4-H’ers in Washington County can now show heritage goats in an arrangement that benefits livestock conservation and youth learning.
Jacob Stoltz, age 9, waves and yells, “Hi Ruby!” every time his family drives by Bramblewood Farm in Baytown Township on the way to his grandparents’ home.
Ruby is a goat. While she belongs to other members of his St. Croix Clovers 4-H Club, Jacob took on some of the responsibilities of preparing her for the fair. Through a popular arrangement in University of Minnesota Extension’s 4-H youth development program, Jacob leased Ruby from the Bramblewood Farm family, Jenny and Aaron Bye, and their children Everett, age 15, and Raewynn, age 13.
“Leasing, an arrangement handled between the families, allows youth who don’t have livestock to work with a farm family to learn how to care for and show animals in 4-H livestock judging events,” says Ann Church, an Extension 4-H youth development educator who leads animal science programming in Washington County.
“Jacob has social and emotional challenges,” says Angie Rose, Jacob’s mom. “The Bye family, the 4-H educators and the volunteers were all so good with him. Raewynn helped him be ready to answer the judge’s questions.”
The livestock judge at the Washington County Fair was made aware that Jacob is on the autism spectrum. “The judge asked Jacob what he likes about his goat,” adds Rose. “Jacob told him, ‘I like her because she likes to eat.’”
As he warmed up, Jacob had all the facts at hand to tell the judge about Ruby and what a gem she truly is.
Conserving a heritage breed
Jacob is one of the first 4-H’ers in Minnesota, and one of few in the nation, to lease a heritage goat and show it at his county fair.
According to the Livestock Conservancy, “heritage” is an umbrella term for pure breeds with deep histories in the United States. The San Clemente Island goat, at fewer than 2,000 in the world, is critically endangered. The Bye family, members of the San Clemente Island Goat Breeders Association, love to teach others about them.
The rarer a livestock breed, the less neatly they fit in judging categories, like meat and dairy goats.
The Bye children capably explain that their goats can “do it all” and are perfect for their homesteading lifestyle. While they have not slaughtered their goats for meat, their pregnant does will start producing milk soon and their cashmere is being tested for quality.
With the encouragement of the Bye family, 4-H in Washington County added the heritage goat class to their 2024 county fair. The family received a donor-supported 4-H Helping Hands Grant, which helped pay for the creation of educational material, supplies and show equipment.
Benefits of leasing go both ways
Everett and Raewynn have leased llamas from another farm in a similar 4-H arrangement and were ready to replicate the process from the other side of the relationship.
“These young people have really stepped up,” says Megan Slater, a 4-H youth development educator who leads Youth Teaching Youth and other 4-H programs in Washington County. “Working across ages and abilities helps them gain confidence, whether by teaching others or taking pride in their leased animals and their accomplishments.”
Everett gave up his own opportunity to show a goat in the first-ever heritage goats judging event at the 2024 Washington County Fair. His sacrifice allowed another young person the opportunity. Eight youths ended up showing the Bye family goats, including Jacob.
“I look at it in a logistical way,” says Everett. “You can’t get more people involved with animals if people don’t know anything about them.”
He wanted more people to understand what’s special about keeping heritage breeds and submitted the video What we love about San Clemente Island goats for his 4-H video and filmmaking project.
Raewynn attended fairs and workshops to prepare her fellow 4-H’ers for competition. “I had to learn how to explain and rephrase things and it was interesting to see how it worked in other kids’ brains,” she says. “Teaching others helped me learn more, too.”
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