FRANKLINVILLE , N.C. — North Carolina has around 40,000 dairy cows, many of which are from generational farms. Organizations like 4-H are introducing youth to livestock for fun or growing a passion for agriculture.
What You Need To Know
- Rilen Wright is a fourth generation dairy farmer
- He has been showing cows since he was 2 years old
- 4-H is showing youth the ropes of livestock from a young age
- The youth organization also has efforts toward helping those affected by Hurricane Helene
Many family pets include dogs and cats, but eighth grader Rilen Wright grew up with hundreds cows and tens of thousands of chickens.
“We just have a bunch of nice cows here,” Rilen said.
Rilen is a fourth generation dairy farmer on his parents' farm, which provides milk to Homeland Creamery, creating relationships with the cows and getting to know each of their personalities.
“I had a cow about four years ago, she would jump out her pen over there and come and talk to me. Basically, she just moo’d at me, but that was her version of talking,” Rilen said.
He has been showing cows since he was 2 years old, spending about 15 hours a week prepping a cow prior to the competition.
“My favorite part is probably being in the show ring and winning. Of course, I love winning and just being in the show ring and getting that experience is really fun,” Rilen said.
Rilen has shown heifers and cows from local to national stages, including the N.C. State Fair. This weekend at the State Fair, he is showing in the type category, with the judges focusing on the cows and not Rilen.
To win, Rilen has been prepping the cow since it was a calf. Researching everything from the right type of feed the cow needs to grow the largest, to the cow’s haircut and how well kept they are.
"Twenty percent part of it is the feet and legs, 50% is the dairyness of the cows, which is like is I have how big the ribs and all that and how good it looks. And then timber frame, which is like how big they are,” Rilen said.
He competes in showing cows through his local 4-H club following in his parents' footsteps of participating in the nonprofit.
“I've always been a part of it before, which means a lot to me because this gave me so many life experiences, like public speaking and community service,” Rilen said.
4-H is a youth development program created by the USDA over 120 years ago to help cultivate youth development and involvement in their community. Now, there are more than 10,000 chapters across North Carolina.
By participating in 4-H and showing cows, not only has Rilen made friends around the country and gained leadership and public speaking skills, it has opened up future avenues for him.
“It's just really, it's a bunch of hard work going into it. But then there's also a bunch of scholarships, a bunch of opportunities, a bunch of job opportunities to get into,” Rilen said.
At this time, Rilen doesn’t know if he will take over the family business, but he does have his heart set on attending N.C. State.
“If your determined to strive and do well, you'll be there. If you strive to work hard and to work well, you'll find yourself on the top of the class a lot,” Rilen said.
Rilen is showing three cows at the State Fair this weekend, including a heifer.
North Carolina’s 4-H chapters created their "Helpful Hands, Healing Hearts" initiative to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Chapters across the state are collecting items like winter stuffed animals and coloring books for 4-H Clover Care Packets.
In addition, 4-H’s "East To West Youth Matter" initiative is encouraging families involved in 4-H to send a letter or care package to a family affected by Helene from November to April.