End of an era: 10-year 4-Hers prepare for final fair

Everything changed in the pig barn.

Cadence Ankney was in second grade, and she accompanied her parents to the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair. Neither she nor her parents had been around farming or agriculture, so she’d never experienced what it was all about.

But after laying eyes on those wallowing, wiggling pigs, she wanted more than anything to be part of it.

“My parents were at first a little skeptical, but my uncle offered to let us use his place to house them, so we did that, and I’ve been loving it ever since then,” the Trafalgar resident said.

Ankney’s unlikely start in 4-H blossomed into an experience that has shaped and molded her life. She and 44 other young people will take part in their final county fair in the coming days, closing out 10 years in the 4-H program.

Their time has been marked with one-of-a-kind experiences, from service projects with fellow club members to nights alone working with their animals or putting together their projects. Memories of dusty, hot July days, long hours in the livestock barns and the fun of an afternoon water fight permeate their memories.

To see it come to a close is bittersweet, they say. But while one chapter of their lives comes to a close, everything they’ve taken from 4-H has opened clear pathways to their next chance at success.

“4-H is one of those things that will always be part of my life, and I’ve learned so many things that I can take the rest of my life. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” said Addie Morris, a 10-year 4-Her from Bargersville.

4-H is one of the largest youth organizations in Johnson County, serving more than 1,200 kids each year. The program prepares young people to be leaders in their community and beyond through hands-on experiences alongside their peers and adult mentors.

The group is active all over the county, and with the inclusion of Mini 4-H, reaches kindergarten to 12th grade — though the central 4-H program starts when students enter third grade.

Even before she was old enough to take part in 4-H, Emilee Pickerel knew she wanted to join the program.

“I’ve always known about 4-H. You could say I was involved in 4-H before I was even born,” she said. “My cousins were in 4-H, and I’ve always looked up to them, showing different types of animals. I decided that I wanted to follow in their footsteps, and my parents’ footsteps.”

Pickerel, a resident of Trafalgar, has shown pigs throughout her time in 4-H. Spending so much time with the animals feeding them, grooming them and caring for them, she’s developed an affinity for the animals.

And with the help of the community in the swine barn, she’s been able to share her love with others, helping stoke interest in younger fair-goers as well.

“Believe it or not, pigs actually really like marshmallows. So it’s really fun to see kids’ and adults’ faces alike when I say you can give them a treat,” she said.

Besides showing pigs, Pickerel has helped friends show goats, as well as creating animal science and animal welfare poster projects. As part of the 4-H Honor Group, she was part of numerous service projects as well as an ambassador.

She is also one of 12 contestants for the fair queen competition this year, which adds another element of excitement as well as nervousness to the coming week.

“I think I’m really just excited for another year of the fair for me. I’m not focusing on that it’s the 10th year for me; it’s just another opportunity to have fun,” she said. “It’s kind of to tie it up with a nice bow.”

Morris is another 4-Her who grew up around the program, as both of her parents grew up showing livestock, as did her three older siblings. They all had positive experiences with it, so when it was time for her to enroll as a third-grader, she wanted to take part in it as well.

During her time in 4-H, Morris has shown goats for all 10 years, as well as picking up projects such as baking, fashion and more.

One of her favorites was the “wearable art” project.

“It’s a project where you can make a piece of clothing your own. I’ve always loved to show my creative side through that,” she said.

As she’s gone through her 10th and final year of 4-H, the process of tending to her goats and working on projects has been unique, knowing she’ll be done after this year’s fair. Part of her is sad, but she’s also thankful for the lessons she’s learned.

“Kind of seeing it come to an end and closing this chapter is kind of crazy, but it’s also such a rewarding feeling, knowing that I’ve not only stayed loyal to this, but also learned so many things throughout it,” she said.

Morris hopes to use her experience to offer those about to start their 4-H journey to stay with it.

“It’s one of the most life-changing things I’ve ever done. You can do sports in school and extracurriculars there, but there’s not a program out there like 4-H. I always tell my friends, if you don’t get involved in the actual projects, they should at least come and support,” she said.

Brody Polesel had just moved to Johnson County in the middle of his second-grade year, and almost immediately, he started his 4-H journey. His parents and grandparents had both been part of the program. During a conversation with them, he decided he wanted to show goats for his first year in 4-H.

“Really, we never looked back after that. I don’t know how we decided on showing goats, but I’m certainly glad we did. We never looked back after that,” the Whiteland resident said.

While goats have been the centerpiece of his time in 4-H, Brody Polesel also dabbled in showing dairy cattle, participated in the corn and soybean crops categories, the electricity project, aerospace and LEGOs.

Still, goats are his main concern

“It’s definitely rewarding to finally get to take them to the fair and get to show these animals. There are certainly days where you don’t want to do it anymore, where you wonder why you’re still doing this. But you learn a certain tenacity that comes with these livestock projects,” he said.

Heading into his 10th and final fair, Polesel admits it is an emotional time. Walking the fairgrounds brings back memories of times over the years, and an added pressure comes knowing this is the final fair.

“There’s a lot of nerves, but there’s also a peace that comes with it. You can step back and enjoy it,” he said. “And you look around and try to lead that next generation. You want to leave this place better than it was when you came here 10 years ago.”

For Ankney, her time in 4-H has been dominated by showing pigs, which she has done all 10 years. She has also done two years showing cattle. Looking back at her decade in the program, she thinks back to her first year. She didn’t have the agricultural background many of her fellow 4-Hers had and was tentative about taking part, despite her initial enthusiasm.

But in fourth grade, Ankney received some guidance from a family friend, who suggested she try livestock judging to see if she liked it.

Something clicked.

“Come fifth grade, I was like a whole new kid in 4-H. I talked to everyone, I went to all the meetings, did all the clean-ups, and have been like that ever since livestock judging,” she said. “It got me out of my little shell.”

Going into her final county fair, emotions are swelling. Memories of helping guide younger members through the program, as well as ribbons won such as the time she won fourth overall at the Indiana State Fair in the Division 4 crossbred gilt, keep coming back to her.

As she prepares for her final fair, before heading to Texas A&M University to study agricultural economics before pursuing a degree in law to be an agricultural lawyer, it’s been tough.

“It’s starting to hit me. It’s very bittersweet because that’s all I’ve known,” she said. “Moving so far away, leaving everything I love here, it’s pretty hard,” she said.