Young Animal Handlers Take Center Stage at Powisset Farm's Annual 4-H Show

Left Photo: Jacob Pastore of Medfield with pig, Ivy

Center Photo: Powisset Farm 4-H Members in goat pen

Right Photo: Amaia Sierra-Willems of Dover with lamb, Daikon


Dover, MA (9/20/2026) — Powisset Farm in Dover, MA hosted the annual Powisset 4-H Club Animal Show on September 20. The livestock show is an opportunity to highlight the Club members’ hard work and dedication to animal care over the last five months. Powisset Farm welcomed family members and spectators to watch the poster presentations and animal skills demonstrations by six club members, each of whom worked with one barnyard animal.

“We are proud to continue the tradition of hosting an animal show at Powisset Farm,” said 4-H Director and Trustees Youth Programs Manager Nina Sacco. “The 4-H show gives our members the spotlight to present the bond they’ve formed with our barnyard animals and the training they’ve accomplished through this handler-animal connection.”

Club member Amaia Sierra-Willems of Dover trained her lamb, Daikon, to complete a cone obstacle course with just one month of intense training. Her commitment to working with and connecting with Daikon was undeniable as visitors watched the lamb enthusiastically complete the course in response to Amaia’s prompts.

Members could choose to work with Powisset Farm’s lambs, goats, hens, or pigs. Animals were trained to walk through cone courses and hoops, walk across tarps and wooden boards, and climb wooden platforms. At a young age, members take on the responsibility of maintaining a safe barnyard for the animals, themselves, and other clubmates. This hands-on animal interaction highlights the “5-Cs” of 4-H to build competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring.

The Powisset Farm 4-H Club is welcoming new member applications for another exciting year of hands-on adventures! Open to middle and high school students, the Powisset 4-H Club meets twice a month, year-round, giving teens the chance to experience every season on the Trustees-owned historic farm.

For more information or to apply to join the Club, please contact Nina Sacco, 4-H Club Leader, at nsacco@trustees.org.

More about the Trustees

Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for more than 125 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both historic and cultural value, The Trustees is the nation’s first preservation and conservation organization, and its landscapes and landmarks continue to inspire discussion, innovation, and action today as they did in the past. We are a nonprofit supported by members, friends, and donors and our 120 sites are destinations for residents, members, and visitors alike, welcoming millions of guests annually. www.thetrustees.org.

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