Second generation 4-H'ers prepare for fair

(Sentinel photo by Kelsie Anthony) Abby and Adam Sitzmann, children of Bill and Val Sitzmann, show off the work they have been preparing for the fair. Abby is wearing an outfit she has made and Adam is wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes Apron he has sewn himself. The two also hold photographs they have taken that will showcase at the fair. [Click to enlarge]

The smell of freshly baked sugar cookies fills the Sitzmann home northwest of Kingsley.

All sorts of 4-H projects are scattered throughout the rooms of the house in preparation for the Plymouth County Fair.

Adam and Abby Sitzmann, ages 13 and 11, have been members of the Kingsley Krowners 4-H Club since they were old enough to join at age 9.

Each year, the children of Bill and Val Sitzmann, spend much of their free time preparing for the fair.

Adam does 4-H projects in the camping, construction, clothing, photography, baking, sewing, visual arts and home improvement classes for exhibits.

His favorite project to work on is photography.

"I just like taking pictures," Adam said.

Abby enjoys baking, sewing, photography, home improvement, visual arts, education presentation and child development 4-H projects.

Abby said her favorite projects include child development.

This year, Abby's child development project involved creating a story time.

Along with friends Anna Schmid and Rachel Mercer, she prepared a story time for eight children at the Pierson Library.

The girls read the book "Rosie's Walk" to the children. Along with the story, they set up scenes from the story and took a walk through different things, just like Rosie the hen did in the story.

"I really like the child development project because I like teaching kids," Abby said.

Adam and Abby also enjoy baking for fair contests.

This year, Abby is baking sugar cookies.

The recipe is actually her aunt's, who died in 1996. Abby found her aunt's recipe in the 4-H cookbook when she was searching for a cookie recipe. She thought making those sugar cookie for the fair would be a good way to keep honor her aunt's memory.

Adam is also a baker. Two years ago, he took a blueberry muffin recipe to the fair and won grand champion. He then went on to the Iowa State Fair to win a blue ribbon.

The blue ribbon was unexpected, Adam said, but he was very excited.

Val was also in 4-H when she was growing up. She was a member of the Kingsley Krowners, the same club her kids are involved in now.

"I had such a good experience in 4-H and I wanted my kids to have that too," Val said.

She was involved in projects including photography, home improvement and showing animals.

Now Val can still be involved in the 4-H organization. Along with her husband she helps Abby and Adam with their 4-H projects.

THe children's grandmother also helps them with sewing projects.

The family enjoys their time with 4-H and the fair, they said.

During the fair, Val said that the family is at the fair grounds five to 10 hours a day.

"With 4-H we get to go to the fair every day and we get to do a lot of different things while we're their," Abby said.

The Sitzmann's help with 4-H and volunteer their time preparing the fairgrounds for fair week.

"It's amazing how much volunteer work and preparation goes into getting the fairgrounds ready," Val said.

And without that, she said the Plymouth County Fair and the 4-H program would not be what they are today.