Since Jazzmyne was a young girl, local 4-H has been a large part of her life and helped mold her into the responsible teen she is today, her mother Jean Kowalski says.

Jazzmyne began participating in 4-H when she was only four years old, by helping to raise show and market animals for the Alpena County Fair. Now 13 years old, she raises several different kinds of farm animals year-round and she credits 4-H for helping her grow as a person.

Since last year’s fair, Jazzmyne has been busy raising sheep, goats, and quail for this summer’s county fair. She works many hours making sure the diets for the animals are ideal, feeding and watering them, grooming them, and working with them for the presentation in front of the judges.

She said the thing she loves most about 4-H is that it allows her to learn more about and grow relationships with the animals that she loves.

Courtesy Photo Jazzmyne Kowalski fills a bucket with water while doing her chores last week. She works many hours year-long to get the animals fit and healthy for the Alpena County Fair.

“I love bonding with my animals and I get to meet friends in 4-H,” she said. “It is hard work, but it pays off in many ways. I feel you learn a lot in 4-H and raising the animals helps make you more responsible, mature, and motivated.”

Jean Kowalski said the family has been in 4-H for 25 years and she has witnessed the benefits the program has had on all of her children. She said the traits instilled in her kids from 4-H have, and will, help them prosper into adulthood.

“It is a job,” she said. “It teaches them responsibility, how to present themselves in a respectful way, how to speak in public, the value of hard work, and how to multitask. It is a lot for them to do, but it is very rewarding for them too.”

Jazzmyne said that raising and building a relationship with goats is her favorite type of animal she has worked with so far. She said they are smart, affectionate, and funny.

“They have a ton of personality and I love them,” she said.

Courtesy Photo Jazzmyne Kowalski holds onto one of the quail she is raising which will be featured during the upcoming Alpena County Fair. This is the first time she has raised the small birds.

Jazzmyne raises both show animals, which are judged and often are pets at home, and market animals that are sold. She said at times it is hard to let an animal go after spending countless hours caring for it and building a relationship with it. As she gets older though, and has been through the sale of many animals, letting go of them isn’t as painful as it was when she was younger.

“You kind of get used to it,” she said.

Although marriage and having children are still years down the road, Jazzmyne said she will encourage her children to get involved with 4-H, so they can reap the same rewards of the program as she has.

“It is just an amazing experience and I think it would be good for any kid,” she said.

Courtesy Photo Penned-up goats wait for Jazzmyne Kowalski to attend to them and give them some affection. She said she loves goats because they have large personalities.

Courtesy Photo Jazzmyne Kowalski shows off an award she won for a goat she raised. She is 13 years old now and has been a member of 4-H since she was 4 years old.

Courtesy Photo A young Jazzmyne Kowalski shows a goat to judges when she was a little girl. She said her experience with 4-H and raising the farm animals has led to her being more responsible and becoming a hard worker.