Crow Wing County 4-H to host animal science day – Brainerd Dispatch

BRAINERD — From goats to dogs, those looking to learn and interact with animals are invited to Crow Wing County’s 4-H animal science day Saturday, June 8, at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will have multiple live animal interaction areas where families can explore animal sciences offered in 4-H and to allow everyone to have fun while learning.

Crow Wing County’s 4-H Youth Extension Educator Sashanna O’Shea said the event is free and open to all. Families can swing by anytime and spend as much time as they like learning about the animals, O’Shea said.

“We are having live animals at this event because who doesn’t like animals,” said Laura Lust, a Crow Wing County 4-H ambassador.

The event will feature live animals and their youth owners, who will be sharing their stories and answering questions on the animals and all they do within 4-H, Lust said. They will have animal demonstrations, an animal science trivia game, general 4-H information and educational resources for those interested in 4-H animal science.

Animals at the event will include goats, swine, sheep, beef cattle, horses, poultry, rabbits and dogs.

“Anyone willing to learn would be our target audience,” Lust said. “They don’t have to be experienced or anything, because this is an exploration of animal science day. So they’re just learning about all the different livestock animals and some of the biosecurity measures used to keep them safe.”

Biosecurity is all about how to keep the farm and animals safe — from not sharing water buckets to properly vaccinating animals, it’s all about keeping everyone healthy, Lust said. They will also go over how to recognize when an animal is sick and what to do when they are.

Lust said they will also be talking about showing the animals at different 4-H events in the county and across the state.

“I’ve (shown) dairy goats, market goats and I’ve done cattle, but what I’m really passionate about is sheep,” Lust said. “Sheep are just not as spicy as goats are.”

She said she started with showing ducks for about five years and then moved on to other animals. Lust said one of the perceived barriers to working with animals in 4-H is that many people think they need to own and house the animals. Lust said that she and many others in 4-H work with local farmers and lease animals.

She said people can work with the farmers to either come to their farm and work with the animals or, if people have a few acres, as is her case, they can set up a temporary pen to work with the animals and bring them back to the farm after the season is over.

“One of the big barriers is not many people have farms anymore or space for animals, so we work to connect farmers with people who have a passion for it,” Lust said. “I borrowed three sheep from May to September, and then I just gave them back. (The farmer would) answer all my questions and he’d come help me shear.”

Lust said she enjoys being in and working with 4-H as it gives her a sense of connection and belonging in the community.

“It’s like one big family and I really appreciate meeting everybody, talking and growing relationships,” Lust said. “And I love the variety that you get in 4-H, like the performing arts, art, animal science, welding and leadership. There are so many different characteristics, or things you can do within 4-H, and I just like that opportunity to grow. It’s inclusive to everyone. No matter what you like, there’s always a place in 4-H.”

Whether it’s animals or architecture, O’Shea said 4-H can be whatever the children want it to be, as they have something for everyone.

For more information on 4-H opportunities in Crow Wing County, residents can call the extension office at 218-824-1069 or find them online at

extension.umn.edu/local/crow-wing

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