For the Brhel family of Fairfield, 4-H isn’t just a couple of months out of the year—it’s a year-round event.
Except for a little break after the Clay County Fair and when they’re not at the Adams County or Nebraska State Fairs, Rachel, Emily, and Nathan are working on new projects, researching, getting creative, and working with animals in preparation for the next year’s fair.
Their parents, Mike and Rita, are always nearby, ready to help if needed.
“It is a year-round thing for us, and it has always been a year-round thing,” Rita said.
4-H runs deep in the family, with all three kids being a Clover Kid for one or more years. Clover Kids are non-competing 4-Hers dipping their toes into what 4-H is all about.
As the oldest, Rachel has competed in 4-H for 11 years, with this year being her final fair as she’s aged out.
“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I think it was two days ago it finally hit me that it’s my last fair. Otherwise, it’s just doing the same stuff, but I’ll miss it. I’m just enjoying it [her last fair].”
Emily has one more year left before she ages out, while Nathan has five years to go.
Rita’s background in 4-H has aided in the kids getting into 4-H in the first place, having competed in the organization for 10 years growing up.
Additionally, both her parents were in 4-H, as were her grandparents.
Although Mike never competed in 4-H—his mom and a brother did briefly—he said that based on the experience his kids have had, he wishes he did.
When the Brhel kids first started out, they didn’t begin simply, but took on many projects in their first years.
Rachel started showing in the poultry show, as did her siblings; Emily and Nathan also started with showing goats.
However, livestock were not the only projects they poured hard work and time into. In their first years, they also dove into wildlife, photography, forestry, insectology, and foods.
As they got older and before officially starting school, Rita began teaching them writing and all that entails.
“I’m not sure they were thrilled about it,” Rita recalls, adding how she tried to make it more interesting by helping the kids find topics they enjoyed— such as Nathan’s love for animals.
“Now that they’re older, they do almost all of it on their own, I’m just the great holder of things. But when they were younger, they did pick some things out, but they also did things because mom made them, like public speaking,” Rita said.
Picking out what projects they want to work on begins shortly after the fair. Being organized with color-coded folders of past and possible projects helps with that process.
“I like to stay busy, and 4-H has a lot of different things that you’re working toward, a goal that you can stay busy with. It’s just fun being able to do all the different stuff. There aren’t really many other places you can show livestock and also do an essay for,” Emily said.
It’s part of their routine, Rachel added.
Throughout the year, the trio are working on topics they really enjoy, such as Rachel with her sewing, Emily with her art, and Nathan with his writing.
When it comes to choosing what projects they want to do, each of them have a different method.
Nathan said he prefers to look through the 4-H book and see what interests him.
Emily said if she has any ideas she’ll start making a plan, otherwise, if she sees something that sparks her interest, she’ll try that.
“I’m kind of sporadic,” she added.
Rachel said she tries to come up with a couple of big projects.
“Every year I try to do a dress. I started quilting last year, so I started doing quilting projects, and I will take my big ideas and try to work on them. Then, occasionally, we just look at things online and think, ‘oh, that’ll be cool to make and find a place for.’” For Mike’s part in everything they do, he’s the man behind the scenes.
An integral part, Rita added. “I take care of the animals that are still at home [during fair week], and make sure they’re watered and fed,” Mike said.
“He’s also the person who’s making sure all the laundry is done this week and dishes, stuff like that,” Rita added. “People don’t see him very much, but he’s the one making sure all the rest of this works.”
Throughout the years, the trio has tried many different projects—some they enjoyed and kept with, while others didn’t quite stick.
For Rachel, photography and art was something she tried but after a while it got to a point where she didn’t enjoy them as much or wasn’t improving in the way she hoped.
“So I took a break for a few years and I’ve gotten back into it and I’ve actually liked it. It’s clicked in my head now on how to do it,” she said.
While Rachel has a knack for sewing and quilting, there was a time when Emily was more frustrated than enjoying the project.
“I did enjoy it when I started, but then I started to go into more complicated projects and there was time when it was more frustrating, going around that learning curve and trying to figure out how all this is going to work. Now, I’ve gotten to the point where I can do big projects and I enjoy it.”
Other than their parents, they have quite a support system behind them. Rita’s parents live about 15 miles south of them, and help house some of the livestock the trio shows at the fair.
As the Brhels have about five acres of land near home, it’s not enough to house the cattle or the several goats they own.
In the summer, the kids are more often at their grandparent’s house, helping clean the barn or with kidding, or simply working with their animals.
As the fair draws closer each year, the family is putting their final touches on any projects they’ve been working on.
Fair week is when everything comes together, and while they all enjoy the fair, there’s something a little different for each that they’re most excited for.
“I like show off goats,” Nathan said, adding how this year he was excited for his bird house to be displayed. But what he’s excited for on certain inside projects changes. “It depends on the year.”
While Rachel is most often excited about showing goats and displaying her quilting and sewing projects, Emily noted how she was excited for her first year showing beef cattle.
“It was fun to work with them and show them this year,” she said, adding how she was excited for her hard work and efforts in three entomology boxes to be put on display. “It took a lot of work to put together.”
Cattle are a newer livestock for the Brhel kids to show. A couple of years ago, Nathan had a bucket calf, and Emily said she enjoyed having the calf there.
“I really enjoyed getting to know cattle, work with and around them, and get to know their personalities,” she added. “I might even like them better than showing goats.”
Nathan and Emily participated in the Murman’s Cattle Project, where youth learned how to show and work with cattle.
Then came the opportunity to buy some heifers, and after talking with Rita’s mom to see if that was a possibility, they made it happen.
And some of their projects do take a ton of work, such as their science experiments.
Each year, Rita has them conduct a full scientific method experiment, and sometimes they can get a second one in before the fair, but for the most part, that first one takes a lot of work.
Other projects, such as their goats, also take time...and patience.
“It takes a lot of time,” Nathan said, with Rachel adding, “There’s a point with goats, so it’s really hard to get it right. You work with them for a while and they peak, and then they start developing bad habits again. But this year I think we have it timed pretty good somehow. Just trying to get them ready and the whole process takes time. You start with them doing nothing and then eventually get to the fair and show them off with all of the hard work we put in.”
Being in the show ring with siblings can make for a competitive environment, but for the most part, the trio said they’re always supportive of each other.
“We’re very supportive of each other, but, because we’re so close together,” Emily said, pointing at Rachel, “I get kind of competitive with her. It’s like a really big accomplishment even if I’m just one placing higher because usually I’m second behind her. So it gets a little competitive, but we do support each other.”
“Friendly competition,” Rachel added.
Nathan added in, “I’m kind of competitive in the ring, but it’s more those two,” he said pointing at his sisters.
However, even if there’s slight competition happening, being decent people in and out of the ring is important to the family.
“You strive for excellence but have really good character,” Rita said.
This includes when they don’t get a ribbon color they were expecting, or when an animal just doesn’t want to listen.
“You just expect that something’s going to happen and if it doesn’t happen, it’s wonderful,” Rachel said. “You just keep going. For example, if the judge wants you to walk over somewhere, you know you have to get over there so you figure it out and think about it on your feet and get it done.”
When it comes to placings, they go into the ring expecting a red, hoping for a blue, but if they get a purple, then great!
They have a saying in the family: different judge, different day. On a different day, a different judge could have decided something else.
“Sportsmanship is super important,” Rita said.
Learning to keep their cool and instill that sportsmanship even when things go wrong is something Emily passes down to younger 4-Hers coming up the ranks.
“If something doesn’t go as planned, try to have fun. I know that is difficult to do when you’re younger and frustrated, but if you can find something that’s fun, you’ll get there. That’s the whole point of 4-H, well part of the point. You want to learn stuff, but also enjoy it.”
“Have a sense of humor,” Rachel added. “And try new things you don’t think you’d be interested in, because you might like it.”
Or find things that do interest you, Nathan said.
As they prepare for another year, the trio thought about how 4-H has shaped them for their futures.
Rachel, who is currently a CNA and Med-Aide at Sutton Community Home, said her start as a CNA began from a 4-H project.
At the time, she was doing a community service project where she went to Harvard Rest Haven and Sutton Community Home and passed out homemade cards.
After that experience, she got her CNA license. It was an avenue 4-H opened for her.
Things such as public speaking has helped Nathan, while for Emily, 4-H has helped her explore different job possibilities, by learning different responsibilities within different job areas.
Rita added how 4-H has helped them be more organized and timley, which translates out well with the school work and all other non-4-H activities they do.
As far as fairs go, the Brhels are thankful for the Clay County one—even if some might say they’re a little biased.
“This county fair, really, we’ve got some of the best people and they’re super helpful. We know most of the people here, and everyone jumps in to help,” Rita said, with the rest of her family nodding with agreement. “If someone’s in the show ring having a hard time, another kid will step in and help. It seems like everybody truly watches out for everyone else.”
