Brothers have unique approach to 4-H entries

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Ben Rodgers / The Sun Dakota Wagner, left, stands with his brother, Dustin Wagner, Wednesday at the Stutsman County Fairgrounds. Dakota is holding his blue-ribbon winning Walla Walla garlic and Dustin is holding his blue-ribbon winning model of the moon.

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Each year there are hundreds of 4-H exhibits at the Stutsman County Fair ranging from livestock to woodworking but two children have a different approach.

While most children stick to traditional 4-H exhibits like clothing and food, Dustin and Dakota Wagner of Pingree tend to focus their exhibits more on the educational process, said Deb Hatlewick, Stutsman County 4-H coordinator. That leads to more creative and unusual exhibits, she said.

One of those exhibits is a stop-motion animation video that 11-year-old Dakota made using 500 still photos and a computer program.

Dakota created the Spiderman stop-motion animation film using Lego bricks and set the scene to music, over the course of a day, he said.

Working on computers is one of his hobbies; Dakota also creates games, artwork and edits video using a computer program, he said.

For an unrelated competition Dustin shot a video on the farm of the animals and set it to music.

He also posts his finished movies at www.youtube.com, under the username bobbomb64, he said.

“For somebody that age able to do that kind of work is pretty amazing,” Hatlewick said

He also made a volcano for the fair and filmed the eruption knowing he couldn’t conduct the experiment at the fairgrounds. For theatrical effect Dakota added “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” the opening theme from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and timed it to the eruption, said Lisa Wagner, the boys’ mother.

With his interest in computers Dakota one day wants to work in a computer-related field, he said.

“It’s just really fun to make projects,” he said.

His other 4-H entries include a display board on Brazil, Walla Walla garlic, fresh farm eggs and showing the family’s 13-week-old Great Pyrenees puppy, George.

Nine-year-old Dustin also had six static exhibits at the Stutsman County Fair. His favorite project is his guinea hen, he said.

Normally guinea hen eggs hatch in 28 days. Dustin’s bird was an exception and hatched in 26, he said. Born on Aug. 8, 2008, the start of the Beijing Olympics, Dustin’s hen is named Miss Phelps after his favorite Olympian, Michael Phelps, the swimmer who won 8 gold medals, he said.

Normally an ornery bird, Dustin’s guinea hen is quite tame because of the attention he gives her, he said.

“Ever since we hatched her we knew she was special so we held her,” Dustin said.

Dustin has spent three hours a day with Miss Phelps since she hatched, Lisa said.

With Dustin’s interest in animals, he one day hopes to raise them, or else become a race car driver, he said.

Some of his other projects include a display board on Israel, a display board on caring for his pet rabbit named Penguin, a model of the moon and fresh leghorn eggs.

Lisa said 4-H is great because whatever a child’s interest 4-H has a category for them to enter an exhibit.

Dustin said he enjoys three things about 4-H, spending time with other children, helping the community and being informed.

That hard work paid off this year with three reserved champion ribbons and seven blue ribbons between them with two exhibits still to be shown.

“It takes a lot of hard work and stuff to make all the projects but it’s worth it,” Dustin said.

Both brothers work hard on their exhibits throughout the year, they said.

They have already hatched next year’s project, a guinea hen for Dakota and a duck for Dustin, Dakota said.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, stutsman county, news, fair, 4h, wagner