BY DANI TIETZ
dani@sjodaily.com
Potomac, Ill. – Whether or not children choose to stay on their family farms when they become adults, as they are growing, farming is a family affair.
For the Blackford family, it also means 4-H is a family affair.
Josh and Amber Blackford, owners of Blackford Show Cattle in Potomac, are raising their four children, twins Kaylee and Kelsey (14), Aiden (10) and Emerson (8), to understand the importance of hard work, dedication, and teamwork.
This week, during the Vermilion County Fair, some of their hard work will pay off.
All four of the Blackford children got involved in 4-H because they loved showing their parents’ cattle, which is bred and sold throughout the United States and Canada for that purpose.
Aiden and Emerson are just starting out.
Although Emerson can only show in the open arena, he said that having the opportunity is his favorite part of the week.
He works with his sisters who have taught him how to work with the cattle. A year ago, his sister showed a cow while Emerson showed the calf.
“We had Marshmallow and Hershey,” Kelsey said.
Aiden, who is learning to take on more responsibility as he gets older, said he doesn’t take after his sisters.
Kaylee teased, “Our way is more of go out and rinse every day. And his is more sit on the XBox.”
But as Emerson gets older, Josh is holding steady in helping him see cause and effect.
Emerson, who has won Reserve Champion and Grand Champion in years past, has caught the desire to want to win. Josh said his decision to be in the house or in the barn will likely determine the outcome.
“We want them to be successful in life; you’ve got to work hard and be dedicated to whatever you want to do,” Josh said. “With the livestock, if you don’t go feed them or you don’t take care of them, you’re not going to be successful.
“The world we live in now, they want to play on their technology all the time. I’m trying to teach them hard work and dedication will pay off.”
Kelsey and Kaylee have learned that lesson.
The twins have found success in livestock, winning Grand Champion a couple times, as well as in the arts, over the years.
Kelsey made 24 pieces of beaded jewelry, which took her to the Illinois State Fair while Kaylee has gone to state three years in a row with her cooking projects.
“It’s definitely taught me hard work because you have to work hard on your projects if you want to do well,” Kaylee said.
Kelsey replied, “You have to work hard even if you don’t do well.”
Amber said she has a picture of her children from two weeks ago, in the barn after 9:15 p.m.
“We’re out there after ball games and it’s getting dark, and then they are getting up early in the morning and doing their chores before volleyball practice,” she said.
Amber also said it’s important for the children to take on more responsibility as they get older, but remembering the size of the animal is important when the children are younger.
The steer Aiden will show at this year’s fair weighs more than 1,200 pounds.
Amber also said that she’s watched her children mature earlier because of the responsibility they have on the farm.
“Working on a family farm, there are a lot of times when I have to have help,” she said. “I’ll tell them, ‘I can’t do this by myself. Your dad is gone, the cattle are out, and we’ve got to do this together.’ ”
Kelsey said she has learned, “Many hands make light work.”
Josh, who spent his childhood showing cattle in 4-H and now spends his time fostering the growth of his children in the same environment, said his success on the 4-H stage helped him become more articulate.
Amber sees the same qualities in their children.
“They definitely learned teamwork, and they’ve learned to be leaders within their own classrooms and school itself,” she said.
“They aren’t afraid to talk to people. They communicate well and have conversations. I think all of that is important; it’s like skills.”
Josh hopes that other children participating in 4-H will learn the same life lessons. That’s why he makes himself available to field questions and offer advice.
“Every year we’ve got different families that have never done it before,” he said. “They’ve always got a thousand questions because they don’t know what to expect.”
Thursday morning, before the livestock competition started, Josh fielded questions about feed and the show ring.
“It’s just always nice to see the younger kids who have never come to the barn before; just to teach them, and help them understand better what they are doing, just teaching them what to do and how to finish their project,” Josh said.
It is that community spirit that the Blackfords believe makes 4-H and the county fair so great.
“Everybody is always really nice,” Kaylee said.
