The State Fair Tradition

Milis, Breagh, Bruinen, Stella, and Ramona. That was our crew for the 2023 Indiana State Fair Shetland Sheep Show.

We were happy with how well the show went, with Stella placing in the Top Five, Bruinen in the Top Six, and fifth and sixth spots in pairs and group classes. As one of the largest Shetland shows in the U.S., it was a highly competitive exhibition.

The tradition of my family’s presence at the Indiana State Fair goes back a long way, from my great-uncle’s Clydesdale hitches to my grandpa’s sheep flock. As a kid, I helped care for both horses and sheep, showing in the open classes. One year, waking up on a Sunday morning after sleeping on a cot in the sheep barn, I looked out the barn’s open sides to see our family’s draft horse trailer pull in and stop right across from our sheep pens. My father and uncle then jumped out of the truck and opened the trailer door to unload our Clydesdales.

Throughout my ten years of 4-H, I participated in the cattle and lamb youth shows. I finished my tenth year while working in the FFA Pavilion as a state FFA officer and also helped out in various areas of the Fair during college internships.

Now, Jeff has joined the tradition, working in a booth for the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association, showing sheep, and taking exhibits for the Arts Building.

Part of our family is on the Fairgrounds all year long. My great-uncle and great-aunt donated a Conestoga wagon to Pioneer Village, one that was used for two trips from North Carolina to Indiana and back.

Today is the final day of the 2023 Indiana State Fair, but we’ll keep the spirit of it with us all year.

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 family traditions do you cherish?

Share your answer and this newsletter with them.

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This Week on the Farm

Rest and recuperation is the main theme for this week. Then, we’ll start strategizing for breeding season and the winter.

Farm Shop

Bruinen, the ram lamb we took to State Fair, placed well in a competitive class. His sire, Gandalf, won his class at NAILE, and his dam, Frappe, did a great job raising her lamb. Let us know if you’d like to add him to your flock for nice conformation and fleeces!