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ENJOY! Shenandoah County Living AUGUST 2014
Livestock competitors bring experience to county fair
Tiffany Heishman, 14, of Strasburg, stands with Hatfield, left, and Rocky, two purebred shorthair steers she raised. She plans to show cattle and goats at the Shenandoah County Fair, scheduled for Aug. 22-30. Josette Keelor/Daily
By Josette Keelor
Area children showing livestock at the Shenandoah County Fair might be young but they bring years of experience to help them lock horns with the competition. Braden Stern is only 9, but the Lebanon Church resident has been training to show steers since he was about 4 years old. Each year he attends the Frederick County Fair with his mother Samantha Stern, agriculture education teacher at James Wood Middle School in Frederick County, and he has participated in four or five bucket calf shows, bringing calves up to a couple months old. “I only showed cows, so itʼs my first year for sheep and pigs,” Braden said. “I just wanted to see what I like the best out of the three and then I might choose only one for the next couple of years.” He has raised two of each animal and
will participate in five shows, showing only one of his heifers because theyʼre in the same weight class. “I guess my mom got me into it because she showed sheep when she was little,” he said. “She wanted me to show when Iʼm 9, right now.” Tiffany Heishman, 14, of Strasburg, also followed in her parentsʼ footsteps when deciding to show goats and steers. Her parents Ray and Tracey Heishman were in the Future Farmers of America club at Strasburg High School, respectively, from 1986 to 1989 and 1988 to 1992. Tracey Heishman was club president in 1992.
A rising freshman at Strasburg High School, Tiffany said sheʼs been showing goats since she was Bradenʼs age and decided the following year to add cattle to her routine. “Itʼs just a great experience and it teaches you so much about responsibility because the animals canʼt take care of themselves,” she said. She said she joined 4-H as a Cloverbud because of her friends. “I grew up to love it,” she said. “Everyone, theyʼre so nice and they all want to help you.” Heishman will attend the state 4-H SEE LIVESTOCK, PAGE A2
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