Now that the Mountain State Fair has come and gone, our 3 main youth livestock projects have wrapped up for the year! The livestock judging team competed at the end of July, the 4H Pullet Project show was in August, and the Dairy Steer project concluded at the beef show at the fair. We are super proud of the youth who participated in each of the projects and wanted to highlight a few special moments from each.
Livestock Judging
The livestock judging team practiced for 5 months in preparation for the state competition at NC State at the end of July. Practices included learning about 4 species of livestock, sheep, goats, pigs, and cows, and learning what qualities are ideal for each in both market and breeding animals. The kids also competed in quiz bowl, skill-a-thon, and learned how to give a set of reasons justifying why they placed the class of animals the way they did. Public speaking, critical thinking, quick reasoning, relationship building, and teamwork are life skills the youth further develop through livestock judging, in addition to gaining livestock knowledge to in turn be more efficient and profitable producers one day.
Abby Baldwin is involved in Barnyard Bandits 4-H Club and competed at her very first state livestock judging competition this year. She was a great teammate to her peers and placed 4th overall in the state junior division. Congratulations Abby!
Dairy Steer Project
We are so proud of our 2022 WNC Dairy Steer Feeder Calf Program participants! These young people have learned what it takes to raise and take care of a livestock project...most for the very first time. This year we had 27 participants who raised their calf from only a few days old in March until the Mountain State Fair. They participated in the beef shows at the Mountain State Fair where they exhibited their calves which were sold at auction on the following Monday.
Throughout this project, the participants have had to bottle feed their calves in the mornings and evenings, practice good nutrition management skills, monitor their calf's health, provide clean and safe housing, participate in project work days and clinics, attend monthly Zoom updates, and learn from their advisors what it takes to raise a successful livestock project.
They have learned lessons of time management, finance, responsibility, follow-through, sportsmanship, animal husbandry, ethics, and loss in unfortunate situations. Although the project is over, we are looking forward to reading more about the lessons they learned through this experience when they submit their project record books in a few months.
This is the 9th year of the WNC Dairy Steer Feeder Calf Program with a total of 227 youth participants who are also members of 4-H and FFA programs. This program would not exist without the support of the WNC Beef Commission, Purina and Performance Livestock Feeds, and our local county Farm Bureau boards.
