Ten-year-old Paityn Lambert of Portage is celebrating her first year in the Portage 4-H beef club after raising her own 14-month steer, Zach, for this year’s Portage Ex beef sale.
“I have watched my sister and cousins the last few years with 4-H and their steers and it has piqued my interest, and I have learned a lot about steers this year with my own, that it takes a lot to grow a good steer,” said Paityn.
Her Simmental/Angus cross steer weighed around 1,400 pounds at the fair and was part of the local sale.
Paityn shares that taking care of her steer involves daily chores.
“You usually have to pay attention to what you're feeding it. You have to pay attention to how much they're eating and if they're not eating enough,” she notes.
The young 4-H member says that her first year has been a learning experience.
Paityn’s father Brad, remarks on the value of the 4-H program for young people.
“I think the 4-H program is very valuable to these kids growing up and teaches them some responsibility in life,” he says.
Brad adds that local businesses play a key role in supporting the program.
“Thanks to local businesses around town for supporting the sale. Muchly appreciated from everybody that's involved."
Portage Supermarket co-owner Lori Miller mentions that her store has long supported 4-H beef sales.
“As soon as we announce on Facebook or social media or word of mouth that we have it on our shelves, it's usually what they put out that day goes really fast,” she says. “It's a very sought after meat product because it's usually so much better quality than we usually get.”
The 4-H beef quickly sold out at Portage Supermarket, highlighting strong community interest and support for local youth and their agricultural projects.
Portage Supermarket has a long-standing connection to the 4-H beef program, with owners Lori and Darren Miller actively supporting the initiative for several years.
The family has been operating the store for around 25 years, continuing a tradition of purchasing 4-H cattle and offering locally raised meat to the community.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@portageonline.com.
PortageOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the PortageOnline app.