Every 4-H and FFA member taking livestock projects dreams of having at least one animal awarded the grand champion prize at the county fair. Northwestern graduate, Elizabeth Sakaitis, is one of the few who can say they accomplished that goal.
However, Sakaitis can also say she did it three times in a row.
Sakaitis won Grand Champion Dairy Feeder at the 2016, 2015, and 2014 Clark County Fairs. Sakaitis won Reserve Champion Dairy Feeder in 2013.
This is Sakaitis’ tenth year in 4-H and her ninth year showing dairy feeders. She is a member of the “Old School” 4-H Club. Chuck Fraley serves as the club’s advisor.
Sakaitis explains that a dairy feeder is a male calf (of a dairy breed, typically Holstein). Sakaitis starts her project in the wintertime when her project calves are two weeks old. She feeds them milk and starts them on grain early. Once the calves are weaned, Sakaitis gives them grain and hay to eat and water to drink.
There’s more to a dairy feeder project than just feeding the animal.
Sakaitis spends hours getting her calves used to wearing a halter. She then walks them daily and works on “setting them up” (getting them into a show stance) during the summer. Once she’s at the fair, Sakaitis must keep her animals clean and show them. The animals are auctioned off in the Dairy Feeder sale at the end of the fair. The animals go to a feed lot with the other calves from the fair to finish out until they are market weight.
Sakaitis says several things have come together to help her do so well with her Dairy Feeder projects at the fair.
“Something that has helped me be successful is working with my animals a lot, (which includes) walking and setting them up at home, keeping them cool with fans, rinsing them off, and providing feed and water to them all the time. My parents and 4-H friends have also helped me be successful.”
There are perks that come with having the Grand Champion dairy feeder. In addition to the recognition and trophies, the Grand Champion calf sells first in the dairy feeder auction when, typically-speaking, the largest number of buyers are present. That money Sakaitis earned on sale day will help her pay her expenses when she enters Wilmington College in the fall as a Freshman majoring in Animal Science.
Sakaitis’s says she really enjoys taking the 4-H dairy feeder project and that her favorite things about 4-H is getting to show her projects at the Clark County Fair and bonding with other members in her 4-H Club.
Sakaitis’ story proves that it is not necessary to live on a farm to take 4-H livestock projects. Sakaitis’ family lives in the country on roughly two acres in Northwestern’s school district near North Hampton. The family only raises 4-H and FFA animals.
With the 2016 Clark County Fair on the books, Sakaitis says she has enjoyed being in 4-H and FFA. “I would encourage others to join 4-H and FFA (because) It’s a great experience.” She also advises future dairy feeder exhibitors, “to work hard with your project and to enjoy it while it lasts.”
