In Sedgwick County, Colorado, a local partnership is helping young people build real‑world skills through agriculture. The Catch‑It program, led by Sedgwick County 4‑H and the Colorado State University Extension’s Golden Plains Area, is giving youth hands‑on experience raising livestock. Along the way, they learn responsibility, patience and confidence.

This year, Black Hills Energy contributed $2,500 to sponsor a steer in Julesburg through the Sedgwick County Catch‑It program. The steer was assigned to Natalie Lanckriet, who spent months caring for, feeding, training and showing the animal. A steer is a large, often intimidating animal. While Natalie was still learning how to handle him, she gave him a name that reflected that; “I've named him Bowser, like from Mario Kart, because that's what he reminds me of — the big scary guy that just seems to run over everyone!”

For Natalie, the project was a learning experience from the start. “This first month of owning a steer for my Catch‑It has been a big learning experience for me,” she wrote. She shared how overwhelming the responsibility felt at first, from feeding routines to halter breaking. With time and consistency, those early challenges became opportunities to grow.

“Even on days when I’m busy or tired, I still have to make time for him,” she wrote. She credited support from her family, her FFA teacher and the Catch‑It program for helping her work through setbacks, including a difficult first show that tested her confidence.

By her second month, Natalie reported that Bowser weighed more than 1,200 pounds and was eating over 30 pounds of hay and grain each day. “The biggest thing I’ve noticed this month is that he is learning to trust me,” she wrote. “Building that trust has taken time, but it’s really rewarding to see the progress.”

The Catch‑It program is designed to provide this kind of hands‑on learning. Modeled after traditional Colorado 4‑H livestock projects, it connects youth, animals and community sponsors. The program culminates in fair participation and public exhibitions while reinforcing skills that extend well beyond the show ring.

We see this work as an investment in people and in the communities we serve. “We’re proud to support the Catch‑It program, Natalie and the Sedgwick County community,” said Jason Auslander, a Black Hills Energy public affairs program manager in Colorado. “Agriculture is a foundation of northeastern Colorado. Programs like this help young people build skills, confidence, and responsibility that will stay with them throughout their lives.”

Natalie feels that support every day. “I am so thankful for the chance to raise and work with him,” she wrote. “I’m especially thankful for your sponsorship that makes this project possible.”

Through partnerships like this, we’re supporting opportunities for rural youth to learn, grow and move forward with confidence, today and in the years ahead.