Western 4-H Family and Consumer Science Show in Rapid City, Oct. 9-10

compiled by Chris Maupin

The 58th Annual Western 4-H Family and Consumer Science Show will be held October 9 and 10 at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City, SD. While this is called a show, it consists of various contests for developing life skills that 4-Hers, all youth including youngsters under 9 years of age, and adults may participate in.

The contests begin on Friday, October 10 at 1 p.m. with bread baking and other contests run from Noon to 6 p.m. although some start at 2 p.m. that day. A Rapid City Ag Chamber Burger Bust is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. Some contests will continue from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, October 10. More information may be found by emailing turbi@vcn.com or calling Show president, Peggy Turbiville (307-283-1229). A complete show book, schedule and entry blank are available on Facebook. The Western Junior Livestock Show which is also at the Fairgrounds runs from Wednesday to Saturday, October 7 - October 10, 2020.

New participants and youth group members are encouraged to come and you do not need to pre-register. Contestants may come from outside the state of South Dakota and may enter as many contests as they wish but in only one age category. Board members and volunteers are available to assist you if you are a newcomer to the show. The contests are bread baking, meat identification, family life photo, scrapbook pages, home living, place setting, fashion review both sewn and purchased, public presentation, ingredient measuring, Family and Consumer Sciences judging, Produce ID and judging, and a Family and Consumer Sciences Skill-a Thon. The public may view the exhibits after the contests.

The Saturday contests are followed by an honoree tea, public fashion show and awards presentation at 3 p.m. in the Walter Taylor Building on the edge of the Fairgrounds. COVID-19 guidelines will be followed throughout the show. The show has many donors and yearly memberships may be purchased for $5 at the show which help with awards and trips.

The Board of Directors of the Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show are pleased to recognize as their 2020 honoree, the Leddy Family of Stockholm, SD. Rich in tradition for many families is being a part of the 4-H program, so it was no surprise that growing up Donnie Leddy and Krecia (Beitelspacher) Leddy participated and were part of the legacy that the Western Jr. Livestock and Family and Consumer Science Show offers many families. While both attended the show growing up in the mid-1980's neither recall crossing paths at the show. Krecia recalls early participation in the Meat ID contest on the Family and Consumer Science side of the show which helped hone her skills later for FFA Meats Judging.

Donnie and Krecia had such fond memories of the show when they made the first six-hour trek as a family out to the Central States Fairgrounds in 2007. Recognizing the importance of the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) side of the show they encouraged their children Kiera, Kadon, and Korbin to be active participants in the FCS Show as well as livestock show. From bread baking to the range plant identification contest, the Leddy children gained life-long skills and a strong work ethic from the show.

The Leddy family attended Western Jr. until 2017– only missing it once in 2013 because of a cancellation due to the Atlas blizzard. The children participated in fashion review, FCS quiz bowl, bread baking, meat identification and judging, produce identification and judging, place setting, goat show, swine show, steer show, livestock judging, grass and range plant identification, family life photo, home living exhibit, FCS Skill-a-thon, beginner measuring contest, public presentations, and FCS judging. All three children received the premier exhibitor award in various age categories. Additionally, Kiera was a Denver trip winner. One of their favorite memories was learning how to make caramel rolls after the bread baking contest.

But it is the people, not the awards, who are cherished most by the Leddy family. Ree Reich taught them leftover dough scraps can be pieced together to make terrific caramel rolls. Peggy Turbiville gifted Kiera wool fabric to help her get started in the Make it with Wool sewing competition. LaDonna McKnight was always there to greet them with a smile at registration. Chris Maupin taught them table setting tips that they applied to the Placesetting contest. Of course, none of these memories would be possible without the time and effort of the volunteers to ensure the continuation of the show. These people and many others are the reason the Leddy family kept coming back to the show year after year.

Kiera (23) is a student at Drake Law in Des Moines, IA, Kadon (21) will be graduating from South Dakota State University in December, and Korbin (16) is a junior at Milbank High School. In addition to their personal career goals, each child plans to stay involved with their family's business, The Cattle Business Weekly. The Leddy family is honored to be a recipient of this award and extend their thanks to all of the volunteers who keep this show running year after year.

In addition, the Board would like to acknowledge the Leddy family's support of the Silent Auction both as contributors and buyers. Through their business, "The Cattle Business Weekly," the Leddy family has promoted and encouraged many to participate in the Western FCS and Livestock Shows.

We are very pleased to honor the Donnie and Krecia Leddy family as the 2020 Honorees and hope everyone will attend the tea and awards program on Saturday afternoon. We especially encourage show alumni to join us and reminisce. We are busy gathering show historical materials so if you have some to share, please contact the Show president.

The Western Junior Home Economics Show which is now referred to as the Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show was started in 1962 as a companion show to the Western Junior Livestock Show which was 25 years old at the time. The first contests were a Dairy Food Demonstration and Dress Revue. It has grown with the help of 4-Hers, parents, Extension personnel and volunteers to be a two day show participated in by youth and adults from many states. Likewise many people have been donors who have helped provide funding for the annual show.