2020 RVC Insights Fall Wtih Edits copy 20 pages - Flipbook - Page 12
A Fair to remember
Virtual fair showcases 4-H livestock projects
Jayne Carstensen, Communications Specialist
When Rowdy Beam, a 13-year-old
4-H enthusiast from Cambridge, Ill,
heard the news about the annual
Henry County Fair cancellation, the
word disappointment didn’t even
come close to describing his feelings. After all, Rowdy had been showing bucket calves for five years, and
he was looking forward to this one.
Rowdy remarked, “It was upsetting,
but I understand why.”
Rowdy wasn’t the only one who
was disappointed. His family has
been a mainstay at the Henry County
Fair for many years. Rowdy’s parents,
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Michael and Jessica Beam have
always encouraged their children to
participate in 4-H and the annual fair,
a place where Rowdy has proudly
followed in the footsteps of his big
brother, Rodney. When Rodney was
five years old and Rowdy was three,
they started showing pigs and later
moved onto showing bucket calves.
Their little sister, Ruby, participated
in her first open show with a Holstein
at last year’s fair.
Not knowing there wouldn’t be a
summer fair, plans to enter a calf in
the bucket calf show began in early
spring. Rowdy started with three bucket calves, Pixie, Dixie, and Trixie, along
with high hopes that he would be able
to show one of them at the Henry
County Fair Bucket Calf Show.
On May 8th, just a day after learning
that the 2020 Henry County Fair had
been canceled, Rowdy’s dad received
a call from a family friend about taking
on another bottle calf. He explained
that when he was out doing chores, he
found that one of his cows had passed
away, leaving behind a one-week-old
calf. He didn’t have the time to bottle
feed the calf and asked if Rowdy would
like to raise her.