HANCOCK COUNTY — Getting to play in the hay, explore the barn and touch the animals on the family farm has been an ideal learning opportunity for the Meckel family as they acclimate their daughter, Emery, to livestock.
Like all parents, Emily and Justin Meckel want to see their daughter, who was born with Down syndrome and schizencephaly, flourish through opportunities. That includes taking part in all sorts of childhood activities, such as learning how to care for farm animals like many children do who are part of the Hancock County 4-H Fair.
This year, Emily is working with the Hancock County 4-H Agriculture Association to create an interactive livestock experience for her daughter and other challenged children so they too can have a special day with animals during the county fair. The program is called Hancock County Poss-ABILITIES and is open to any county individual, ages 3 to 25, who has an intellectual, emotional of physical disability, but also has an interest in learning about livestock animals.
“It kind of came together this past Christmas for me to make a pitch to the County Ag. Association,” Emily said. “We wanted a program where Emery and kids like Emery could participate in because we want that inclusion.”
Emily found out about Poss-ABILITIES from another county in 2021 and started making plans to create a program involving farm animals and children with challenges for local families. Emily noted nearly 13% of children enrolled in a Hancock County school would qualify to be a part of a local Poss-ABILITIES program.
Participants will take part in non-competitive farm animal activities and will be matched with an experienced 4-H member (a volunteer mentor) who they will do three farm visits with. The experience will lead up to a non-competitive showcase slated for 11 a.m. Thursday, June 29 at the Hancock County 4-H Fair.
“It will be in the main show arena and it will be about an hour long, but the kids and the animals are not judged,” Emily said. “This is all for fun.”
On the day of the showcase, the participant will work with their mentor to help get the animal ready for what Emily hopes will be a good experience for everyone taking part.
“The mentor and the participant will go in the arena together and show the animal together,” Emily said. “They get to be a part of an event.”
The program will hinge on the mentors who will be 4-H participants who already have an animal, but also have a heart for including kids in the Poss-ABILITIES program.
Eastern Hancock students, fifth-grader Jase Mattox and his brother seventh-grader Noah Mattox, are both going to be mentors. They have a cousin with autism who will be a participant. Jase took his cousin to the Meckel farm recently for a visit to see how he interacted with the animals.
“It was really nice seeing my cousin Gavin touch an animal and feel the fur for the first time,” Jase said.
Jase has been a part of 4-H since third grade and likes working with sheep and said he can’t wait to be a mentor and share his love of animals with the kids in the program. He’s even trying to get a classmate with autism to join the program too.
“I want to do it because I think everyone should have a chance to do something fun before they graduate,” Jase said.
His mother, April Mattox, likes the Poss-ABILITIES program because she feels it’s great to introduce 4-H kids to children who are challenged.
“We’re supporting this program because we think it’s a really good idea and we know a lot of families who can take part and get that interaction,” Mattox said.
Emily noted the program was created to allow families and their children with special challenges to have fun and be a part of the summer fair — something they might skip or avoid because of lack of opportunities. Everyone who participates will get a small award, but they’ll also get to have special encounters with people and animals and that’s what families like the Meckel’s want for their daughter and others.
“I’m looking for these kids with special needs to have the same type of opportunities like other kids do — to have some fun and participate in the fair,” Meckel said. “We’ll be working with kids who are working with sheep, goats and rabbits this first year.”
District 3 Ag. board member Mike Elsbury worked with Emily to get the program approved for this year’s 4-H Fair.
“We’re excited about incorporating some young folks who might not have an opportunity to get involved and do the other 4-H kind of things,” Elsbury said. “As soon as Emily brought this to our attention, we thought, this has got to happen.”
Board officials feel the program will grow and while it is not an official 4-H program this year, they’re thrilled the showcase with the kids will have a time slot like some other programs that happen during the 4-H Fair. Elsbury said it is the board’s intent to make the Poss-ABILITIES program an official 4-H program as soon as 2024.
“That’s our goal,” Elsbury said. “I think the only issue right now is the ages don’t match up since she’s going from 4 to 25 years old, so we’re going to have to get some exceptions in the future to make this work because we do want it to be an official program.”
The Meckel family is in the process of inviting families interested to sign up. Anyone wishing to get a participant involved, Emily can be reached at 317-691-5321 or via email at [email protected]. They’ll hold an orientation meeting at 6 p.m. Friday, April 7 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds in the Sarah Burke Building.
