Danielle is a 12th
grade student of the Agricultural & Food Science Academy, she is an
honor roll student, AFSA ambassador, FFA member and 4-H member.
She has had
Nigerian Dwarf goats for three years and is a member of MDGA, AGS and
ADGA. She has competed in club goat shows, 4-H shows and the Goat
Quiz Bowl. Besides goats, Danielle has been very involved with her
horse, rabbit, and dog 4-H projects and has won many top honors.
Danielle has
worked in the "I Milked a Goat" booth" at the MN State Fair both last
year and this year. She looks forward to becoming more involved with
MDGA activities.
2009 Youth Coordinators:
Gillian Welch is 13 years old and has had goats for 10
years. She loves to help other people show their goats and help
others in anyway she can. She has worked for MDGA at the "I milked a
goat booth" ever since she was old enough to do so. Gillian enjoys
working with her goats and taking them to parades and shows.
Isabella Dougherty is 17
years old and has had goats for only 2 years but has always loved
them, spending hours petting goats at the zoo. She has 2 Nigerian
Dwarf goats. She belongs to the Isanti county 4-H program,
is Secretary of her club and was a County 4-H Ambassador.
Phillip Dougherty is 17
years old and helps his sister with her goats. He enjoys helping
others with showing and taking care of their animals at shows and
fairs.
2008 Outstanding
Youth - Lauren Schifsky
Lauren is 16 and will be a Junior this fall at AFSA (a charter school for agriculture, foods and science). Lauren’s
interest in goats started when she got 2 pygmy goats as her sixth birthday present. She was instantly “hooked”
on goats from that day on. She has had many breeds through the years, but fell in love with the Nigerians and built
her herd from her original first 4 Nigerians. The last ten years have been filled with
activities for Lauren including 4-H, the
Northland Pet Goat Club, MDGA, FFA, Saddle Club trail rides, county fairs and state fairs. Lauren also
wrote for the GGG when she was younger.
Fall will be busy as Lauren also owns “Doc”, her gaming horse, and will be competing in the Western Saddle Club
Champ show. Through many “goat friends” and their help, Lauren has enjoyed years of breeding
and raising her Nigerians. Last spring brought 35 new kids to her farm, and Lauren is already anticipating the 2009
breeding season.
2008 Outstanding
Youth Runner Up - Gretchen Beverly
Gretchen is the 3rd daughter of 4. Gretchen also goes to the AFSA charter school. She chose this school
because of the size and the fact they major in agriculture. Since starting high school she has been on the A and B
honor roll and excelled in many areas of agriculture. Gretchen has been working with animals since
she was 12
years old. She worked with a petting zoo for the last 5 years. The past year she has worked at Poplar Hill
Dairy by milking
goats. She helps teaching 1st graders at church and works in the nursery on Sundays. Gretchen is very
responsible and takes tasks very seriously. Wherever she goes, children are attracted to Gretchen and she always
takes good care of the kids.
Since Gretchen bought her first LaMancha, she has had many setbacks with her goats,
but she has continued
to chug along and take it in stride even after loosing her prize goat to liver flukes.
All you have to do is be around Gretchen for a short while and you will see the love she has for
goats and the compassion she has for everything God has put on the earth.
