BONNERS FERRY — Bottom line, the Boundary County Fair is just plain fun.

After all, where else would you run into a sheep on a leash?

"Sheep are very curious and they love running and exploring," said 4-H member Allison Krumwiede, who spent part of the fair walking her sheep, Winnie, on a leash along with a friend who was walking her sheep. "They loved it."

As much as the sheep loved the walk through the playground, the youngsters playing on the swings loved the visit even more, Krumwiede said.

"They loved it. The little kids were coming up and petting them," she said before breaking off and laughing when Winnie leaned over to rub her face on Krumwiede's leg. "And they love itching on you and love rubbing on everything."

Krumwiede, who is in her first year raising sheep, said she decided on the project because she both loves the animals and because her father grew up with them.

"I just like the animals themselves," the 4-H youth said. "I love sheep because they're nice. They don't kick. They don't spit at you. All they do is chew at your clothes."

Among the challenges of raising sheep is how easily they can get stressed, but Krumwiede said being around the animals on a daily basis helps because they tend to get lonely if you don't. She also learned that sheep like to be fed at the same time and that grooming the animals is important: cleaning their ears, trimming their hooves and bathing them.

"They're a little high maintenance but you only have them for four months so it's not too bad," she added.

Krumwiede's time with her sheep, Winnie, paid off, with the youth earning two blue ribbons, which she said was a nice accomplishment.

A 4-H member for the past three years, Krumwiede said she joined 4-H initially for something to do but quickly discovered that she loves it because of the many things you can learn. Projects she's done include jewelry making, Dutch oven cooking, rifle shooting and lamb.

"I actually really love 4-H and will probably do it until I graduate," the seventh-grader said, adding she is already planning what projects she will enter in the fair next year.

Krumwiede said she would recommend 4-H to everyone, starting with one project to get used to the paperwork required because it can be a bit overwhelming at first.

"Once you've got like three years down, I do three or four projects," she said. "4-H is very fun and I would definitely recommend sheep because you don't have them that long and they're very easy to do."

Fellow 4-H'er Audrey Vande Vegte also has been in 4-H for three years, raising rabbits and chickens. She said she joined the program to learn more about her animals and wanted to practice with them, having rabbits and chickens at the family's home.

While definitely cute, Vande Vegte said it takes practice to showcase the rabbits when presenting them to the judges.

"You have to practice with them, flipping them over and touching them a lot so they get used to being handled," she said as her rabbit, Polly, rested on the table in the Boundary County Fair's rabbit barn waiting for visitors. "You want to get them used to you holding them the right way because you have to put their head on your shoulder."

The Lionhead rabbit drew plenty of visitors, with the curious drawn to the small, friendly critter. At 3 years old, Vande Vegte said Polly is fairly young as the breed can live between 7 and 12 years.

In addition to showing rabbits, the youth also did a sewing project, making pants as part of learning sewing skills and more.

Vande Vegte said 4-H has given her a way to learn more about her rabbits and sewing.

"If you're doing rabbit, you can know more about your rabbit or if you're doing crochet or whatever, you can learn more, like different stitches and stuff," she added.

While fun, 4-H projects also involve a lot of work and you need to practice with your animal, Vande Vegte said.

Vande Vegte's mother, Kim, said she loves that programs like 4-H offer a diverse range of opportunities, ranging from animals and veterinary science to fishing, hiking, sewing and beyond.

"I'm still learning what options and projects are available for the kids to do," she said. "There are so many volunteers that help and it's amazing that the kids can learn all of these things."

Kim Vande Vegte said she loves the friendships that the program creates, watching 4-H'ers grow in confidence and poise.

Taking a break while his pig, appropriately named Baconater, slept, Ben Jones said he has been in 4-H for four years, joining after seeing how much fun his siblings were having.

After raising sheep, Jones decided to switch to a swine project this year.

"What I like about sheep is it's easier to walk them and it's easier to teach them, but with pigs, I like the amount of money that it gives," he said.

He plans to continue raising pigs and is saving his money for the future, Jones said.

"Once I'm ready to move out or something, I'm going to use it to buy a car or something," he added.

Like his fellow 4-H'ers, Jones recommended 4-H as a fun way to learn more about any interests they might have as well as earn money by raising market animals.

"I would say you should (join 4-H) but you do need a decent amount of responsibility to be able to raise it and to remember to check on it and feed it and stuff," Jones said.

    Audrey Vande Vegte poses with her rabbit, Polly, as she waits for visitors at the Boundary County Fair's rabbit barn to share what she learned about the animals as part of her 4-H project.
  

    Ben Jones checks on his pig, appropriately named "Baconater," during the Boundary County Fair on Saturday, Aug. 15.