Mason Jackson
Experience on both sides of the spectrum fared well for exhibitors in the first livestock show of the Logan County Junior Fair — the poultry show, staged Sunday afternoon, July 7.
A veteran exhibitor in his last year of showing, Mason Jackson, a 2023 Benjamin Logan High School graduate, won the grand champion market turkey honors with his hen turkey “Butterball.”
“It feels great to go out with a bang on my last year. I’m feeling really good,” said the Stemble’s Meat employee, who works there as a butcher. “I started 4-H when I was very young, and it’s been a lot of fun and very rewarding.
“Raising turkeys takes a lot of dedication, working them every day.”
The Zanesfield area resident and Master Mix 4-H member also shows fancy chickens in the contest. The poultry show is a family affair, with Mason’s older brother, Marshall, also previously exhibiting turkeys as well. Marshall was on hand to help his brother out Sunday.
In the meat pen of three chickens contest, first-time showman and Riverside Hustlers 4-H member Owen Strayer, 9, won grand champion. The judge said he had Owen’s trio of chickens in mind throughout the entire contest.
“This grand champion winner stuck out to me through all of the different classes,” he said.
Owen is an Indian Lake Elementary fourth-grader who lives just outside of DeGraff. He also was accompanied in show arena by his siblings, including Carly Strayer, an Indian Lake High School junior who won the grand champion roaster honors.
First-time market chicken exhibitor Kara Hartzler of Bellefontaine, a West Liberty-Salem student and Cool Clovers 4-H member, was excited to receive the reserve grand champion roaster award.
Reserve grand champion market turkey winner Lauren Kennedy posed for pictures with Mason, a neighbor who lives a few miles away from her Zanesfield home.
Lauren’s tom turkey “Danny” received the reserve award, and keeping with the movie “Grease” theming, her hen turkey “Sandy” garnered a third place in class award as well. Raising turkeys is a passion for the eight year exhibitor, who will will be a sophomore at BLHS in the fall.
“I love watching them grow and their personalities developing,” the Friendly Farmers 4-H member said.
It was very much a family event for Lauren as well, with her older sister, Kendra, a 2023 grand champion market turkey winner, providing assistance, and her sister Hailey and two brothers, Zayden and Xavier, also showing turkeys.
Reserve grand champion meat pen of three chickens honors went to Winnie Bodin, who will be a junior at BLHS in the fall. She said she also received the reserve grand champion award about five years ago.
Raising chickens and prepping for the fair is a fun activity for her as well.
“I enjoy selecting the birds from our flock, and then doing all of the prep work with them for the fair,” said Winnie, who participated in the show alongside with her sister, Charlotte, and brother, Brooks.
