Raising, showing animals at the fair runs deep for area family
By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
While many families are preparing to take in funnel cakes, music and adventures on the midway at the Walworth County Fair – if they haven’t already done so since Wednesday’s kickoff, the Kynell family of Walworth will take the final step of showing their swine, after months of hard work.
For the Kynell family, 4-H and the county fair runs generations deep, with mom, Angie Christenson-Kynell – who grew up on a beef farm – having shown swine from the age of 9 until she was 20.
“It’s very much a family thing for us. It goes back many generations, probably three or four. I was at the fair when I was 6 months old and I haven’t missed one since,” she said.
Angie said a large part of the family’s focus has been on raising livestock – she raised both beef and swine as a child. Her children have taken on the challenge of raising and showing swine, as well as boer goats in the past.
“When you raise livestock, it gives you a strong work ethic, it gives you compassion for animals and it also gives you a better understanding of where your food comes from,” she said.
Having been raised around livestock, Angie said it was something she wanted to continue with her children. She’s succeeded as her kids – Holly, 14, Brody, 13, and Clay, 10 – have followed in her footsteps.
While the Kynells don’t live on a farm today, they’re fortunate to have a family friend with farm property, a place where they keep and care for their animals.
In showing swine, Angie said it’s a team effort, with each taking turns to help out and accommodate work and extra-curricular activities schedules, such as softball and football.
“Not every member of the family shows up for every single feeding. It’s definitely a team effort and we try to make it so it works for everyone,” she said.
The family gets their swine in April and feeds them twice a day by hand from that day on. As it gets closer to the fair, they focus on working with and walking the swine.
“It’s definitely a time commitment, but the fair is like the grand finale, the world series of 4-H,” she said.
Holly, who’s been involved in 4-H for six years, said she loves working with the swine but the experience is as much about the lifelong friends she’s made and the lessons learned.
“They like to do the same things as you, and you all hang out at the fair all week long,” Holly said. “It also teaches a lot of responsibility and accountability, as well as leadership skills, which is awesome to have.”
Brody, who’s been involved for five years, agreed with his sister, and said his favorite part is having the pigs but overall, he enjoys the experience.
“Just being in a different environment… the fair is fun,” Brody said.
Clay, who’s been involved for two years now, said he likes the friends he’s made, but gets joy from the animals, too.
“Just being around pigs, it makes me happy,” Clay said.
Read the full story on the Kynell family – and more about what’s happening at the fair – in the Sept. 2-3 editions of Southern Lakes Newspapers’ publications, on stands now throughout Walworth County.
