GREENVILLE, WV (WVNS) – The Cook’s Fort 4-H Club offers children the opportunity to combine agriculture with entrepreneurship, while also having fun at the State Fair of West Virginia.
Andrew and Elaine Helmick are brother and sister who exhibit their sheep through this 4-H Club. The two were initially motivated to participate in the activity by their father.
Andrew mentioned that they bought these sheep as young lambs several months prior to the fair, typically in April. They then take care of the animals. Their goal is for the sheep to reach a weight of approximately 140 pounds by the time the fair arrives.
“We will go out and create sales letters to send to various businesses in the area. For instance, mainly in Union, Farm Credit has purchased my lambs for the last three years, and there are several others. If they hadn’t participated, we wouldn’t have any community support. We have a great 4-H group, including Brian Wickline, Sonya Fullen, and others. They assist us greatly. 4-H is fantastic. It teaches you a lot, such as how to show pigs, show lambs, and prepare an excellent feed ration for them so they grow properly,” said Andrew Helmick.
This entrepreneurial initiative teaches children in 4-H about the realities of the agricultural market. Because of the strong community support, kids such as Andrew and Elaine are able to sell their sheep for more than the typical market rate.
“High risk, high reward. So, similar to the lambs we acquire, they are quite costly, but you can raise them, and as they grow larger, you end up making more money once they’re ready,” said Elaine Helmick.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This content cannot be published, aired, altered, or shared again.
