Weyauwega girl competes in national essay contest
By Angie Landsverk
A rural Weyauwega girl won a starter flock of sheep in a national contest.
MaKieyela Raisler wrote an essay about her interest in the Targhee breed, as well as her experience with sheep and the space her family had available for them.
The 9-year-old submitted her essay last March for the U.S. Targhee Sheep Association’s National Starter Flock Program.
The contest was open to youth age 9 to 17 whose immediate family do not raise Targhee sheep.
In April, MaKieyela learned she was among the top 5 in the contest.
“And then I came out on top,” she said.
By late July, she had a starter flock consisting of a spring ewe, a yearling ewe and a brood ewe.
In addition, MaKieyela was given another yearling with the flock.
MaKieyela now has six sheep in all.
That is because as the national winner, her award also included a buyer’s credit to use at the association’s national show and sale.
The national show and sale were supposed to be held in Redfield, South Dakota in mid-July.
The events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, the auction took place online, and MaKieyela used her credit to buy two lambs.
The Raisler family traveled to Madison and also to Lodi to pick up all the sheep.
The organization plans to formally recognize MaKieyela at its 2021 show and sale.
MaKieyela’s parents, Adam and Lacy Raisler, are proud of her.
“I’m very proud of her,” Adam said. “It was quite the accomplishment for her.”
Lacy said, “She’s just always, since she was 4, leaned toward sheep.”
That is how old MaKieyela was when she started participating in the Lil’ Shavers Show Buds program at the Waupaca County Fair.
Lil’ Shavers
The county fair sponsors the program.
It is a non-competitive showing experience for youth ages 4 to 9, said Penny Tank, the 4-H program coordinator in Waupaca County.
“Any youth in the county are welcome to register for it,” she said.
Tank said some who participate in the program are 4-H members, while others are not.
“Some of them may know somebody with an animal that they’re too young to show themselves,” she said. “You don’t have to know someone. If you register, the county fair and superintendents will work with everyone who registers to find somebody.”
Youth who participate in Lil’ Shavers are able to show pigs, calves, sheep, goats, chickens and rabbits.
Older youth already showing at the fair may help and support them in the ring.
Adults may as well, Tank said.
She said the program started with just one or two species and has grown to be a pretty big opportunity for the younger members.
“It’s a neat opportunity for the older youth that have the animals there to also mentor the younger kids to show them what they do to take their animal in the ring,” Tank said.
MaKieyela has showed a calf, sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits and a goat through the program.
Last year, she had to choose which species she wanted to show this year.
She was most interested in showing sheep.
“I’ve always been a farm girl, and sheep has always been my favorite,” MaKieyela said.
Tank said that as a third grader last year, MaKieyela had to take an exploring project.
MaKieyela has been a member of Dayton Community 4-H Club since she was in kindergarten.
The exploring program 4-H members participate in when they are in third grade is about trying a variety of projects and also selecting one additional project area, Tank said.
MaKieyela’s interest in sheep resulted in her leader sharing information about the starter flock program.
Tank said another member of that 4-H club won the same national contest last year.
In addition, a member of Town and Country 4-H Club won the 2019 state contest, she said.
There are a total of 18 4-H clubs in Waupaca County.
Enrollment will be opening up around September, Tank said.
The flock
MaKieyela’s sheep are getting used to their new home.
The Raislers have 15 acres, and also have a goat and four horses.
The space for the sheep used to be a riding arena for the horses.
Lacy said Targhee sheep are a dual-purpose breed.
They are known for their wool, but for their meat production as well.
“We are thinking about learning how to spin it,” Lacy said of the wool. “We’ve learned a lot about wool in the last few weeks.”
MaKieyela says she felt honored to win the contest.
She is a fourth grader at St. Peter Lutheran School, where she excels in the language arts.
In addition to writing the essay, MaKieyela also had to get letters of recommendations.
Her parents had to write a letter as well.
Lacy believes MaKieyela is one of the youngest to win the contest.
She will be mentored by a member of the association who lives near the family.
MaKieyela also has to exhibit at least one of the animals she won at a local, county, state or national show by the end of 2021.
All of her sheep are being halter trained.
MaKieyela said she has to give them water and food, aand lso walk them.
She is having fun with them.
The breed is naturally polled which means they will not have horns.
“That’s kind of nice,” MaKieyela said. “But they’re still tough.”