MORGAN COUNTY FAIR — Jimmy the half-blind sheep leaps into the air at the sight of his feed, his hooves catching — such that hooves can catch — onto the bars of his pen to lift him toward the extended hand of his shepherd.
Jimmy laps his grub right out of the palm of Chloe Towell, who never fails to giggle at Jimmy’s eagerness. He is one of several sheep Towell is showing this year at the Morgan County Fair, joined by pen pals Willy, Whitney, McLovin and more.
Towell, this year’s Morgan County Fair Queen first runner-up and the defending Sheep Showman Grand Champion, is a 10-year 4-H member, and she and her four sisters come from a long line of 4-Hers. Towell’s mother was a 4-H member, her mother’s mother was a 4-Her, and so on for five or six generations of clearer thinking, greater loyalty, larger service and better living.
The 4-H pledge isn’t just empty words, as Towell can attest. She cites the program for helping her develop strong leadership and communication skills, as well as teaching her things many other students will never learn. She and her sisters joined the program at the behest of their mother, who personally knew what 4-H could offer to her kids.
“My sisters and I were born into 4-H,” Towell said. “Mom wanted us to do something worthwhile.”
That’s a bit of an understatement. In addition to raising her flock, Towell has participated in shooting sports, cake decorating, photography and communications, all through 4-H. The program has made her a well-rounded individual at a young age, earning her the 4-H Leadership Award as well as Congressional recognition from U.S. Rep. Jim Baird.
“So many kids just want to stay on their phones all day,” Towell says, still feeding Jimmy. “Meanwhile, I’m out in the barn.”
Inheritance
Towell’s mom passed away in 2021, after which she and her sisters were adopted by her grandparents. Towell does not dwell on the tragedy in her conversation with The Correspondent, but it’s clear that her family is extremely important to her.
She calls her oldest sister — a 10-year 4-Her like her — her “biggest role model,” and now that she’s graduated high school, she plans to attend cosmetic school so she can eventually take over her grandma’s hairstyling business.
“She’s always said that one of us is eventually gonna have to take over for her,” Towell said. “She’s the only one I let cut my hair.”
The hair salon will be one of many gifts Towell has inherited from her family. Each and every day for Towell has already been shaped by her other inheritance — 4-H.
In addition to her schooling and odd jobs like nannying, Towell typically spends six hours a day in the barn tending to her sheep.
A few of those hours are spent early in the morning, when most people her age are sleeping in on their summer breaks. Towell is up early walking with the sheep, training them and just simply bonding with them.
Bri Towell, Chloe’s aunt (and former 4-H member), says taking care of pets like dogs takes a “teenager level of commitment.” Sheep are a much different story.
“Raising sheep is like having two or three newborn babies at the same time,” Bri said. “It definitely can be challenging.”
Bri jokes that being a part of 4-H was a “mixture of regret and pure joy.”
“When it’s 3 a.m. and a bottle lamb is trying to pass out on you, it’s not super fun,” Bri said. “But it’s all worth it when you’re standing in that champion ring.”
Towell concurs; she talks about the time three sheep escaped and ran all over Morgan County, and the hassle of keeping the sheep safe during severe weather.
But when half-blind Jimmy leaps up onto his hind legs for his lunch, Towell remembers why she does it, and feels lucky about what her family has given her.
For everyone
Towell realizes that not every young person shares her desire to raise sheep and other animals. She thinks parents should consider 4-H for their kids anyway.
“4-H has a wide variety of programs,” Towell said. “It’s not just animals, it’s things like computer science, for example. 4-H is for everyone.”
Towell’s right; in addition to animals and agriculture, the program offers projects in STEM, civic engagement, healthy living and more.
Towell’s life would be unrecognizable without 4-H, so great has its impact been. And even though she’s graduating out of the program, she still plans to give her time to it by continuing to help with the sheep club.
It’s clear that Towell’s mother’s wish that her kids do “something worthwhile” has been fulfilled. And there’s no doubt that the family’s 4-H legacy will continue to be passed down to the next generation, each with their own sheep to shepherd.
Maybe most kids will still spend their summers watching AI videos on their phones; the Towells, meanwhile, will be out in the barn.
