During the 10-day Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, ISU students, faculty and staff participated in judging, showing and educating visitors about farm animals.

In the show ring — Jeff Thayne isn’t a stranger to the show ring. This summer, the ISU animal science lecturer and livestock judging coach judged animals at about 10 different county fairs. But this was his first year judging animals at the Iowa State Fair.

Thayne was the judge for the 4-H Beef of Merit show. At the show, Thayne said the cattle were ready for market and were judged according to the condition of the animal as well as the quality of meat the animal would likely produce.

“We got a chance to look at the animals and determine how much fat and muscle that we thought they had on them and how that was going to translate to them having a high quality product after they were slaughtered,” Thayne said.

He said the quality of animals in the show ring was good overall, but there were some animals that weren’t quite ready for market and others were slightly overweight.

Matthew Deppe, regional extension education director for Iowa State Extension, was an assistant superintendent for the 4-H cattle show. He helped check in the livestock for the show and verified show results.

“I think the cattle numbers were down a little bit in the beef show but the experience was good,” Deppe said.

He said he’s been involved with the 4-H cattle department since 2006. Deppe was a 4-H member for nine years in Jackson County. He showed cattle and exhibited building projects at both the county fair and state fair levels.

Outside the show ring — Danielle Holmes, junior in animal science from Lu Verne, Iowa, showed two market hogs, one breeding heifer and five market lambs at this year’s fair.

Holmes showed all three species on Thursday, Aug. 13.

“It was pretty chaotic but it went really well for us,” Holmes said.

At the shows, Holmes won champion lightweight and champion heavyweight wethers for her lambs, champion Future Farmers of America showman with her heifer and champion heavyweight barrow with one of her market hogs.

The year of preparing herself and her animals for the fair paid off, she said.

“You’ve worked on your projects all summer long and it comes down to one day and one performance in the ring and that’s all ya got,” Holmes said. “It’s pretty nerve-wracking.”

Charlie Hild, junior in animal science from Webster City, showed for the last time at the Iowa State Fair.

“It’s a little bit hard to hang up,” he said, although he plans to continue to help his brother with the livestock at the fair.

During the FFA sheep show, Hild won reserve lightweight with his lamb. Hild, who is a member of the ISU livestock judging team, also won reserve champion ram in a separate open show.

“It was probably one of the better ones (fairs) that we’ve ever had,” Hild said.

Cody Schminke, senior in agricultural systems technology from Van Horne, showed lambs and hogs at the Iowa State Fair.

Schminke’s stock included a grand champion FFA market lamb, a grand champion heavyweight gilt and a reserve grand champion middleweight barrow. Schminke’s roommate, Tyler Smith, senior in animal science from Grinnell, won grand champion middleweight barrow.

Schminke said this was his last year showing at the fair.

“Last show ever,” he said. “It’s pretty crazy. It’ll hit me next year when I don’t have any livestock.”

Teaching others — Helping youngsters learn about agriculture and where their food comes from was an important component of the “Little Hands on the Farm” and “I Milked a Cow” exhibits at the fair.

At the “Little Hands on the Farm” display, two ten-year-olds did everything from plant a plastic seed to pick an apple from the orchard. They also filled a tractor with soy diesel fuel and milked a cow.

“It gives them the opportunity to see what the farm’s like,” said Michelle Schmitt, a co-assistant superintendent at the exhibit and senior in dairy science from Sumner. “A lot of them come from the cities and have no idea. They don’t know where their food comes from and this kind of helps.”

Melissa Schmitt, senior in dairy science from Sumner, said the ISU Dairy Science Club presented the “I Milked a Cow” exhibit at the fair to help others realize where milk comes from.

“Kids are able to come and milk a cow,” she said. “Being able to see it in person, they kind of get an idea of where it comes from.”