Pictured with Tom and Patty are daughter Jamie Fruge and significant other Matt Knollenberg, daughter and son-in-law Troy and Nicole Ramlow; daughter and son-in-law Danielle and Ismael Lora; grandchildren Paxton and Camila Lora; Max and Sydney Ramlow, and Ryan Fruge.

Two Logan County youth shine at the Illinois State Fair
Next stop: Austin, Minnesota

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[August 26, 2019]   LINCOLN - For the grandchildren of Tom and Patty Peifer, visiting grandpa and grandma is a daily opportunity from early spring until late summer, as the kids work to prepare their pigs for fair season. This year the work paid off in a very big way for two of the kids, Ryan Fruge and Sydney Ramlow.

After a really great Logan County Fair, the family moved on to Springfield with their prize winning swine entries, and after several days of showing came out with some really amazing accomplishments, including both will be taking animals to the National Barrow Show in Austin Minnesota later this fall.

The National Barrow Show is a prestigious event where some animals are hand-picked, and make their appearance by invitation only. Entries come from a number of states throughout the central United States. At the show, the National Barrow Show takes place and the animals entered are sold as breeding stock.

Sydney will have a barrow in the National Barrow parade.  At the National Barrow Show the Chester White Gilt was selected to be a part of Hog College.  She will be entered into the sale as breeding stock.

Ryan will feature a gilt in the parade. The gilt will also be offered for sale during the trip, and again is a hand selected female that will be sold for breeding.

Tom Peifer is a proud grandpa. He brings animals to his farm in rural Lincoln for the kids to work with and show during fair season. Peifer says that he purchases feeder pigs at about 40 pounds, and brings them into a 12-pen barn on his farm. Each animal gets its own pen and is fed a specialized ration just for it, to help produce the desired results in the show ring.

The young animals arrive at the Peifer Farm in late March to early April, and from that day forward the kids make daily trips to the farm to care for their animals and work on their showmanship skills.

The youngsters are expected to do the feeding and cleaning. They wash their pigs and also walk their pigs practicing their herding skills and allowing pig and trainer the opportunity to get to know one another and get comfortable together. Grandpa keeps an eye on the process, but says the kids do the work, as it is supposed to be.

After daily chores, each of the youngsters spend an average of 30 to 45 minutes outside in the open lot working with the animals. Peifer said there is a limit on the amount of time one should work a pig because they grow tired of their “practice” then they don’t do well.

After doing daily chores and training for approximately five months, the kids and pigs are ready for the Logan County Fair, and then the Illinois State Fair.


At the Logan County Fair.  Front: Paxton and Camila Lora and Max Ramlow, Back:  Sydney Ramlow and Ryan Fruge'.

 


At the Logan County Fair.  Front: Paxton and Camila Lora and Max Ramlow Back:  Sydney Ramlow and Ryan Fruge'.

Peifer noted that this year Ryan did very well at the LC fair, earning the Reserve Champion Gilt in the Open Show on Friday at the fair.

Sydney also did well in Logan County winning Champion and Reserve Champion in specific breeds of swine. Ryan and Sydney showed pigs in both 4-H and the Open Shows at the fair and took away many first place wins in the breed classes.

The Logan County Fair wrapped up on August 4th and on August 6th the Peifer family had relocated to Springfield. Tom Peifer said that the grandkids and his daughter stay on the State Fairgrounds throughout the week. Grandpa comes home every evening, but is back at the state fair the next day.

This year the kids participated in five days of shows. On Friday, August 9th, they did the Junior Gilt Show; on Saturday, it was the Junior Barrow Show. Sunday, August 11th, there was the Open Barrow Show; on Tuesday the 13th and Wednesday the 14th, there were Open Gilt Shows.

At the end of the five days of showing, Ryan and Sydney had an impressive list of accomplishments.

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Ryan with grandpa Tom

Ryan won the Champion Chester White in the Open Show.

 


Sydney with grandpa Tom

Sydney won the Premier Champion Barrow in the Junior show, the Champion Poland Barrow and the Senior Champion Spotted Poland China Gilt in the open shows at the state fair.


Sydney in the ring at the Illinois State Fair at the Coliseum.

Peifer said that for the kids, this state fair is quite an experience. He noted that his grandkids were in the ring with Claire and Ella Bobell, who went on to win top spots at the state fair. He said it is the way things go. There are a dozen or more really great kids with really good stock out in the arena, but at the end of the day there is only one winner. Peifer said that the lessons though don’t come from winning, they come from experiencing. He noted that his two grandkids are embarking on a journey this fall that very few get to take.

To be in the Hog College Parade, to sell their animals in Austin, that is so special and really speaks to the time and effort the kids put into raising good animals.

Ryan Fruge is the son of Jamie Fruge of Lincoln. He is 13 years old and will be attending eighth grade at Lincoln Junior High School. He plans to play baseball this year for LJHS. Mom, Jamie, is a school nurse for the District 27 schools.



Sydney Ramlow is the daughter of Troy and Nicole Ramlow. Troy works for an HVAC company in Peoria. Nicole works as a dental hygienist for Dr. Walker. Sydney is 12 years old and in the seventh grade at West Lincoln-Broadwell School. She is also on the WLB Girls Volleyball Team.

The Peifer's have three additional grandchildren that they are equally proud of, and who were at the county fair and state fair with the whole family cheering on their cousins as they showed their animals. Those three are Paxton and Camila Lora, and Max Ramlow. Paxton and Camila are the children of Ismael and Danielle Lora. All five spend time at the farm and help with animals, preparing for future years when they too will be out in the show ring, carrying on a family tradition.

The farm where the animals are grown was recognized at the state fair in 2018 as a farm owned by the same family for 150 years. Tom and Patty don’t raise livestock anymore, but they do farm about 1,000 acres. This is the place where they raised their kids and now the place where they are helping to teach their grandchildren the value of hard work, determination; and they are also bringing them back to their roots, perhaps preparing the next generation for the farm and the anticipated notation of 200 years of the farm being owned and managed by the same family.

Congratulations to Ryan and Sydney for their amazing accomplishments this year, and best of luck in the sale of your animals this fall at the National Barrow Show!

 

[Nila Smith with photos provided by the Peifer’s]

 

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