Age: 11
Hometown: Pomona, Mo.
Parents: Michelle and Jamie Kurtz
Siblings: Ian (15) and Aida (1)
4-H Club: Rockin Ranchers
Club Leader: Michelle Kurtz
Involvement in agriculture?
“We make special tags for the cows with our initials, so my brother and I know which cows are ours. My first cow is Louise and her tag is K1 (K for Kelby). Then I have Thelma and she’s K2.
“We feed the cows dry hay and silage in the winter and we give them some grains for a little treat.
“In the summer we build polywire fences with reels and hook it on the electric fence. When the cows get zapped they know not to push through the fence. It has a little sting to it. We have plastic posts that we push in the ground. We strip graze. We give them small strips at a time. Once they eat all that, we move the fence to where they have more grass.
“We fix the broken water tanks ourselves. They have a little float and if the cows push down on it, it gives them a little water. Sometimes the tanks bust in the winter from the ice.”
What is your favorite part of living on a farm?
“Getting to watch the cows grow. It’s rewarding to watch them have calves and be protective of them. The steers like to charge at each other and hit their heads; it’s pretty funny.”
What are your future plans?
“I want to go to college, for sure. I want to study biology. I want to get a good job to pay for my house and truck.”
What is the best advice about agriculture you have received?
Kelby’s father and brother advised: “When you’re scared, the cows know that. They run at you sometimes and it can make you feel small and look small in their eyes. Don’t be scared around them.”
Awards: Grand Champion for bucket calf showing in West Plains at Heart of the Ozarks Fair and Reserve Grand Champion in Doniphan at the Ripley County Fair.
