By ANN ALLEN
Indiana Correspondent ROCHESTER, Ind. — Ron Clauson, judge of the Whitley County 4-H dairy steer show for the past two years, knows his subject well, having grown up on a Fulton County dairy farm and shown dairy beef throughout his own 10-year 4-H career.
His two children, Letitia and Kyle, both 10-year members, alternated between bringing home champion or reserve champion honors from the Indiana State Fair for 11 of 12 years after dairy beef was added to the fair’s lineup in 1994. After they retired from 4-H, he became superintendent of the fair’s dairy beef show two years ago and currently heads the Fulton County dairy beef department.
Drawing on his own 4-H dairy beef judging experience and his work in helping his children show champions, he began judging at county fairs four years ago.
“I’ve been to Tippecanoe, Kosciusko and Whitley counties, and I’d be willing to do other shows,” he said. “I don’t do it for the money; I do it because I love kids.”
“That’s what 4-H is all about – kids. We have to encourage them all we can.”
Clauson, 47 and a graduate of Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics, keeps 60-70 head of Holstein steers on feed, raises 1,000 head of hogs and, with his wife, children, sister and brother-in-law, has 2,800 acres of row crops.
“I’d like to get bigger,” he said. “I want my kids to be able to farm.”
At a time when ethanol has pushed corn prices higher, he sees growing his own feed (an area mill grinds it for him) as an advantage but acknowledges ethanol has cut into the margin.
“I like raising cattle,” he said, “even though there isn’t much profit and the price of hay is high. People always eat meat; there’s always someone to raise cattle. And I like dairy beef. Dairy steers feed out about the same as Angus or Hereford and the meat tastes just as good, except it may have a bit more bone.”
As for 4-H and winning, he said, “You reap what you sow. Our kids invested a lot in 4-H and got a lot out of it. Any kid can do the same if he or she works hard.”
“Everyone likes to win, but winning is just the icing on the cake.”
This farm news was published in the Aug. 22, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
