For Benton County twins Cameron and Jessica McLennan, this year’s Benton County Fair and Rodeo marks the end of an era. The recent high school graduates are showing 300-pound pigs in their final year of 4-H, closing out nearly a decade in a program that shaped how they lead, work and relate to others.
The twins joined 4-H in third grade, following their older brother into the program. Eight years later, they’re reflecting on how much that commitment has grown along the way.
“4-H definitely evolves through people,” Cameron said.
Kids typically start out learning the basics of whatever interests them, then gradually take on more responsibility as they get older, eventually becoming mentors themselves.
“You start out as a kid and you look up to all these older people that are in your club,” Jessica said. “You gradually build up your leadership and involvement, and then you become those other people that the little kids are looking up to.”
A decade of swine
This year marks the McLennan family’s 10th year showing swine at the fair. The twins have also exhibited horses and dogs over the years, but swine has remained their favorite project.
After the competition, the animals are typically sold at auction, often for a higher price per pound. That combination — responsibility, animal husbandry and showmanship, plus a payout — makes the project both an educational experience and a financial investment.
“Raising a pig requires a lot of preparation,” Cameron said.
That preparation starts with free-feeding, with the twins focusing on a high-quality show feed that balances protein, fat and the vitamins and minerals their pigs need to build muscle. Because pigs can’t exceed 300 pounds at the competition, the twins manage calories by supplementing that feed with oats — which have little nutritional value but help slow weight gain — rather than cutting back the pigs’ portions and leaving them hungry.
Teaching a pig to walk sounds simple, but it isn’t, Jessica said.
“Just teaching a pig how to walk is so simple for us, but for newer participants, it takes quite a lot of parts,” she said. “So that was probably one of the biggest learning curves we had, not only this year but in the past as well.”
Building confidence
Beyond livestock, the twins say 4-H’s emphasis on leadership and communication has left a lasting mark. For Jessica, that meant years of public speaking contests that built skills she didn’t expect to need again so soon.
“I went through near a decade of doing the public speech contest, and there’s no way I would have built up my public speaking skills if I hadn’t been forced to do that,” she said.
That practice paid off when she tried out for Benton County Fair and Rodeo Queen.
“I had to give a speech in front of the whole fair, and I would not have had that ability if it hadn’t been for 4-H,” Jessica said.
Jessica is the reigning rodeo queen, a title she said fulfilled a lifelong dream. A year ago, she was preparing for tryouts; now she’s finishing out her reign.
“It’s been an amazing experience. Everyone has been incredible,” she said. “It’s been such an exciting year for me, especially being able to represent where I grew up.”
For Cameron, the biggest takeaway has been humility.
“The biggest skill I’ve learned is humility and leadership,” he said. “It’s learning the art of treating people the way they need to be treated and understanding what they’re good at. Leadership has been a big part of my 4-H career.”
What’s next
Cameron will attend Oregon State University this fall to study communications, while Jessica will study nutrition with hopes of becoming a certified dietitian. Neither said 4-H, which is a program of the Oregon State University Extension Service, pushed them toward agriculture specifically — but it did prepare them for whatever they choose to pursue.
“It taught me all of the lessons that are going to give me a step forward, in anything that I want to pursue,” Jessica said.
For first-time fairgoers, the twins said showing livestock involves far more work than most people realize.
Fairgoers see the finished product in the show ring, Cameron said, but not the months of preparation, training and daily care behind it.
“It’s so much deeper than what it looks,” Cameron said. “Somebody has put a lot of hours, a lot of blood, sweat and tears into their animal. It’s not just getting an animal and bringing it to the fair. You spend most of your year with them.”
Their advice to new 4-H members: focus on people as much as animals.
“The biggest thing I would say is, more than knowing your animal, know who you’re working with,” Cameron said. “Get to know your club and your fellow 4-H members.”
“It’s a network of people, and everyone is here to help you,” Jessica said. “Ask any question you have, and don’t be afraid to try anything and everything.”
The Benton County Fair and Rodeo continues through Saturday.
Clarification, August 1, 2026 10:49 am: This story was updated Aug. 1 to more accurately describe how the McLennan twins manage their pigs' pre-competition diet. In addition, the story was updated with photos that were received after deadline.
