Interview with Parker, Pacifica 4-H
With the shelter in place order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not have a County Fair this year. The county fair would have been a way for our 4-H’ers to show and demonstrate what they learned in their animal projects. Our 4-H Youth Development Program came up with a way for our 4-H’ers to virtually demonstrate their knowledge and end the year with a little competition. Here’s an interview with one of our 4-H members on her experience entering into the San Mateo County 4-H Virtual Livestock Show.
Introduction:
My name is Parker. I am fourteen years old and just completed my fifth year with the Pacifica 4-H Club. This summer I competed in the San Mateo County Virtual Livestock Show in two categories - Market Turkey and Dairy Goat. My turkey won Grand Champion and my American Alpine dairy goat placed third. 
How did you prepare for the virtual show?
I scheduled a time and place with our project leaders to make the videos, using our club's farm and a great time of day. Then I made sure my animals were show ready like they would be for fair - cleaning, trimming, practicing, leading and flipping. Then I reviewed the video requirements and practiced my videos a few times since you couldn't do any edits.
Did you like doing the videos?
The videos were fun and interesting, but not more fun than being in the ring. I guess you can re-do them if something really went bad.
How was your overall experience?
I was pretty bummed that we could not do a county fair, but this was not bad. Receiving the judges' feedback after the show was really great so I could improve for future shows and share with our club project members. Special thanks to the judges and whoever helped put that program together!
