Fenelton boy's efforts earn recognition
Raising a farm animal from birth is hard work. Just ask 10-year-old Christopher Shuler.
He was reserve champion for the home bred and county bred swine categories in 2013 at the Butler Farm Show.
“I fed him every day. Sometimes, I walked him around,” said Christopher of Fenelton.
By the time he brought his pig to show, after taking care of it for six months, it weighed roughly 240 pounds. His father said it was Christopher's first win at the farm show.
“He was really surprised that he actually won reserved,” said John Shuler. “He was more shocked than anything, but he was pretty happy. And it promotes local animals.”
The two categories, home bred and county bred, were introduced last year at the farm show, and they put an emphasis on animals raised from birth at home and/or raised in Butler County.
“It cuts the pie in a different way,” said Jim Govan, adviser to the Butler Farm Show Board and the swine superintendent, who suggested the local-friendly categories be introduced.
As an animal health inspector for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, he had seen the local and home bred categories being done elsewhere.
“I thought it was a good idea. I get around to other fairs with my job,” he said. “It's not a new thing; it's not an original thing. It gives some of these kids that don't chase livestock ... to get more of an award for what they've raised at home rather than the animal they bought.”
He added, “It gives more kids an opportunity to be rewarded for their hard work. It gives them an opportunity to win.”Home bred means the animal was born at the family farm and raised from there. County bred means the animal was born at a Butler County farm.The categories went well last year, and Govan said competition is pretty promising for this year, too.Expected at this year's farm show are 13 steer in the county bred and 33 steer in the home bred categories; for lamb, 25 county bred and 47 home bred; for swine, 17 county bred and 26 home bred; and for goats, five county bred and 10 home bred.
