by Gretchen Orr
PUEBLO- Huerfano County is well represented at the State Fair this year, with 15 kids showing a total of 22 projects. The following three students did exceptionally well, winning Champion or Reserve Champion for their projects at the State Fair.
Gabrielle Ratajczak, age 18, graduated from home school last spring. She took seven projects to the fair, and won Grand Champion for her bread baking, and Reserve Champion for her spinning project.
The bread recipe she used is for Swedish limpa, a rye bread with orange peel, whch she says is “very, very good especially with raspberry jam.” The family home does not have electricty, so the bread was baked in a wood cook stove. She says laughing, “That probably contributed to winning the ribbon,” because the judges were impressed that she could cook on a wood stove. “It’s all in how much wood you put in.”
For her spinning project, Ratajczak says it all started with sheep. ”We had to do something with the raw fleece, so I learned how to spin. Then we had to do something with all that yarn,” so she taught herself, and her mother Sharon, to knit. She is hoping to start a wool based business including dyeing and felting. She is getting into the groove by teaching spinning classes. She will hold free classes at the La Veta library on Sept 13, in the morning for children and in the afternoon for adults. Get details and sign up sheets at the library. There is no need bring your own wheel or spindle unless you wish to.
Ann Rowland, age 12, won Grand Champion for the red jacket she made as her clothing project. She started it in July, a bit late, so it turned into a turbo sewing session. She put 14 to 15 hours of sewing in on it over 4 days. This is not to imply she did not sew the rest of the year. Among other things, her 4-H project book included photos of a kraken (sea monster) costume she made for a Destination Imagination skit through school. When she heard she had done so well at state, Grand Champion at state fair, she screamed “I can’t believe it!”
Ariel Jameson, age 17, proved the value of living in a high altitude mountain town. She took Grand Champion at the State Fair for her Foods project which involved successfully modifying a traditional recipe for apple cake for high altitude baking, and to be more healthy. She substituted applesauce and light margarine in place of butter. She used whole wheat flour for half of the flour, and she used Splenda brown sugar in place of regular brown sugar. She enjoys baking and is thinking about a career in nutrition and possibly becoming a dietician. She has also entertained the idea of opening her own bakery and coffee shop.
Huerfano County 4-H members who received a first blue placing at the County 4-H Fair had their exhibits entered in the Colorado State Fair.
Full results of the judging are as follows:
FOODS
Ariel Jameson Champion
Bread
Amanda Wahl Qualifier
Hallie Homerding 4th
Gabrielle Ratajczak Champion
CLOTHING
Ann Rowland Champion
Megan Valdez Qualifier
VISUAL ARTS
Gabrielle Ratajczak 3rd
HERITAGE ARTS
Crochet
Krissy Serra 6th
Knitting
Gabrielle Ratajczak 4th
Quilting
Hanna Kleinschmidt Qualifier
Spinning
Gabrielle Ratajczak Reserve Champion
Weaving
Gabrielle Ratajczak 3rd
CAKE DECORATING
Elizabeth Wahl Qualifier
PHOTOGRAPHY
Samantha Ridings 10th
HORSELESS HORSE
Lauren LaGow Qualifier
PHOTOGRAPHY
Samantha Ridings 10th
SHOOTING SPORTS
Archery
Randy Sharp Qualifier
Gabrielle Ratajczak Qualifier
Shotgun
Steven Garcia 5th
.22
Shaylee Andreata Qualifier
Miscellaneous
Sofia Schneider Qualifier
STATE FASHION REVUE
Gabrielle Ratajczak Participation
