Spends summers on Fremont farm

By Angie Landsverk

Nine months out of the year, Leo Krishnevsky lives in one of Russia’s largest cities.

The other three months are spent at his grandmother’s house in Fremont.

“I love it here. It’s always a lot of fun,” the 15-year-old said of his summers in Wisconsin.

This arrangement allows Krishnevsky and his 13-year-old sister Milana to show animals at Waupaca County’s fair.

Their mother grew up in Minnesota.

“My mom went to Russia to teach English and met my dad,” he said.

Living in an apartment in St. Petersburg, a city of about 5 million people, does not exactly make it conducive to raising farm animals.

“There is an opportunity to ride horses,” he said. “But I’m not really friends with horses.”

However, his summers in Wisconsin give him plenty of chances to be with animals.

Family members have a farm in the area.

Krishnevsky shows pigs at the fair through the Wisconsin Show Pig Association.

It was his third year doing so.

This year, his gilt pig was a reserve supreme champion.

“I also did a goat this year. He won his class,” Krishnevsky said. “They’re not doing a grand champion, because there’s not enough in the class.”

His 101-pound goat is named “Colonel.”

Ann Wehrle explained how the goat got that name.

She is Krishnevsky’s aunt.

It is her farm where he and his sister spend time with the animals they show at the fair.

“My daughter named the goat, because we got it before they got here,” Wehrle said. “We stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

Wehrle’s children all showed animals at the fair.

Krishnevsky started showing at national shows with them.

He was among the youth who spoke about experiences at the fair on Friday, Aug. 24, during a breakfast for local officials.

Fair Manager Jeremy Schroeder said Waupaca County’s 145th fair featured more than 6,200 youth exhibits and more than 2,200 open class exhibits.

Youth involved in 4-H and FFA talked about the number of years they have showed animals and how they look forward to this time of the year.

“Even if you don’t get the purple ribbons, it’s the memories that stay with us the rest of our lives,” said Katie Loehrke, who is a member of Weyauwega-Fremont’s FFA and also the Lind Center Beavers 4-H Club.

Krishnevsky makes new friends during his summers in the area and loves being around animals.

“Pigs actually have different personalities, and it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

He plans to continue showing animals at the fair.

Wehrle and her family enjoy having him and his sister here for the summer.

“It’s incredible,” she said. “We love it.”