Gazette photographer Cat Szalkowski followed three teens as they prepare for the Rock County 4-H Fair.
Ariel Stefanczyk, 14, examines her 4H medal and ribbon display in her bedroom as she adjusts them for a photograph.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Ariel Stefanczyk dubiously eyes her four-ingredient frosting as she tests it's consistency on a practice Celebrations cake that she will make to enter into the Foods and Nutrition category of 4-H.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
For the Home Environment category, Ariel is submitting a table and chair set she is working on sanding down, preparing it to be refinished.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Ariel's cavies, Peanut and Butter (pictured), are a first time 4H project for her and she has been practicing showing methods with the small animals.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Ariel carefully pieces together her poster for the vet science category of the fair, her favorite area of 4-H.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Jordan DeLong, 16, consults a manual on dubbing before cutting the comb and wattle of one of his Modern Game Bantam's. All Jordan's chickens are dubbed once they reach breeding age to meet the standards for showing as well as to prevent inclinations to fight and the possibility of infection, disease or frostbite.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
A White Plymouth Rock Bantam chicken gets a bath early one afternoon at the DeLong Farm. Jordan washes his chickens every few months, as many as 40 at a time, especially before shows, using four baths for washing, rinsing and making the feathers shine.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Jordan walks his show pigs on a daily basis to keep their muscles tense and to moderate their weight. This year he is showing (from left to right) a purebred Berkshire, a crossbred pig and a Duroc.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
"These pigs are spoiled," Jordan says of the show animals' lifestyle. He walks them, cleans their pen daily, showers them when it's hot and generally gives them a lot of attention.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Jordan performs tasks on the farm daily as part of his chore list as well as out of a love for farm life. Cleaning out the pigs pen is one of many daily chores.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Cal Dewitt, 15, helps unload a delivery of feed from Complete Feeds out of Sharon for his cows and talks shop with the company's delivery driver, Don.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Cal tests the water temperature before giving a daily rinse to Beauty, one of his fall calves who recently won the award for Junior Champion at the Wisconsin District 6 Holstein Show.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Cal studies his fall yearling, Allison, to see how she sets up her feet when walking. A practice requiring patience and diligence, all three of his cows at the farm are walked daily, year-round, to better their walks and set-ups, and to get them used to being led for showing.
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
In addition to walking and rinsing downw his cows daily, Cal brushes them to keep their coats clean. His goal is to have his animal as close to show ready as possible at all times.r
Photo By: Cat Szalkowski-Patneau
Cal closely monitors the milking of his cow, Chelsey, who just had a calf in mid-June. Chelsey's milking on this day was being monitored to make note of her output and to test the bacteria count to add to her Holstein Association registration.
