Dakota Electric’s support of local 4-H members is about more than the animals in the show ring. It’s an investment in young people, the skills they’re building, and the communities they’ll help shape.
Behind every trip to the show ring are months of feeding, training, patience, and plenty of time in the barn.
Each year, Dakota Electric supports local youth through the Dakota County Fair 4-H livestock auction. This year, the cooperative supported five 4-H participants: Bryn Hallcock, Isaac Korver, Keira Luebeck, Morgan Wagner, and Reagan Dee.
For Morgan Wagner, preparing for the fair can mean spending four hours a day in the barn. The Vermillion sophomore has been involved in 4-H for 11 years and showed her goat, Hannah Montana, this year.
“My goat is really good at using her horns, so she has got me many times with them,” Morgan shared.
Beyond learning to watch out for horns, Morgan said 4-H has taught her leadership and how to work with anyone in any situation.
Reagan Dee knows plenty about hard work, too. Preparing her market lamb, Tank, involves halter breaking, brace training, walking, and wrapping legs several times a week.
The experience has taught Reagan responsibility and work ethic, while Tank has taught her that sheep can, in fact, get jealous. When Reagan works with others, Tank has been known to jump in her pen and stick her head through the gate.
For Bryn Hallcock, preparing a dairy steer means putting in work every day, but one of the biggest lessons from four years in 4-H goes well beyond the fair — “You never lose. Either you win or you learn.”
Isaac Korver showed pigeons, chickens, and guinea fowl this year. Through seven years in 4-H, he has developed leadership and public speaking skills while learning plenty about poultry, including that guinea hens can run up to 20 miles per hour and are easier to catch at night.
While ribbons often capture the spotlight, it is the responsibility, resilience, confidence, and lifelong friendships forged through 4-H that become the true rewards, lasting long after the fairgrounds are quiet.
2026 Auction Participants Supported by Dakota Electric
Isaac Korver
Bryn Hallcock
Morgan Wagner
Keira Luebeck
Reagan Dee
Lessons That Last: From 4-H to Dakota Electric
For several Dakota Electric employees, the lessons of 4-H are familiar ones, with skills, friendships, and memories that have lasted well beyond the fair.
Bekka N., Plant Accountant
For Bekka, summers meant preparing dairy cattle alongside her older siblings. It wasn’t about ribbons or trips to the State Fair, but the time spent training and bonding with the animals. One lesson in particular has stuck with her: Always watch out for the feet.
Cindi H., Utility Services Scheduler
Cindi remembers the skills she gained, the lifelong friendships she made, and the opportunities 4-H gave her to be involved in her community.
Dana S., Administrative Assistant
For Dana, 4-H meant participating in Arts-In, where theater, music, and production helped build teamwork, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, along with friendships that have lasted into adulthood.
Dave R. Energy & Member Services Manager
Dave credits 4-H with teaching him accountability, responsibility, and teamwork, values he continues to carry into his career and community today.
Different projects. Different generations. Same lasting impact.
Dakota Electric’s continued support of 4-H is an investment in those experiences and in the young people who will carry them forward. Because long after the fair is over, what they’ve learned goes with them.
