Fairfield High School - Quill Yearbook (Fairfield, IA)

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JEFFERSON COUNTY AG SHOW From the excitement of the opening day of the Ag Show to the joy felt at being chosen to represent the county at the State Fair, it is apparent that 4-H is more than just winning a ribbon. It is a lasting fellowship with opportunities for innu- merable personal achievements. Sweat, oil, and a sore back. These things are all synonomous with shearing sheep. Mark Goehring has been shearing sheep for less than a year, but he is very experienced. The most sheep Mark has ever sheared at one time was 35. Mark first became interested in shearing sheep due to the shortage of shearers in this area. There are only two, and one of them is not doing much work due to poor health. Fie has forty-eight head of sheep himself, so Mark decided to take a class at the Hawkeye Institute. The session lasted three days, and he plans to attend it again. Mark has purchased all the necessary equipment and is very enthusi- astic about shearing. When asked how he felt about shearing sheep, Mark said, You have to be in good health. It's hard work, but I like it. The young farmer recommends a definite liking for the animals if one wants to shear. Mark has always enjoyed sheep. He has shown his sheep many places, travelling to anywhere from the Jefferson County Ag-Show to Louisville, Kentucky. Every year he places a little more consistently at the top, striving for his goal to place higher and higher. Mark has found sheep to be a very profitable venture. In addition to shearing, he started last summer to buy the wool he has sheared and sell it to a dealer. Mark also raises purebred Sufflock and sells them for breeding purposes. He tries to raise better quality stock each year. Mark is a senior this year and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Goehring, R.R.4, Fairfield. He hopes to go to Iowa State University and eventually become a veterinarian. His background of working with animals will certainly be helpful in such a profession. Mark's job is an unusual one, but it must be very dear to him, for he doesn't seem to mind the sweat, oil or sore back that go with it. Your adorable horse is called overweight by a less than sensitive judge; your sheep gets away from you in front of 200 people; your cow kicks a spectator; or your market litter of pigs decides to pick a fight among themselves as they are about to be judged. As a 4-H member who has ever participat- ed in the Jefferson County Junior Ag Show, you are apt to be able to place yourself in any of these embarrassing moments. A senior 4-H member has often spent as many as nine years improving such skills as grooming animals, sewing a prom dress, cooking pretzels, refinishing an antique bench from Grandma's attic, or dabbling in macrame or sand art. What- ever the project, the hours spent planning, developing, fin- ishing, and showing are bound to bring about feelings of accomplishment. 15

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JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST 752 W m oAV «VA )V VMMl vv v«v r V 7o; 1. Pedal Power is the name of the game during the 7th Annual bike ride across Iowa (Ragbrai). 2. Larry Sheffler spends some time soaking in the sun. 3. Making a big splash, Laura Allen takes some time out at the swimming pool. 4. Kurt Edeker takes time-out to enjoy the sun and water. 5. Taking a swing, Gary Higgins spends a summer afternoon on the tennis courts. The three short months between the final class dismissed in June and the first Good morning class in August are a time of fun and relaxation. Summer is not only a time for enjoyment, however, but also a learning experience for many youth. The ag show, sports, and maybe a new summer job are unique experiences looked forward to when June draws nearer. Last summer was highlighted by the arrival of the RAGBRAI VII riders who were directed into an excited Fair- field for an overnight stay as part of their route. Summer also provides a time for families to travel and relax with distant friends and relatives. The summer months also give the faculty and staff of FHS a chance to relax or maybe further their education. With all these activities going on in the summer, it's no wonder people only grudgingly return in September. The meaning of the phrase, RAGBRAI, was made crystal clear to Fairfielders when the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa decended upon them on August 3. This huge conglomeration of bicycle riders, driver, and support and repair van operators are all part of the largest amateur sporting event in the world. The assemblage steadily makes the weeklong trek across Iowa, advancing through both quiet farming communities and bustling cities, while infecting everyone along the route with their spirit and exuberance. 1979 was no exception. For RAGBAI VII, Fairfield had been designated as one of the overnight stops. The first members of the pedal-driven entourage began streaming into town on the morning of August 3, with the last of the riders arriving well after dark. As the riders coasted toa stop, hundredsand hundreds of birghtly colored tents began popping up, eventually forming what appeared to be a vast sea of nylon fabric and rope. The designated camping areas included Chatauqua park, the FHS campus, and the grounds at the junior high. Arriving cyclists were greeted by various groups in the community who pitched in to provide food, drink and entertainment for the riders. The variety of people who participated on the ride was truly amazing. The ranks of cyclists included all kinds of people, from the lean, powerful racers, to the grandfathers with a thick white beard, to the father pulling his small children across the state in a buggy attached to his bicycle. Within this large group, one finds a different motivation for each rider but satisfaction is derived by all who make the journey. Many people in Fairfield and the rest of the state must have wondered what could possibly motivate these masochists to labor up, down, across Iowa on a bicycle. Ridiculous, you might say, No possible reason to do such a thing. Where else can you form a kind of brotherhood with thousands of other humans? How else can you travel silently alongside forests and fields, and taste the morning air, and exchange greetings with previous strangers? How else can you really get a sense of the people and places of the great state of Iowa RAGBAI?