GORDON, Neb. -- You might think paying hundreds of dollars for a cake and cookies is reserved for a fancy patisserie in Paris, but this week 4-Hers in Sheridan County got paid big bucks for their baked goods.

“Last year my cookie jar and cookies went for $1700,” Colton Archibald said.

Nineteen-year-old Archibald has been competing in the Cake and Cookie Jar Auction at the Sheridan County Fair in Gordon for ten years. This year he won Grand Champion with his Jack in the Box cookie jar, which also showcases morning, noon and nighttime on the farm.

“My favorite part is to compete against other people with cool and unique designs,” Archibald said.

Thirteen-year-old Grace Freeseman baked up two dozen cookies, along with the idea for a patriotic cookie jar.

“Baking is really fun because sometimes you make mistakes, and then you have to go back and fix them. I had to make six different kinds of cookies to find the perfect one,” Freeseman.

But these 4-Hers aren’t just learning how to bake.

“It really helps with problem solving,” Archibald said.

The frosting on top is the life skills they’re learning. Archibald plans to study electrical engineering in the fall, and some of these skills just might be sweet in his studies.

“Ingenuity--you have to think of a way to build your design,” Archibald said.

Creativity and cash--this year Archibald’s invention went for not a couple hundred, but almost a couple thousand.

From dances to livestock shows and auctions, there are many more events coming up this week as part of the Sheridan County Fair. You can check out a full schedule of events here.