Hard work, ‘circle of life’ among lessons learned at Linn County Fair

CENTRAL CITY - Kayla and Lindsey Hospodarsky sat together Wednesday afternoon, along with Boomer and Sam the Ham.

The sisters, from Alburnett, have been raising the 250-pound swine since March, often waking up at 5:30 a.m. to provide daily care as they prepared for this year's Linn County Fair, which opened Wednesday and continues through Monday at the fairgrounds in Central City.

Both members of the Dandy Doers 4-H Club, Kayla, 17, and Lindsey, 12, are participating in their fifth Linn County Fair. They hung out with Boomer and Sam the Ham Wednesday in the 'Barnyard Buddies” building at the fairgrounds, 201 Central City Rd. The animals will be judged Sunday during the 9 a.m. Swine Show. The girls also are showing sheep and cattle at this year's fair.

'(I like) making bonds with the animals every year,” said Lindsey.

'I like how it instills hard work,” added Kayla. 'Every morning we have to get up and they have to get fed twice a day and you have to wash them and blow dry them and when you have three species that gets to be a lot.

'But it's worth it when you get to see their little faces.”

Boomer and Sam the Ham cost $500 and $750 respectively, money the sisters hope to make back, at least in part, when they sell the swine at Monday's Livestock Auction, which begins at 9 a.m.

That's nothing out of the ordinary for 4-H members like the Hospdarsky sisters, who said something they enjoy about 4-H is that it teaches them with how to deal with loss.

'You learn a bunch of life lessons,” Lindsey said. 'Like the circle of life.”

With the fairgrounds muddy from early morning rains on Wednesday, hundreds began tending to their animals - feeding, bathing and grooming them.

Kayla said the swine are the easiest of her animals.

'They're babies,” she said. 'They play and play and play.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8531; alexandra.connor@thegazette.com

If You Go

The Linn County Fair continues through Monday at the fairgrounds in Central City, 201 Central City Rd. Here are some event highlights for the remaining days. For a full schedule of events, go to thelinncountyfair.com.

Today

' 10 a.m. - Dairy goat and rabbit shows

' 11 a.m. - Carnival opens

' 7 p.m. - Sperry Engines Hill-n-Hole Mud Racing

Friday

' 2:30 p.m. - Sheep show

' 3 p.m. - Carnival opens

' 7 p.m. - Bellamy Brothers in concert and professional bull riding show

Saturday

' Noon - Bags tournament, Classic Tractor Pull

' 1 p.m. - Carnival opens

' 7 p.m. - Truck & Tractor Pull

Sunday

' 7 a.m. - Pancake breakfast

' 1 p.m. - Carnival opens

' 6 p.m. - Chuckwagon races

Monday

' 9 a.m. - Livestock auction