歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI -- With the Beltrami County Fair back in action, plenty of youth involved in the 4-H program are busy exhibiting their hard work and dedication for public display. But this year, they鈥檙e also debuting Hannah Sieberg, Beltrami County鈥檚 new 4-H Youth Development Extension educator, who is guiding them through the ins and outs of the five-day event while also learning the ropes herself.

It鈥檚 Sieberg鈥檚 first Beltrami County Fair in her new position despite taking on the role last June. At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, resulting in Zoom 4-H meetings, scaled back 4-H activities, and ultimately, a canceled county fair. During that time, a virtual 4-H showcase was held, with about 25 youth participating.

鈥淪lowly things this calendar year have picked up, and everyone was really excited to be able to have a county fair,鈥� Sieberg said. 鈥淚 wasn't really able to meet people and see things in action right away, but it鈥檚 fun now being able to meet more people and put faces to names. There's been a lot of learning this week and this past year, but it all comes together.鈥�

Growing up, Sieberg was not a 4-H鈥檈r, but rather a Girl Scout. It wasn鈥檛 until after college that the 26-year-old said she became interested in being a part of the University of Minnesota Extension.

鈥淚 was a Girl Scout troop leader, so I've been a volunteer and worked with youth a little bit, but this is a whole new game,鈥� Sieberg said. 鈥淚t's a complex program but a really good one.鈥�

And there鈥檚 a multitude of folks -- from office assistants to other 4-H educators in the state -- helping Sieberg navigate those complexities. She cites fair volunteers and organizers, as well as longtime 4-H鈥檈rs, with helping her, as a first-timer, coordinate the program at the fair.

鈥淚鈥檓 just soaking it all in. I鈥檓 learning a lot and learning where to ask for help and delegate. We鈥檝e got some awesome people here helping and jumping right in,鈥� Sieberg said. 鈥淔or a lot of our volunteers, this isn鈥檛 their first year volunteering, and our superintendents in the barns really know what they鈥檙e doing. They鈥檙e veterans, which is really helpful for me, too.鈥�

Lily Krona, an 18-year-old 4-H鈥檈r in her 11th year in the program, is one of those people helping Sieberg get her footing. Along with preparing her photography for exhibition and market lambs and pigs for show, Krona has been busy readying barns and static exhibits in the 4-H Hall for the past couple of weeks.

鈥淓verything has been going really well. Hannah鈥檚 fitting in great and we鈥檝e been doing a lot of preparation work and planning for months and months for this,鈥� Krona said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of my last years in 4-H, but this is definitely one of my favorite parts of the summer.鈥�

More than 200 youth registered in the fair this year, with more than 2,000 entries in total. While Sieberg thinks fair attendance is steady so far, she said 4-H fair participation is down from previous years. Livestock entries are at about 50% compared to 2019, and static exhibits are down about 400 from that same year.

鈥淚n 2020, 4-H鈥檈rs weren't really able to meet in person, things weren鈥檛 happening, and we didn't have a fair. And now we鈥檙e trying to get back to (normal) with the pandemic still going on,鈥� Sieberg said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bouncing back type of thing, but I鈥檇 say I鈥檓 happy with what we have entered this year. It鈥檚 always impressive to see what the kids bring for the fair.鈥�

There are currently about 90 volunteers screened with the 4-H program and 12 active clubs in the county. And Sieberg said she was happy to note that the 4-H program hit its 300 member mark for the 2020-21 year recently. While membership has met that number in the past, she said it鈥檚 encouraging to see it return in recent months after a tough year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a strong program here, and that鈥檚 made it easy for me,鈥� Sieberg said.