By By JAN GRIFFEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Parting is such sweet sorrow.
It was for Shakespeare, and it is for Daniel Kosak, 12, of Buchanan, and his friend and fellow fair participant, Charles Peasley, 11, of Niles.
The pair are spending the week tending and showing their animals at the Berrien County Youth Fair, the culmination of many months of hard work, both agreed.
At the end of the week, the animals they have spend months nurturing will be auctioned off, their futures uncertain at best.
Why good news?
This year, Kosak showed a pig, turkey, two chickens and a goat, named Mountie. However, his first love is horse. Perhaps his auction proceeds will allow him to buy one, he said.
Peasley, too, sees the good and bad in auctioning off his animals.
Peasley showed a rabbit, pig, goat and two chickens. His pig took second place in its competition.
Kosak is the son of Katie and Lowell Kosak of Buchanan. He's a seventh grader at the Buchanan Middle School. His brother, Noah, 9, is showing animals at this year's fair, too.
Peasley is the son of Heidi and Ted Peasley of Niles. He's home schooled.
Neither Peasley nor Kosak live on a farm. The animals they raise are boarded at the home of a friend who does.
Both said their favorite parts of fair week are showing the animals, showing them off to fair goers and feeding them.
The Berrien County Youth Fair continues through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Berrien Spring.