Wasco County Fair: Stephens put faith in 4-H to instill responsibility and love in next gen
10-year-old Jacob Derryberry uses his arm to demonstrate the posture he needs his sheep to take before judges at the Wasco County Fair this week with the help of his grandfather Terry Stephens. The fair officially opens to the public on Thursday with Family Free Day. 4-H is a big part of the fair as hundreds of local youths bring an assortment of animals from ducks to dairy cows to be judged as they learn the ins and outs of raising animals for market.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 13, 2024 — Jacob Derryberry ran his hand along the back of his lamb named Fasty, demonstrating how he wanted the back of the animal to look to judges at the Wasco County Fair.
Why do you call him Fasty?
“The first time I tried to catch him he yanked me right over,” Jacob said.
It’s go time for the 10-year-old as he and about 60 other local youths have sheep check-in at the fair today, aug. 14, in Tygh Valley. 4-H youths have also been raising swine, cattle, goats and poultry for the fair.
The young lambs' back and wool were still wet from a recent wash.
And Jacob’s got some shearing to do with his grandma.
Audrey Stephens helps her grandson Jacob by guiding his hand as they do a slick sheer on his sheep named Fasty on Tuesday afternoon. It’s Jacobs's first year raising a sheep through the Wasco County 4-H program. Stephens and her husband Terry are leaders of the Country Critters 4-H Club at Living Springs Farm on Sevenmile Road and provide acreage and pens for local kids who do not have a place to keep an animal at their own home.
He motions to run my hand across the lamb’s back, getting me to understand that it has to be straight.
Nearby, Joseph Derryberry, 16, is an old hand in the 4-H sheep game, and he’s watching Jacob, who is in his first year.
“You want a good natural stance,” Joseph said, meaning the legs of the animal are squarely under it but not spread too far apart. “Square butt. You want them to stand stretched out with its neck extended and their head flat.”
It’s the trick of showing the animal's muscle and fat well to the judges.
Jacob and Joseph are part of the Country Critters 4-H Club and their grandparents Audrey and Terry Stephens lead the group. They also have the perfect place to raise lambs on Sevenmile Road just west of The Dalles.
You may know Audrey and Terry from The Dalles Farmer’s Market where they sell lamb and beef on Saturdays.
And their farm, in fact, has been the perfect place for many local kids.
The Stephens have been raising lambs through 4-H for more than 3 decades, offering up their 35 acres and barns to other youths who do not have a place to keep a lamb at their own home in The Dalles.
The couple keeps a ram and 20 ewes, and they breed sheep in August so that 4-H Kids can pick a lamb in the spring and learn from the experience.
Some end up helping out in the lambing in February.
“It’s stupidly hot,” Joseph said, pointing out that it is freezing outside when the brand new lambs are born steaming in the winter air.
The Stephens jumped into 4-H began when their 9-year-old daughter Heather Pyles came home with a “bummer lamb” - one without a mother that had to be bottle-fed.
Heather, now 44, is the Supervisor at the Sheep Barn at the Wasco County Fair. She shares the duty with Jake Dollarhide.
It’s a job that her Dad Terry filled for many years before her.
Back in the barn
“Show where the tenderloin is,” Audrey asked of Jacob.
Joseph Derryberry, 16, Audrey Stephens and Jacob Derryberry, 10, demonstrate where the loin of the sheep is located.
“The boy runs his hand down part of the lamb's hind leg and Audrey helps him find the start of the animal's rib cage.
“That’s the part people like to eat the most,” she said. “And what is Gordon Ramsey’s favorite part?”
She motions to a spot on the back nearer the lamb’s head. “He likes the rack.”
Audrey is using the learning tools to teach the boy the different parts of the sheep.
This year there are 10, 4-H sheep at their Living Springs Farm, and kids have been showing up twice a day to care for them since choosing their lambs last April.
Joseph and another boy, have already prepared their sheep for the fair, giving them a slick shear and poofy combed wooly cuffs on the legs so judges can get a good look at the animal’s muscle and fat.
Joseph and another boy take their sheep on a hike up the steep road on the property. The sheep are on the large side, which is good, but they cannot be over 164 pounds at the weigh-in on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
So, a little exercise helps to ensure they will make weight.
“His name is Buddy,” Joseph said of his lamb.
Joseph with his sheep Buddy head for the hills to give the animal some excercise.
What do you like about the fair?
“Hanging out with my friends,” Joseph said, noting they sleep in tents for the week and there is a lot of fun to be had, including watching the Rodeo.
And there is always that part about getting paid.
All of the animals will be auctioned off on Saturday, and the 4-H kids will get their payday after months of work.
What are you going to do with the money?
“Invest it,” Joseph said.
Audrey, who also, drives school bus said working with kids keeps her young, and trying to keep up with them makes her feel old.
Audrey Stephen with a handful of feed for the miniature heifers they are raising on their property. She and Husband Terry are working with a few neighbors to raise these animals both for food and for 4-H kids wanting to learn the skill of raising, marketing and showing animals.
“This helps the next generation be responsible,” she said of kids raising animals. “People do better in society when they treat things with love and respect.”
And once kids are in 4-H, it’s almost a given, they will always go back to the fair, she said.
“It’s exciting to me,” Jacob said. “My best friend will be there and I get to spend a whole week with him.”
More About Wasco County 4-H
Wasco County 4-H reaches over 1300 youth a year with a variety of learning experiences including club programming, day events, after-school and in-school programming. Topic focuses of these experiences vary with youth interest and include animal science (horse, dog, livestock and small animals), family and consumer science (foods & nutrition, clothing & textiles, home décor) , the arts (expressive, performing, fiber, and industrial arts), computer science (robotics, coding, virtual reality) and community engagement.
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