Seward County fairgrounds tribute honors 4-H, FFA

SEWARD, Neb. (KOLN) - An exhibit at the Seward County Fairgrounds pays tribute to local 4-H and FFA members, featuring life-size sculptures of animals used at the fair and funded entirely through private donations and volunteer efforts.

Ken Schmieding, a former 4-H member and one of the people who helped build the display, said the project was driven by a desire to give back to the youth programs that shaped him.

“I was originally a 4-H’er and a member of the club here in Seward,” Schmieding said. “In my early days, I showed cattle, I showed hogs, entered the state fair and did that. So I was thinking, I’d like to do something back for the 4-H’ers and the FFA kids.”

The display features life-size sculptures of a hog, horses, cows and sheep — animals commonly shown at the county fair. A figure of a youth leader stands in the center of the exhibit as part of an educational component, Schmieding said.

A sign above the display serves as a tribute to all 4-H and FFA participants. The local University of Nebraska Extension Club assisted with the project, along with numerous community volunteers and financial contributors.

Schmieding said no government or county funds were used. All costs — including cement work — were covered by the project committee and private donors.

“Every dime went into this project that donators gave,” Schmieding said. “All the free help and the cement work was all paid for by our committee.”

Schmieding said the display holds personal meaning for him.

“I can look at the display of the hog and the person showing it, and it kind of represents me when I was a teenager,” he said. “It’s nice to come down to the park and see that display and kind of put myself in that spot.”

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