Katie Jones
Contributor
We’ve reached that time of year in Florida when livestock shows are happening almost every week. Most of the youth participants won’t choose livestock production as a career. So, why do we encourage kids to participate in livestock projects?
Livestock projects teach youth lots of skills that carry over into other areas of their lives. Caring for livestock requires the owner to decide what type and amount of feed to provide to help the animal grow. It teaches them to keep records of income and expenses and to calculate the return on their investment in their animals. They learn to set goals for their animal’s growth, as well as training their animal. Taking care of an animal’s health means preventing disease and knowing what diseases can be transmitted to humans. Since many of the projects are larger than their owners, learning personal safety is a must!
Animals can’t tell their owners what they need, so youth learn how to communicate with a non-verbal partner. The animal and the youth become a team and it’s evident in the show ring who put in the time training. Just like humans, animals sometimes can have a bad day. Learning to overcome rough days in the barn or show ring teaches youth tenacity, humility, resiliency and empathy for others.
Selling their projects at the end teaches youth the monetary and emotional value of the product they produced. Finding a buyer for their project teaches them marketing skills and salesmanship. They understand where the meat in the grocery store comes from and the effort involved in getting it to the consumer’s table.
Livestock show kids also tend to get involved in judging contests, where they learn to select the best animals based on industry standards and defending their reasons teaches them public speaking skills. They form friendships with others who have similar interests and build network connections that will serve them well into their professional lives.
There are two youth livestock show opportunities in the next month. The North Florida Livestock Show and Sale will be held from Monday, Feb. 21, through Thursday, Feb. 24, in Madison, Fla. The Suwannee Valley Youth Livestock Show and Sale will be held from Monday, March 21, through Thursday, March 24, in Live Oak. For more information about livestock projects for youth, contact your local UF/IFAS extension office. UF/IFAS is an Equal Opportunity Institution. If you’ve never been to a local livestock show, consider checking one out. You’ll see hard-working youth with their projects and caring adults investing in the future of our community.