Taylorsville Dairy Farmer Shares Her Love of 4-H

It’s not everyday that someone can call themselves a young author, but for Kelly Baird, a sophomore at Spencer County High School, she is just that. Baird has combined her love for writing short stories and her love for Jersey dairy cows to write a children’s book entitled “Jersey Girls, Greta and Glory Go to the Fair.” Ever since she was two years old, Baird has been attending the fair and living with her cows for a week while learning and experiencing the many parts of living on a farm. “If anybody asks her what her favorite holiday or time of the year is, she never hesitates to say the Kentucky State Fair.” comments her mother Sharon Baird.

As part of her FFA supervised agriculture experience, or SAE project, she wanted to advocate for the dairy industry and agriculture in a way that would encourage young people to get involved at an early age. When Baird was 11, she stared to show Jersey cows at competitions with 4-H, along with her brother Jack. Through her experiences, she was able to put together her book with a lot of time and dedication. “We started with the idea back in August of 2016, but just this past August, I actually began to write it and put it together,” said Baird. Finally, in late January of this year her book arrived and her dream became a reality. Since her book’s release, Baird has begun to share her experience with local students.“I have read my book to all the 2nd grade classrooms at Spencer County Elementary School with the hope that it will spark their interest before they can officially join 4-H.”

Baird found that many students were excited about the chance to show animals. “They asked many questions about showing animals in 4-H, which I hope encourages them to be a part of the agricultural experience in the future.” With many local libraries now having a copy of her book, there are plans to continue to spread the word about her book, including a public discussion at the Spencer County library, a date still to be determined. Of course, Baird does not have any plans of stopping with the release of her first book. She’s already planning her second, entitled “Down on the Farm” with hopes of someday adding stuffed cows to her adventures. For now, she hopes the local community will enjoy and embrace her book, especially the future farmers out there.

Currently the public can pick up their copy of Baird’s book at the Sassy Bunny on Main Street or at this year’s Kentucky State Fair.

By Bill Dunning, The Spencer Magnet

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