Poweshiek County 4-H’ers ‘Hot’ at State Fair

​     Three members of the Poweshiek County 4-H Junior Master Gardener Club, from left, Carleigh Klein, William Schalmo and Grace Schalmo received numerous honors for their handy garden work at the plot located at the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds. William and Grace were recognized as top individual junior gardeners in the state. Carleigh Klein and Hanna McCue (not pictured) also earned recognition as first-year exhibitors. The 4-H’ers were among a number of area youth who showcased projects and animals the 2023 Iowa State Fair.

     Poweshiek County 4-H’ers participated in many events at this year’s Iowa State Fair.  They communicated, judged and exhibited projects, art work, horticulture and livestock. 
Horticulture
    Months of hard work in the garden paid off in ribbons and accolades for the Poweshiek County 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program, placing third overall in the Iowa State Fair’s Junior Horticulture competition on Aug. 12. 
   The Junior Master Gardener Program received the Grand Champion purple ribbon for their county vegetable platter of cucumbers, onions, peppers, squash, and tomatoes grown on their plot at the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds. Club members Carleigh Klein; Rosie Leasure; Hanna and Slane McCue; and Cora, Grace, and William Schalmo also received numerous Grand Champion and Reserve Champion ribbons for their herbs and vegetables. In addition, William Schalmo (fifth) and Grace Schalmo (ninth) were recognized as top individual junior gardeners in the state. Carleigh Klein and Hanna McCue also earned recognition as first-year exhibitors.
     Iowa 4-H also recognized Poweshiek County 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program Leader Betsy Cranston with the Superintendent’s Special Award for her contributions to youth horticulture.
Garden Crops
     Carleigh Klein: 2 reds, blue, purple, 3rd in class; Rosalee Leasure: 3 reds, 4 blues, 1st in class; Hanna McCue: 4 reds, 4 blues, purple, 1st in class, x2 3rd in class; Slane McCue: 5 reds, 9 blues, 2 purples, 1st in class, x3 2nd in class; Grace Schalmo: 4 reds, 4 blues, 3 purples, 1st in class, x3 2nd in class; William Schalmo: 2 reds, 3 blues, 7 purples, x5 1st in class x3 and 3rd in class.
Peppers, Tomatillos, & Tomatoes
      Carleigh Klein: red, blue, purple, 3rd in class; Rosalee Leasure: White, 2 reds, 2 blues, purple, 1st in class; Hanna McCue: 3 reds, blue; Slane McCue: White, 2 reds, purple; Grace Schalmo: white, red, 4 blue, 3 purple, 1st in class, 2nd in class, x3 3rd in class; William Schalmo: white, 5 reds, 2 blues, 2 purple, x2 1st in class. 
Vegetable Combinations 
     Carleigh Klein: 2 purples, 1st, 2nd, in class; Rosalee Leasure: purple, 3rd in class; Hanna McCue: blue, 2 purples, x2 3rd in class; Slane McCue: white, purple, 3rd in class; Grace Schalmo: 2 reds, blue, 1 purple, 1st in class; William Schalmo: 2 blues, 2 purples, x2 1st in class.
Herbs
       Slane McCue: red, 2 blues, purple, 1st, 3rd in class. 
Jumbo Vegetables
       Grace Schalmo: 2 blues, x2 2nd in class; William Schalmo: blue, purple, x2 1st in                             class.
Communications
   Grace and William Schalmo received participation ribbons for performing in the Share The Fun communication division of this year’s Iowa State Fair. William also had a Merit in his working Exhibit.   Matthew and Lucy Turley competed in the Education Presentations portion along with Dasha LaRue, Gracie Kaufman and Slane McCue.  Mathew and Gracie received Excellence and Lucy and Slane Merit, and Dasha Recognition. Poweshiek County also had two teams doing Working Exhibits, Carleigh Klein and Cora Schalmo received a Merit rating and Slane and Hannah McCue received Recognition. 
Indoor Static Projects
       Braxton Brand received a blue for his project in Ag and Natural resources. Cameyon James received a blue for his Animal Science project. In Photography Peyton Tindle, Sheldyn Goodrich, Hendrick Lowry, Grace Schalmo, Ilee Lacaeyse, all received blue ribbons. Lowry had two photo’s both received blue and Schalmo’s photo received PPI Gallery Consideration. 
         In the Original Art division, Laila Henkle and Lucy Turley received red. In Visual Art, Ava Seney and Olivia Beyer received reds and Dasha LaRue and Morgan Hay received blue.  
        In the Prepared Food, Breckyn Brand and Carleigh Klein received blue and William Manatt a red. Lucy Turley had a blue in her Health project display. 
          In the Home Improvement class Peyton Tindle had a blue and Braxton Brand a red. 
         Grace Schalmo received a blue with her Constructed Item in the Sewing section, as did Breckyn Brand. Ruby Wallerich had a blue in Sewing Ideas. 
          Lindsey Henry received a red with her Citizenship project and in Woodworking Leah Urfer and Matthew Turley had blues, Samuel Johnson received a red.  
Poultry
        Cameyon James was the only Poweshiek County 4-H’er showing poultry at this year’s Iowa State Fair. He received 4 blues and 2 purples with his Bantam Breeding Chickens. His Bantam duck earned a purple Reserve Grand Championship and his Bantam drake a blue. 
Horse
      Rylee Mauss received a first Purple Champion in Horse Showmanship (Grade 8) Horse Showmanship Junior Champion (Grades 5-8). She also had a blue in Hunter Under Saddle. Trail, blue, 3rd in class and 3 blues in Western Horse; Hadley Marsh had a blue in Showmanship and 2 blues and 3rd in class in Western Horse. 
Livestock Judging Contest:
     The 4-H meat judging program allows youth to learn about the different cuts of meat along with the trimness and quality factors that affect the safety and taste of the meat products we consume. Livestock judging consists of analyzing beef cattle, sheep, swine and meat goats and measuring them against a standard. 
Poweshiek 4-H Jr. Team placed 5th
       Team members: Aden Wolfe, Anthony Wolfe, Dayton Mortvedt, and Anna Slagle 
Poweshiek 4-H Jr. Team Placed 10th 
       Team members: Alyssa Latcham, Breckyn Brand, Olivia Latcham, and Brock Mortvedt 
Poweshiek 4-H Senior Team placed 18th
       Team members: Rylee Mauss and Evan Arkema 
Rabbits:
       Casey DeZwarte: white, 3 blues, purple, 1st in class, 2nd in class, x2 3rd in class; Cameyon James: blue, 2 purples, x2 1st in class, and 2nd in class. 
Goat:
Meat Goat Showmanship
      Macey Heishman: blue; Rylie Smith: Purple.
Market Meat Goat
    Evan Arkema: purple, 2nd in class; Tyler Conover: purple, 1st in class; Macey Heishman: blue; Dayton Mortvedt: 2 purples, 3rd in class, 2nd in class.
Breeding Meat Goat
      Alayna Huff: blue; Dayton Mortvedt: 2 purples, x2 1st in class; Rylie Smith: 2 purples, 2nd in class, 3rd in class. 
Sheep:
Sheep Showmanship
      Abby and Alyssa Bos received blues.
Market Sheep
     Kaylia Fuchs: reserve champion black face market lamb division 1, 3 purples, x2 1st in class, 2nd in class; Dayton Mortvedt: grand champion market lamb, division 3 champion black face market lamb, division 5 champion black face market lamb, 4 purples, x2 1st in class, 2nd in class, 3rd in class. Abby Bos: Blue, purple, 10th place carcass; Alyssa Bos: 2 blues. 
Breeding Sheep 
      Abby Bos: purple
Beef:
Beef Showmanship
      Andrew Arkema, Brooke Conover and Rylier Smith all received purple.
Breeding Beef
        James Gruver: 2 purples, 2nd in class, 3rd in class; Rylie Smith: 2 purples, 2nd in class, 3rd in class.
Market Beef
      Andrew Arkema: purple, 2nd in class; Brooke Conover: purple, 1st in class, Champion Charolais Market Beef; Rhylee Rodgers: purple, Division 2 Reserve champion; Will Conover: purple, 3rd in class
Swine:
Breeding Swine
       Charly Fenner: blue, purple, 2nd in class; Cameyon James: 2 blue, purple; Ilee Lacaeyse: blue; Anna Slagle: 3 purple, x2 1st in class, and 3rd in class; Aden Wolfe: 3 purple, 1st in class, 2nd in class; Anthony Wolfe: purple, 3rd in class
Market Swine
     Cameyon James: 2 blue; Ilee Lacaeyse: blue; Kinze Lacaeyse: blue, purple; Leyton Lacaeyse: 2 blues; Brayson Latcham: blue; Rhylee Rodgers: 3 purple, 1st in class, x2, 3rd in class; Anna Slagle: 3 purple, 1st in class, 2nd in class, 3rd in class, and 4th overall market pig, reserve champion lightweight market barrow; Aden Wolfe: blue, purple, 1st in class, champion Yorkshire market hog; Anthony Wolfe: blue.
Swine Showmanship
       Aden Wolfe: purple, reserve champion intermediate. showmanship (Grades 7-8); Anthony Wolfe: and Anna Slagle purple;  Brayson Latcham: Blue.