SHOW TIME: 4-H'ers ready to show off their fine swine
Aug. 9—JEFFERSON — Michael Davis of Andover is getting ready to go hog wild this week at the Ashtabula County Fair.
The 9-year-old has spent the past few years working closely with his grandfather learning how to care for hogs and he's brought a big pig to show at the fair.
"His name is Bruce," Michael said. "He was born and raised on the family farm."
Big Bruce, a Hamp/Duroc cross, weighed in at 310 pounds.
"It's a good size for awesome meat," said Michael's grandfather, Joe Golembiowski, also of Andover.
This is Michael's first year raising a market hog for 4-H and he's been busy learning all the tricks of the trade.
"I helped deliver baby pigs, clip teeth, ear notch, weigh, feed, water, and of course, clean pens," he said. "Working with my family and learning about hogs over the last several years helped me to earn a 94 percent on my (4-H) Skill-a-thon test."
Michael said he hopes people looking for quality pork will bid on his hog at the Market Livestock Show, slated for 11 a.m. Saturday in the Show Arena.
Raising and caring for a championship hog requires a lot of time, dedication and good decision-making, said Golembiowski, who showed pigs and steers in 4-H in the late 1960s, early 70s.
But it's all worth it for the 4-H members who endured months of hard work before heading into the show ring for the 2023 Swine Show at 5 p.m. today in the MAC Arena.
Although new to 4-H, Michael will join dozens of 4-H competitors taking part and showing off their animals.
His grandfather sees the county fair Swine Show as one of the best in the state.
"This really is such a great show," he said. "It gives you hope when you have these quality youth working hard in their pens and in the show ring to present their animal."
On Tuesday morning, with the sun shining on the fairgrounds, a massive Duroc-Berkshire cross hog named Chocolate was loving all the attention his owner, Bria Lott, 10, of Jefferson, was giving him.
"I love him," she said. "It's going to be hard to sell him."
Her brother, Dakota Lott, 12, was sweeping the barn floor, keeping the area tidy for visitors. His 4-H project, a 234-pound pig named Socks, likes to snuggle, Dakota said.
He also agreed with his sister — "It's hard to detach from them after caring for them all these months."
Many elements go into taking care of a show hog, from feeding to housing — something 4-H'ers learn over the course of several months.
The swine are shown and judged by breed, sex, weight, age, degree of muscling, growth, capacity or volume, degree of leanness, structure and soundness.
The 4-H participants themselves are also judged during the showmanship part of the event and can shine even if the animal isn't too cooperative, which can happen even after months of training.
