“I like watching my kids work together,” said Kate Wiechmann, Waterloo, Wis., mother of Gracie, Faith, Caleb, and Levi. All four kids exhibit at the Dodge County Fair, Beaver Dam, in the youth beef show with the Tri-County Twisters 4-H Club. “When Caleb and Faith were out there in showmanship, this year, they worked together. You could see how they fed off each other. They work together and compete together.” “It’s almost like a telepathic thing,” added her husband, Mark.

This is the final year Mark and Kate’s oldest child, Gracie, 19, will be exhibiting. She has officially aged out of the 4-H program. “I’ve been doing this 10 years,” said Gracie. “I started out in Little Britches; and when I was 10, I got my first market steer. It has taught me how to work hard. I’ve also made a lot of friends, which helped me get me out of shell, since I’m really shy.”

Gracie attends Madison Area Technical College, Madison, studying photography. “I want to use my photography to show the outside world how much work goes into farming and producing food. I want to show early mornings and late nights.”

Mark, Kate, and the kids own a small farm outside of Waterloo. “We raise about 50 steers each year and sell them privately,” said Mark. “The kids go out and take care of the calves and do pretty much everything on the farm, including hauling manure,” said Kate.

“Raising steers has taught me how to work hard and what responsibility is,” said Caleb, 16. “I’ve learned how to properly take care of them. I enjoy the herd health part of it. I also like the feed part, because I’ve learned how to properly feed a steer and get the right amount of fat coverage to finish them out.” “You want to have a decent amount of fat, but you don’t want them to be too fat,” added Mark. “You don’t want to sell meat that has too much fat on it. It’s a quality issue. You want the right amount of fat for flavor, but you don’t want it greasy to eat.”

“I mainly help with keeping the barn clean and generally help with a little bit of everything, including vaccinations,” said Levi, 12. “I’m trying to learn more about vaccinating calves. It helps the calves stay healthy, so they keep eating and have good meat to send to the butcher.” “Our vaccination protocol really focuses on preventing respiratory issues,” added Mark.

“I’ve learned a lot about raising and showing beef from watching these guys (his siblings) for a long time,” said Levi. This is my third year showing. I got reserve champion junior beef showman in showmanship. However, there’s always something more to learn. I’m looking forward to improving, and someday, I want to win grand champion steer like all three of my older siblings.”

“I’ve learned I can do anything I set my mind to,” said Faith. “When we started, we struggled to do well, but we kept trying to improve and work hard, and now we consistently have top animals. It taught me if I work really really hard, I can succeed.”

At 18, Faith has one more year left in 4-H. She works at ABS Global in Baraboo as a livestock handler, working with the bulls and collecting semen. “We sell semen genetics all over the world,” said Faith. “The career is right up my ally, because I grew up around cattle my entire life. I want to have my own herd of club-calf beef cattle to sell in the showing market. The background my career gives me in genetics is helpful knowledge to have for my future goals.”

Mark and Kate have four kids with strong passions for raising and learning from beef cattle. However, time marches on, and they are preparing for alterations to their family’s showing passion. “It’s bittersweet,” said Kate. She (Gracie) had a wonderful career. To see her go from that shy, tiny girl to a responsible, beautiful young lady who has come out of her shell was incredible. That can be attributed to all the Dodge County Fairs, Wisconsin State Fairs, and jackpot shows she’s been to, and especially because of 4-H.”

The Dodge County Fair continues through Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024.

Written by Dori Lichty — farm wife, 4-H Mom, and full-time communicator