A tradition worth showing

BLOOMING PRAIRIE — Together, the Foster and Wellik families are focusing on raising children, caring for cattle, farming 30 acres and working full-time jobs off the farm, all while creating a legacy built around showmanship.

“We just try to keep our heads down,” Don Foster said. “(We) get up every day, take each day as a blessing and go from there.”

Now as a fifth-generation 4-H family, Jordon — or Don, as they call him so as not to confuse anyone  — and Jordyn, along with their three children, Payton, Parker and Paige, have their routines down pat, skills that shine and a work ethic that wins ribbons.

“The most rewarding part is knowing that our kids are growing up with a purpose,” Don said. “Children need hobbies (through which) they learn responsibility and dedication; … honestly, I wouldn’t raise them any other way.”

When the Foster children began in 4-H, they first showed boar goats. They bred registered nannies and bucks, and all three kids showed goats.

“The goats served as huge confidence builders,” Jordyn said. “Paige was a little spitfire out there, wrangling goats. I’ll never regret that experience. It helped the children grow.”

As the children gained confidence and experience, the Fosters sold the goats and began buying show steers. Triple P Show Stock was formed after the Fosters’ youngest child was born. Since then, the family has been showing cattle as often as they can. Payton took fifth overall in the market beef show last year at the Minnesota State Fair. The family is making Charolais known in southern Minnesota, where the breed is uncommon.

“When most people see white, they see a lot of work,” Jordyn said.  “Charolais’ white hair and pink hide do take the extra effort to keep them white; … nothing hides on them like it does on a Black Angus or Simmental.”

The Fosters recently relocated from Rose Creek to a combined property in Blooming Prairie with Jordyn’s parents, Brian and Linda Wellik, where they now have a bit more room for growth. The move also allowed the families to combine their herds of registered Charolais.

“It’s definitely been worthwhile having all the cows under one roof,” Jordyn said. “Before, if we wanted to breed or do anything, it was 45 minutes to my parents’ place and then spend all weekend there. This makes it a lot easier.”

Without the commute between the farms, routines and chores are much simpler. Payton handles the morning cattle chores, a major responsibility on the farm. Parker and Paige make sure their heifers are washed and that the dogs and cats are fed, Jordyn said. Jordyn is the family manager and bookkeeper She also works full time off the farm for Krueger Trucking Inc. Don’s role on the farm is equipment operator and hauler. Off the farm, he works full time for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Brian drives a feed truck for Ag Partners Coop full time, and Linda helps to manage the house and makes sure the kids are where they need to be with the family’s busy schedules.

While each of the children has different motivations as to why they like to show cattle, they have all enjoyed being involved in the North Star Point Series, they said. With shows to attend every other weekend, the families spend a lot of time together, and they have formed many bonds. The series began in 2020, and the Fosters have been showing within the circuit since early on. As a statewide, sanctioned youth-show series, the children can earn points for showing and doing well.

“When your kid can go out there and shine, … show that animal and their skills they’ve been working on all winter, that is what’s cool,” Jordyn said. “It’s not necessarily winning their breed but bringing it up to a showmanship level. That is what we tell our kids to be proud of.”

The Foster children make their show cattle selections around October, after they have been weaned. The animals are then moved into the show barn, where the children work with their animals all winter.

“We found out the more you work with them, the better behaved they are,” Don said. “They just become giant puppy dogs, and with kiddos as young as ours, the more we work with a 1,000-pound animal, the better. They become very docile.”

The children begin daily routines with their animals once the weather warms up. They practice catching them, and they wash and exercise them. April is typically when the Fosters take the animals out for their first show experience.

“The daily routines really help with the fair transition, too,” Jordyn said. “They don’t spook so easily, and they’re just much more adamant to maintain a routine if you already have that routine in place at home.”

Payton said she shows cattle because she is interested in the agriculture industry, whereas Parker tends to show for the winnings. Jordyn said Paige enjoys collecting banners, and since she is still young, they do not push her too hard.

Being new to Dodge County this year, Jordyn did not waste time rallying a few families together and forming the Westfield Warriors 4-H club. With 12 children signed up and Jordyn as their key leader, the club has begun planning its volunteer contribution at the county fair 4-H food stand later this summer. The club recently hosted a free-will donation dirty soda bar at the public library in Kasson. The proceeds went to benefit the community.

While growing up, Jordyn said she and her sisters showed as 4-H exhibitors at the Olmsted County Fair. Jordyn started in third grade with rabbits and progressed to horses and beef cattle. She waitressed throughout high school to save enough money and buy her own heifers.

It has been her own experiences and involvement in 4-H that have helped guide her family’s journey in many ways. Winning champion Charolais heifer in 2008 at the state fair after a defeat two years prior is a highlight that Jordyn remembers well.

“My greatest reward is watching the kids grow and knowing that we’re getting them started on a path to agriculture,” Jordyn said. “My oldest daughter, Payton, is already talking about going into animal nutrition. She is making connections within the ag world to help open up her future.”

The Fosters plan to show at multiple events this season. Paige has been working to show her fall calf, Jordyn said. Payton and Parker are hoping to earn a trip to the Minnesota State Fair, which will be a first for Parker. The Fosters compete in their breed as well as in the showmanship category. They will be in the ring 3-4 times, depending on how well they do. Some shows select the top five winners while others select the top two. The Mower County Fair’s open beef show is also on the children’s agenda this summer. Fair season is a reason to celebrate all the children’s hard work and often serves as an earned vacation.

“By the time we get to the fair, it is Mom and Dad’s turn for chores,” Jordyn said. “The kids are usually off in the pig barn or the goat barn or helping another 4-H’er with their chickens. …  It’s usually Mom and Dad’s time to shine by that point.”

Don said that, growing up on a 200-acre hay farm, he knew of agriculture, but the 4-H world was not something he experienced. Jordyn and her parents saw the impact of the agriculture industry in another light by pursuing multiple opportunities presented to them. By supplying heifers to other local 4-H families and prioritizing a multi-generational farm to pass down to their children, the Fosters and the Welliks are building a legacy of their own together.

“We didn’t have that passed down to us, so we are trying to start that for our own kids,” Jordyn said. “Being able to walk out the front door and see the pasture full of white cows is definitely something to be grateful for.”