Livestock shows in full swing at Winona County fair

ST. Charles, Minn. (KTTC) – The Winona County fair kicked off its second day with 4-H Club participants showcasing their livestock.

Beef cattle were the first to show at 8 a.m. Thursday.

4-H member Brooke Calteaux, 17, has been showing Red Angus cattle for the past seven years.

She became interested in it when her father purchased some cows for their farm.

“I fell in love with it,” Calteaux said. “My favorite part is seeing the little kids come up to you and ask if they can pet your calf or your cow. They come up and they pet it and their face just lights up and you see their excitement.”

Calteaux won first place for her cow-calf pair.

Winona County Dairy Princess Katie Ketchum has been showing dairy cows since she was 3-years-old.

Her family owns a dairy farm just outside of Lewiston. She said showing livestock teaches children early on valuable life skills.

“It just keeps getting more fun, the older you get,” she said. “To train your cow, you need a lot of patience, because cows don’t always do what you want them to do. This teaches you how to be responsible.”

She said she’s honored to be the Dairy Princess.

“I absolutely love promoting the dairy industry and all dairy has offered me in my life,” Ketchum said. “I definitely feel like it’s a way for me to give back, but it’s also a way for me to connect with consumers and explain to them where their dairy products come from and why dairy is so good. It’s nutritious, it’s delicious.”

She said the dairy community is close and takes care of each other.

“There is always someone ready to help,” she said.

Goats, sheep, lambs and dairy steer were also shown Thursday. The dairy cattle will be shown on Friday.

The fair runs through Sunday, July 10.

Click here for more information and a schedule.

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