Youth Shines at Fair

Lizzie Murdock, 16, began visiting local businesses about a week before the Bingham County 4-H Fair, hosted Aug. 1-6 at the Eastern Idaho State Fairgrounds.

She’s been active in University of Idaho Extension 4-H Youth Development since she was 7 years old — primarily in animal projects — and she credits the program with shaping her character, work ethic, career interests and financial-management skills. The Snake River High School junior has also grown her college savings account through sales of 4-H show animals.

Prior to the fair, Murdock made stops at about 15 businesses — a local tire shop, a Chevrolet dealership, her uncle’s feed store and several banks to name a few — and invited the proprietors to the county’s 4-H livestock sale, hosted Aug. 7. She told them about the painstaking care she’s invested in her animal project, a heifer calf named Barbie raised in her grandparents’ barn. She explained how she never feeds premixed rations. Rather, she develops her own formula, partnering with her father on the math to pinpoint the optimal blend of protein and nutrients.

Once again, the work has paid off. Barbie placed first in class and eighth overall for market beef. Murdock also finished third overall for senior showman. Knife River Construction bid $3,500 on Barbie at the sale, leaving Murdock roughly $1,500 remaining, after expenses, to deposit into her college savings.

Murdock also showed two other heifers at the fair — Reba and Shakira — which she plans to keep for breeding calves for future projects.

“I really like getting to meet new people and just the drive that it’s given me to work hard and do things on my own and how to manage my own money,” Murdock said. “It’s fun to get out and show off this animal you’ve been working on all year.”

In addition to showing her own animals, Murdock has a client who pays her about $800 each season to aid him with fitting and showing Angus cows at the Eastern Idaho State Fair, scheduled for Aug. 30 through Sept. 7 in Blackfoot. Fitting entails washing and grooming bovines, including using a spray adhesive to fluff their legs, hindquarters and tail head. Murdock has traveled as far as Illinois to attend clipping clinics to perfect her livestock grooming and fitting skills. She has a knack for it, having grown up watching her mother, Tami, who is a professional beautician, cut and style human hair.

“I grew up watching what she did, so it was natural for me,” Murdock said.

Both of her parents also showed 4-H animals as children, and her father, Kory, financed much of his college education by selling 4-H beef cattle.

Murdock has a strong affinity for the UI Extension educators who have helped her hone her craft throughout the years. Based largely on positive interactions with Extension professionals, Murdock plans to pursue a career in agriculture, and her dream job is to become an Extension educator. More specifically, she hopes to be just like Meranda Small, who was Murdock’s first 4-H Extension educator in Bingham County.

“Meranda really inspired me to want to do that career,” Murdock said. “She really got to know the kids in our county and overall really helped me and was super kind to everybody. I really love 4-H and I want to be able to do it in my life and be able to help these kids.”

Murdock has also been involved in horse 4-H projects and is active in high school rodeo, competing in barrel racing and pole bending.

UI Extension 4-H Youth Development offers year-round programming in every Idaho county to youth ages 8 to 18, empowering them to reach their full potential by working and learning in partnership with caring adults. The Cloverbuds program is designed for younger children, ages 5-7. Idaho 4-H started in 1912 and serves tens of thousands of Idaho youth through community clubs, afterschool programs, day camps, summer camps, conferences and international exchange programs. Research shows 4-H members in Idaho take fewer risks such as drug or alcohol use, are more apt to engage in service to help others, assume school and community leadership roles and are more likely to speak with parents or guardians about important issues.

Published in Catching Up with CALS