4-H king, queen serve as mentors

The first full day of the fair was muggy and overcast.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
ELECTRIC FANS, WATER HOSES, MILKSHAKES and snow cones were some of the items used to beat the heat on the first full day of the Columbiana County Fair here.
Junior fair participants sprayed water on their animals and on one another as they trimmed and scrubbed hogs, llamas and goats in preparation for the show ring.
Overseeing the festivities are the 4-H king and queen, B.J. Karnofel and Bridget Garwood. Both spent much of the morning around the show ring at the coliseum. Garwood also spent time caring for her family's steers, particularly making sure they had enough water.
4-H queen
Garwood, 19, is a 2001 graduate of Crestview High School and a sophomore in Kent State University's college of nursing.
Garwood said she has been involved in 4-H for 11 years as a member of the Country Hands 4-H Club.
Market steers, beef breeding, market hogs, dairy cows and dairy heifers are some of her projects. She also is a member of the junior fair board and serves as a mentor to younger Country Hands members.
She said she decided to try for the 4-H court in this, her last year in 4-H, because the 4-H royalty serve as role models for younger participants.
"I love 4-H," Garwood said. "It has been very rewarding, and I'm sad that this is my last year."
King
Karnofel, 18, is a 2002 graduate of Crestview High School and has been involved in 4-H for six years. He will attend Arizona State University in the fall and plans to major in chemical engineering.
He has been a member of the Fairfield Cloverleaves and a junior fair board member. He said 4-H has given him the opportunity to gain experience in many areas, meet new people and make new friends.
Some of his projects have been market and carcass hogs and dairy beef feeders, and other projects not related to agriculture.
Karnofel said 4-H involvement also forces participants to organize their time. During many county fair weeks, he juggled his fair responsibilities and those of high school football practices.
"It was tough, but it worked out," he said.
His advice to younger 4-H members is: "Do a lot of different projects and stick with them. Don't give up. You never know. Something you do in 4-H might be that life-changing spark, the thing that helps you decide what career path you'll take."
tullis@vindy.com