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HAMILTON — Some children today are over-scheduled with parents shuttling them between soccer practice, theater rehearsals, SAT prep classes and many other activities.

But with all these commitments, area children still find the time to raise their own goats, sheep and cattle for the Butler County Fair, which kicked off Sunday, July 20.

Fourteen-year-old Samantha Hemmelgarn of Ross Twp. could be the poster child for active kids.

The president of her class at Ross High School, she also plays soccer, competes on the math and science olympiad teams and is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. But none of her activities give her the joy she gets from raising her goats.

"I love them to death," Hemmelgarn said. "They're so sweet."

And profitable, too. Hemmelgarn estimates she's made about $4,000 from her goats — money she plans to use to pay for college.

That passion for animals is common among the fair's 4-H members, many of whom put in 10 to 15 hours a week working with their animals. Butler County is no exception, either.

About 6.5 million kids participate in 4-H nationally, according to the organization's national council, making it more popular than either the Boy or Girl scouts.

Lisa Fetters of Hanover Twp. said the goats and pigs she raises provide a break from the academic and social pressures at Badin High School.

"They're really easy to get along with," said the 16-year-old. "They just make you happy."

Tommy Schroeder graduated from Edgewood High School this spring. While the 19-year-old's peers played Xbox this summer, he was preparing his rabbits, goats and calves for his last trip to the fair before he heads to the Navy.

Schroeder has always wanted to live on a farm and plans to use the money he saves in the Navy to buy land in Preble County. His time in 4-H helped prepare him for his future, he said.

"I've always liked working with animals," Schroeder said. "I've learned so much. It's basically like being a mini-vet."