MILWAUKEE — The Ag barn is busy every day during the Wisconsin State Fair, including the long-awaited junior dairy competitions. One junior exhibitor finally got her chance on the big stage.

Marissa Spoke of Dodge County is the youngest exhibitor in the Junior Dairy Heifer Breed Show. Spoke is twelve years old now, but has been showing dairy at county fairs since she was five. 

”My favorite part of showing dairy Is getting to know the animals and taking care of them,” she said. 

She's following in the footsteps of her parents, who also grew up showing dairy. 

“It’s kind of a big deal for a farm kid,” said her father, Jeff Spoke. “This is like our super bowl.” 

Getting her calf ready to show took some prep work, like spraying her calf’s coat to make it shiny. 

“You get in tune with the calf, the more you work with it,” said Spoke. 

Her advice for those considering showing on a big stage is to try it. 

“It’s something that once you get into you really do enjoy and you bond with your animals,” she said.

She says she sees dairy shows in her future and was excited to have the opportunity to show at the Wisconsin State Fair.