BELOIT — This year’s Canfield Fair will offer a chance for 4-Her Larissa Fano to defend her championship from 2019 in the Feeder Beef class while improving her placement in Market Hogs.

Larissa, 11, daughter of Brian and Laura Spencer and Jason Fano, is looking forward to a return trip to the fair this year with her animal projects. She is a fifth-grade student at Marlington Middle School and has earned several ribbons at past Canfield Fairs.

“In 2018, she won junior showmanship for beef feeder and took reserve champion beef feeder,” her mom, Laura Spencer, said. “In 2019, she won grand champion with her beef heifer feeder, first in class with her beef feeder, and for her first year in hogs she took fifth in showmanship and fourth in class.”

Larissa is in her third year of 4-H and her second year as a member of Next Generation 4-H Club. She has a love for animals, but is learning the lessons of farming as she progresses each year. During the fair, the project animals that Larissa has as 4-H projects are often sold during an auction in the Junior Fair arena. Larissa is learning how tough it can be.

“She knows that’s the end result,” Spencer said. “We raise beef on our farm so she is used to them leaving our farm.”

While the animals are progressing on the farm, Larissa must take care of them daily by feeding them, keeping their pens cleaned and keeping detailed records regarding each animal’s feeding.

While the COVID-19 directives have not permitted 4-H meetings in person, Larissa has been able to communicate through Zoom with her friends and advisers.

“She’s fortunate to have her stepfather as an adviser and multiple Zoom meetings with her 4-H club,” Laura Spencer said.

The only drawback of the pandemic has been in doing community projects. Larissa has not been able to take part in that aspect of 4-H at this time, but she still is learning life skills in Next Generation 4-H.

“She has learned responsibility and having interaction with adults, along with speaking in front of others,” Laura Spencer said.

jtwhitehouse@tribtoday.com