It should come as no surprise that Courtney Shalla reaped a bushel of swine awards at the 2009 Washington County Fair, even though she is only 13. Her father Doug, brother Nic and grandfather Wayne Shalla farm 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans and market approximately 18,000 hogs a year on their Riverside farms. The feeder pigs for Shalla operation come from a 3,200-sow unit built 10 years ago in partnership with three others. It is located by Lone Tree.
Courtney ended the fair by taking Champion Production Barrow, Reserve Champion Production Barrow, Champion and Reserve Champion Carcass and Reserve Champion Home Raised in the swine show, as well as Reserve Champion Market Heifer in Beef Show.
Entering three hogs and two steers is no easy chore. Courtney, who has been showing at the fair for four years, says she spends about 15 hours a week working with her animals. Ask any 4-H member who then has to watch his or her animals be auctioned on the last day of fair and they'll tell you it can be a very emotional separation. Courtney said she cried after her first fair -then added that she still does. She admitted that between hogs and steers, it is easier to bond with her cattle because they have more personality.
Courtney plans to attend college and major in education, saying at this time she'd prefer to teach second grade. She added that she would also like to remain living on a farm. Courtney, her father and mother Connie currently live in Kalona after her brother Nic moved into the family farm house in rural Riverside. Brother Jason also lives on one of the Shalla farms, but owns his own concrete business.
Sister Stefaney is currently a University of Northern Iowa student majoring in real estate.
Doug said he and his daughter pick out her 4-H projects together. They usually get their swine entries from their own hog herd, but this year they purchased their pigs from Joe Steffensmeier of West Point. The steers are purchased each year from Gerdes Show Cattle, owned by Eric Gerdes in Lee County.
All of the Shalla children have been in 4-H and when asked the unfair question of who showed the most winners, Doug diplomatically answered that all four were good at it. He did have good words for 4-H, saying it offered good experiences for his kids and taught responsibility.