Carson Andrews brought more than a dozen rabbits to this year’s Monroe County Fair. Andrews, a sophomore at Bloomington South High School, raises and shows rabbits at 4-H shows like the one held at the fair.
Andrews began showing rabbits when he was about six years old and sticks with it because he enjoys developing bonds with the animals he raises.
He also enjoys winning. Andrews raised the grand champion rabbit of the 2025 fair, a mini rex named Gloria.
Carson’s mother, Jennifer, is a second-generation 4-H leader. Her mother had been a 4-H leader as well, and Jennifer showed horses when she was younger.
4-H is a nationwide youth-development organization often associated with raising farm animals, though children can participate in activities like sewing and computer art.
Jennifer described 4-H as an experiential learning process.
“What the kids do is, they get a rabbit at the beginning of the summer,” Jennifer said. “And they have to take care of it. They're learning about taking care of it, feeding it, conditioning it, and getting it ready to show.”
On Tuesday, Andrews sold one of his rabbits at the small animal auction held at the county fair. Hollis Selo, also a sophomore at Bloomington South, sold an animal of her own — a buff laced Polish chicken.
During the bidding process, Selo stood on stage, showing off the fluffy-headed bird while an auctioneer speed-announced the rising bids. The chicken sold for $180.
“Basically, you just hold them up, turn them side to side, show them your best and you make them all pretty beforehand, of course,” Selo said.
Animals bought at the Monroe County Fair 4-H auction have various fates. Some are returned to the 4-Her, some go home with the buyer as pets or egg-layers and others are processed for meat.
Clint Deck, a 4-H educator from Purdue Extension, described the small animal auction as an opportunity to gain a pet and support the youth. 4H-ers can use the proceeds from their sales to reinvest in raising more animals.
“People love to buy egg layers because they know that they can take those chickens home and continue fetching eggs from those chickens,” Deck said. “People love to buy some of your fluffiest, floppy-eared rabbits because they can take those home and use them as pets.”
Deck described the goal of 4-H programs as a way to give participants real-world experience and develop resilience.
“Being able to sell an animal that you have raised is a very adult-like experience,” Deck said. “It teaches responsibility, entrepreneurship and ultimately creates resiliency and confidence that makes youth realize they can go and do this thing as a business in the real world or do something similar.”
Jennifer said 4-H is an opportunity for children to connect with each other, even if they don’t have animals of their own.
“People can sometimes think it's just livestock and it's not,” Jennifer said. “We have electronics, you have rockets, computer artwork.”
Deck called the small animal auction an important counterpart to the static displays — any of the exhibits in the 4-H building — and the livestock auction that occurred Saturday. He described it as a culminating experience for 4-Hers, who not only care for the animals but also invite prospective buyers and network with businesses.
“Everything about the county fair is showing off all the hard work we've done,” Deck said.
