Oliver Hill, a student at Whiteford Elementary School, made the decision after learning he would not be able to show his steer in person at the Monroe County Fair.
OTTAWA LAKE — The importance of remaining responsive, caring and understanding to those in the community has never wavered during the course of the coronavirus pandemic. And that goes for people of all ages — even for youngsters.
Oliver Hill, 9, was yet another shining example of the good in the world today.
Oliver donated his prized 4-H steer named Batman to be used locally as meat for needy families. And while the Whiteford Agricultural Schools third grader’s thoughtful donation took place earlier this spring, his considerate gesture still rings through months later as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
This summer in particular saw a major adjustment for the annual county fairs in both Lenawee and Monroe counties. The pandemic caused both fairs to head to the virtual world. It was a change of pace unlike anything the communities have ever seen before. Organizers of the county fairs needed to be creative in order to offer something worthwhile for the community.
While plenty of local youth participated in the virtual fairs, there were those who chose to sit out this year, in hopes of returning to the fairgrounds next year in person.
This year would have been Oliver’s first year participating in 4-H at the Monroe County Fair. He had previously shown Batman at the North American Livestock Show in North Carolina as well as in Louisville, Kentucky, and Lansing.
When it seemed bleak this spring that he would actually be able to show Batman in person at the county fair, Oliver began thinking of ways in which he could make a difference in the community with Batman by his side.
His brainstorming lead him to the decision of donating Batman to the community so that he could be processed into ground beef. It was one of the most selfless acts of kindness and generosity that Josh Kastel, a co-owner of Kastel’s Slaughterhouse and Processing Center in Riga, said he has ever seen.
Kastel’s Slaughterhouse was in charge of the meat-grinding process, even allowing Oliver to take part in the process, as he learned how to grind the burger and how to wrap it, too.
“(Oliver) came up with this idea of donating Batman all on his own,” Kastel, who is also Hill’s godfather, said. “He contacted me one day and asked if I would do the processing of the meat. There was no way possible that I was going to turn him down.”
For Oliver, his decision was made much easier when he saw how several of his classmates at school were struggling, not academically necessarily, but struggling with issues outside of school, whether that be family relationships, a broken home life, or not having enough food for each day of the week.
The impact that the pandemic was making on families did not help some of the already shattered home lives.
Batman was a plenty good-sized steer, too. He weighed well over 400 pounds. Oliver and Batman formed quite the bond over the years. Hill raised him since he was a little calf.
In all, the meat processed from Batman served well over 1,000 meals to community families in need, Kastel said.
Oliver also spends many of his weekends helping out at the slaughterhouse with Kastel. On Saturdays specifically, Oliver assists with butchering the chickens.
“He is quite the little helper, that’s for sure,” Kastel said. “(Oliver) talks quite a bit. He always has something to say. But he is very helpful, very eager to learn and be hands-on. He may only be 9 years old, but in many ways he is 9 and going on 20.”
Oliver is the son of Randy and Tessie Hill.
He also raises pigs and he cares for another steer, this one named Robin. Another small calf is in the family barn at home as well. This one’s name is Peter Rabbit. Oliver plans on showing him at the county fair in 2021.
“We raise beef cows on our farm,” Randy said. “And Oliver loves working with the animals. He just likes to keep busy. He’s a good little worker.”
When Oliver brought his donation idea up to his parents, both of them could not say yes fast enough.
“We wholeheartedly agreed that that was a good idea,” Tessie said in a Facebook post on May 6. “Batman is Oliver’s first steer. He was born on our farm. Oliver took him to Louisville in the show at NAILE, He spends countless hours in the barn washing, brushing and practicing showing. You don’t ever forget your first steer.”
Missing his first official year of showing animals at the county fair has been “upsetting” to Oliver, according to his dad, but Randy noted that Oliver is not one to sit around and feel sorry for himself.
“This COVID stuff is so hard for many people to wrap their heads around,” Randy said. “Oliver has been so understanding about everything. It meant the world for him to donate Batman. He knows there are people out there in much more dire places than he is.”
While the ongoing pandemic may have taken a lot away from Oliver and many other kids his age — spring baseball, birthday parties, seeing friends on a regular basis — one thing the pandemic has provided, according to Tessie, is the importance of selflessness.
“It has taught him to give what you can, because we all have something to give and to be proud of,” she added in her Facebook post. “Randy and I couldn’t be more proud.”
In an effort to provide those youth something of an in-person replacement to the cancellation of the county fairs and all 4-H programs, Randy Hill and many other employees and operators of the Ottawa Lake Co-Op Grain Elevator organized an in-person Monroe/Lenawee County Beef Show on the morning of July 26. It was open to all interested 4-H-aged youth in both counties.
Social-distancing protocols were in place, and individuals in attendance were reminded to be mindful of those around them. Those entering the co-op were required to sign a COVID-19 waiver.
There was no entry fee to enter the show, as it was geared toward the 4-H kids and allowing them the chance to experience the showing of animals. There were no sales conducted at the show, as it was simply a bare-bones showing of “fat steers.”
The Link LonkAugust 25, 2020 at 07:17AM
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Ottawa Lake boy donates steers beef to community - Monroe Evening News
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