribbons photos!

When I was a 4-H member, my family and I took both sheep and cattle to the Fair for several days of shows. With all the excitement, something we had prepared the whole year for, it was hard to believe there was actually life after State Fair.

I feel a bit like that this year, too.

We will probably take some time to breathe this week, and then see what’s next!

Farm Shop

As we draw nearer to fall, it’s time to think about your flock’s genetics. If you’re in the market for a new ram, take a look at this March ram lamb. He’s from one of our top ewes, a great mum. He’s also a full sibling to Elrond, who placed in the Top Five as a lamb at the Indiana State Fair and is now part of a flock in Ohio.

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