BOARDMAN — Many locals have fond childhood memories of growing up in 4-H programs and have since involved their children and grandchildren. Some families are just getting started.

Threemile Canyon Farms, of Boardman, has partnered with Morrow County 4-H to provide project opportunities for youth through the latter’s dairy division.

Morrow is Oregon’s top dairy-producing county, according to the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council, and Threemile Canyon Farms is the state’s largest dairy operation, per the Dairy Alliance. Approximately 33,000 Jersey dairy cows produce 2 million pounds of milk per day on 180 acres.

Despite this status, Jeff Wendler, Threemile’s director of livestock operations, said he and his team realized six years ago the Morrow County Fair had no dairy representation. They decided to remedy that by teaming with the local 4-H.

This materialized as a program available by application until November for children ages 9-18, who are then paired with Threemile herd heifers, which they care for at home until the fair.

The biggest difference from regular 4-H projects is that even though youth still show their heifers, Threemile returns them to their herd to be bred and begin milk production. Wendler said this appeals to those who don’t like the thought of the animals they raised being auctioned for meat.

Another difference is that Threemile nutritionists and veterinarians make monthly visits to participants’ homes to advise on each cow’s health and care and fine-tune their feed ration.

“Kids have to have a little more accountability, and they have more support throughout, which I think is good for kids,” said Pete Szasz, whose ninth-grade son, Landon, has been with the program for four years. “It creates more learning opportunities too because in a normal 4-H setting, a leader or a parent isn’t necessarily an industry professional, whereas (Threemile) is teaching you the whole way.”

“We pay them a daily raising fee, like they have their own little business,” Wendler said.

After the fair, participants receive an reward from Threemile for their showmanship performance.

Children also have opportunities to visit Threemile Canyon Farms and learn about the dairy industry from field to parlor and where their animals fit into that system.

“When these heifers do have a calf, many kids come back,” Pete Szasz said.

“They remember you a year later and will let you pet on them,” Landon Szasz said.

With his dad working for a feed lot near Boardman and his own 4-H work with sheep since elementary school, Landon has grown up around animals.

“I knew about the beef industry because of my dad, but I wanted to learn more about dairy cows, which are very different,” he said. “They want to be friends with you a little more.”

After this year, Landon plans to try his hand at raising a different animal but said he’s excelled at showmanship. His favorite part is helping and mentoring new competitors.

Threemile accepted 16 participants this year, but Wendler said the program tries to work with any children who express a committed interest, like 12-year-old Saul Madrigal.

“It was my first time working with a cow,” the seventh-grader said. “It was fun. There were both silly and sad moments.”

Madrigal described his cow, Sheila, as having an attitude, pulling chickens off a fence by their tails if he didn’t feed her fast enough. Despite her personality, he was sad on the fair’s last day when Sheila had to return to the farm. He looks forward to visiting her and plans to sign up for the program again.

“My favorite thing was there was a lot of helpers and a lot of friends,” he said. “The people are nice, and I met really good friends through 4-H,” he said. “I learned to be responsible, respectful and kind.”

He added that he would consider owning a dairy cow in the future.

“We enjoy it as much as the kids do and look forward to it and love doing it,” Wendler said.

According to Pete Szasz, the program seems like a win-win for both Threemile Canyon Farms and the community.

“(Threemile) knows that there’s hundreds of jobs that they need to fill in the next few years,” he said. “There are jobs available out here, and they’re vying for these kids to come back and get excited about the dairy industry and hire them, keeping them home and from leaving the area.”

For more information, visit www.threemilecanyonfarms.com.