Two years after reinventing the Tails ‘N Trails 4-H Club, nearly two dozen kids in the tri-town area and across Plymouth and Bristol Counties are traveling the state with an array of animal friends they raise themselves.

The past few weeks have been crammed full of stops at area fairs, according to Melissa Weigel, a Rochester resident and the group’s co-leader. This summer, members have traveled to fairs in Westport, Rochester, Marshfield, and, most recently this past Saturday and Sunday, the East Middleboro Fair.

“[The fair] went really well, a lot of the kids got to show their animals,” Weigel said. “The fair offers a prize for the kids. That’s not the incentive to get out there and show, but it’s neat they get a little check in the mail for showing their animals.”

While each fair is different, the kids showcased their abilities in handling, feeding, and grooming their animals, and participated in shows and demonstrations. Elsie Woodland, 12, of Rochester, brought her rabbit Rory to the Marshfield Fair to give a demonstration on “rabbit hopping,” which she trained Rory to do herself.

Some members will be traveling to the Topsfield Fair and The Big E in western Massachusetts, but that’s all the big shows the group has planned for the year.

In total, the group has between 15-20 kids throughout Bristol and Plymouth Counties, including Rochester.

“We have a really good group of kids,” Weigel said. “We have members who have been with us the entire time, and we have some awesome new members too.”

The club, like its predecessor of the same name, originally started with horses. Weigel was in the original club growing up before leaving for college. The club fell by the wayside, but Weigel, working with the new club leader Jen Duhon, brought it back midway through 2016 to provide opportunities for kids to get involved like she did.

“I just learned so much through 4-H and got to show my animal around and got to do some competitions with them, and met a lot of people,” Weigel said.

Weigel’s own son, 12-year-old Owen, raises beef cows. New this year, he is now raising belted galloway, which are native to Scotland.

“They look like Oreo cookies,” Owen said. “They’re actually endangered. They’re on a watch list so it’s nice to have a breed that’s almost gone. It’s kind of like we’re saving them.”

In addition to all the responsibilities that come with raising cows, Owen has to hose down the cows every day, due to the climate differences between Rochester and Scotland.

Having been involved in 4-H for a while now, Owen noted the community and life lessons are his favorite parts.

“I like going to the smaller fairs because you just meet more people,” Owen said. “They’re all into animals. I’ve learned to be a lot more responsible, and I’ve also learned that once you start something, you have to finish it.”

The 4-H club costs $50 a year to join, but scholarships are available. It is open to kids between the ages of 8 and 19. For more information, email tailsntrails4h@gmail.com.