For 10 consecutive summers, Jenna Shoaf has spent a week in July at the Bartholomew County Fair preparing to show her livestock.
She’s one of 28 local 4-Hers being honored at this year’s fair for working on a decade’s worth of projects.
Leaving behind 4-H, which has played such a large role in her life, is a bittersweet feeling for Shoaf.
“It’s kind of sad, but also a relief because I don’t have to stress about it,” she said. “But the fair is the highlight of my summer, and (I will miss) getting to hang out with my friends and also just being able to be in the shows with my animals.”
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The 4-H program and competition is a family affair for Shoaf, the second oldest of seven children.
She said the lessons she learned over that period are ones that will help shape her for years to come.
Now the senior 4-Her in the family, Shoaf’s younger siblings look to her for direction, especially during fair week.
This dynamic is apparent from the chorus of “Hey, Jenna?” echoing from four of her young siblings as they watered, walked and groomed their livestock before showing this week at the fair.
As for whether Shoaf is used to the sound of her name being called, she said with a laugh that she hears it constantly.
Shoaf likes to spend time outdoors and help out with chores around the family farm, said her father, Julius Shoaf.
“4-H is a vacation to her. She’d rather have my truck than her car; she’s the one driving the tractor. She’s my first son,” he joked.
When Shoaf and her older sister, Malia, first joined 4-H in 2009, the family lived in the town of Hope. As a result, chickens were the only form of livestock they could raise to show at the fair.
About a year later, however, the Shoafs moved to a farm outside of Hope and acquired goats from a family friend.
Since then, Jenna Shoaf has taken on more projects, including beekeeping and photography.
Shoaf has also worked with cattle and showed her first steer three years ago. The size of the animals intimidated her at first.
“The cows that I was using weren’t as tame as I would have liked them to be,” Shoaf said. “That year, I actually got knocked down in the ring by one of them.”
The summer after, however, Shoaf won the champion rate of gain when her steer gained the most weight between first and last weigh-ins.
This year, the Shoaf family 4-hers are exhibiting eight goats and seven cattle at the fair.
Shoaf’s focus is on dairy goats, and that concentration has paid off.
She has many ribbons to show for her 4-H career, but 2017 exceeded expectations.
She left last summer’s fair with reserve grand champion dairy senior doe in show, grand champion county-born and -raised dairy senior doe in show and expert dairy goat showman.
The strong showing was because Shoaf had been “been going the extra mile the past few years,” her father said.
During this year’s show, Shoaf earned third place after missing a question.
But rather than dwell on that, she is focused on preparing her cattle for a better performance.
One key to Shoaf’s success is spending time with the animals she is showing so that they trust and understand her.
Most of her goats are purchased at a young age or born on the farm, she said. From birth to sale, Shoaf has raised the majority her goats and their kids.
As the fair approaches each year, she said that she progressively gets them accustomed to wearing a halter and familiar with her movements, both of which are necessary for good showmanship.
“In order to do well in the show, you’ve really got to know your animal and they’ve got to know you,” Shoaf said.
Bonding with the animal is one of the tactics encouraged by Shoaf’s 4-H club, Kiddin’ Around, which is focused on goat showmen.
One of the leaders of that group, Ellie Rutan, said that she knows she can rely on Shoaf to make the best of every situation and set an example for the younger group members.
“She’s one of the mentors, with her being one of the older 4-Hers. She does an excellent job,” Rutan said. “She stays really focused on the task at hand because she wants to be the best she can be.”
Kenton Kammans has known Shoaf for three years since meeting in Columbus East High School FFA.
What makes Shoaf stand out as a 4-Her, Kammans said, is the “passion that she puts in with the animals,” adding that it’s apparent how motivated she is by the amount of time she dedicates.
Kammans shows sheep and often sees Shoaf around the barn with her goats. Although she will not be a 4-Her next year, Kammans is sure Shoaf will still be there helping her siblings.
“I know she’s going to college out in Utah, but you never want to miss fair week,” Kammans said.
Shoaf plans to attend Utah State University this fall, but said 4-H will still be close to her heart as she begins studying agribusiness in college.
“It (4-H) definitely helped me find out more of what I want to do in the future,” Shoaf said.
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Today
10 a.m.: Lil’ Wrangler & 4-H Dairy Show Judging, Pavilion
12:30 p.m.: Lil’ Wrangler Beef/Starter Calf, Pavilion
1 p.m.: 4-H Beef Show, Pavilion
1 to 2 p.m.: Grand Champion Pictures, David Boll Theatre
5 to 10 p.m.: Lil’ Hands on the Farm, 4-H Community Building, Family Arts and Commercial Buildings open
5 p.m.: Midway opens
6 p.m.: Children’s Baking Contest (registration at 5 p.m.), Family Arts Building
6 p.m.: 4-H Best Dressed Rabbit Competition, Gathering Pavilion
6:30 p.m.: Horse & Pony Parent and Alumni Horse Show
7 p.m.: 4-H Rabbit Race, Gathering Pavilion
7 p.m.: Blacksmithing demonstration, Heritage Building
7 p.m.: Area teen band Mama’s Headache, David Boll Theatre
7 p.m.: Mud Bog, Grandstand
7 p.m.: Rock-N-Rich The Jukebox Hero Richard Coffey, Veteran Singing for Veterans, Farm Bureau Building
8 p.m.: Working Chute Contest, Pavilion
Friday
9 to 11 a.m.: Open Class Flowers due in Family Arts Building
9 a.m.: 4-H rocket demonstration, Grandstand
11 a.m.: 4-H BBQ Contest, David Boll Theatre
5 to 10 p.m.: Lil’ Hands on the Farm, 4-H Community Building, Family Arts, and Commercial Buildings open
5 p.m.: Midway opens
5 p.m.: 4-H Parade of Champions, Livestock Pavilion
6:30 p.m.: Lil’ Wrangler Horse & Pony, Horse Arena
6:30 p.m.: 4-H Supreme Showmanship & Livestock Awards, Division 1: Rabbit and Poultry, Pavilion
7 p.m.: 4-H Supreme Showmanship & Livestock Awards, Division 2: Beef, Dairy, Swine, Sheep and Goats, Pavilion
7 p.m.: Night Owl Country Band, David Boll Theatre
7 p.m.: Blacksmithing Demonstration, Heritage Building
7 p.m.: ATV/UTV Mud Bog, Grandstand
10 p.m.: Midnight Madness, $12 wristbands until 1 a.m.
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The longest tenure possible for a 4-Her is 10 years, with programs are available for young people ages 8 to 18. Here are this year’s 28 10-year 4-H members.
Brendan Boewe, Columbus
Cassandra Claycamp, Columbus
Jonah Dement, Columbus
Carly Dewees, Columbus
Haley Embry, Hope
Margaret Gregory, Columbus
Grace Hasler, Columbus
Amanda Heideman, Hope
Cheyanne Hodson, Columbus
Nash Jackson, Hope
Abigail Larken, Columbus
Griffin McGaha, Seymour
Rachael Meador, Columbus
Morgan Meier, Elizabethtown
Logan Michael, Columbus
Abigail Moses, Columbus
Zack O’Connor, Columbus
Brad Paetzel, Hope
Reagan Perkins, Columbus
Caleb Roberts, Columbus
Jack Rosenberger, Seymour
Cassidy Satterfield, Columbus
Jenna Shoaf, Hope
Noah Shoaf, Columbus
Claudia Sims, Columbus
Madelyn Steinwedel, Hartsville
Sarah Tedder, Hope
Emily Walls, Greensburg
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About Jenna Shoaf” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Age: 18
Hometown: Hope
Family: Parents Julius and Cammille Shoaf; siblings Malia, Millie, Mattie, Kesie, Bowen and Dorie Shoaf
High School: Columbus East, 2018 graduate
College: Will attend Utah State University
Anticipated major: Agribusiness, minor in general music
4-H activities: Cattle, goats, photography, alfalfa, beekeeping.
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