Merced County Spring Fair is right around the corner, May 3-7 which not only means delicious foods, but also rides and lots of animals!  But fair started for many FFA students months ago from planning and building a project to selecting and caring for an animal.

FFA is an extreme asset to the fair. This is where the participants in FFA from LBHS to  a variety of other high schools get to showcase their handmade projects or their animal and how well they work with it. It’s also where they part ways from their animals and sell it.

Each FFA member showing in fair has an animal. They are able to choose what they want to show. Animals shown at the fair are lambs, swine, rabbits, dairy, etc. Each animal requires different preparations in order to be at their best for fair.

Alyssa Hernandez (11)  is showing swine and chose this animal because she’s done it for three years, and they interest her more than any other show animals. Ryann Vierra  (10) shows a lamb because her cousin introduced this species to her when she was three and she’s been showing it ever since.

Each animal requires more or less time to set up. For Hernandez, she has to constantly be working with her pig, get show equipment ready, and organize everything before the week starts. Vierra makes sure her shelter is adequate and makes sure she has the proper feed and supplies.

Various materials are needed for the shower and an animal at fair. For a lamb some of those materials could range from feed, halter, water bucket, clippers, and socks (a cover for the lamb). For a pig some things needed include feed, utensils to wash your pig, and a feed bucket. Most importantly, each FFA adviser would say what is need for the student is full dress FFA uniform.

In FFA there are two categories known as showmanship and market. “Showmanship is individual showing, market is the animal itself. I prefer showmanship because I might not have the best lamb, but if I work to my best potential I can place higher,” says Ryann Vierra. Alyssa Hernandez says, “Showmanship is more about how you control your animal and market is more about the animal. I prefer market because it’s less stress and not as intense.”

Fair can be very stressful not just for members that have been there multiple years, but for incoming members as well. Some advice given from Hernandez for new members is, “Work with your animal as soon as you get it, practice walking it at the show ring they have, and always be alert.” Vierra’s advice is, “Have fun and don’t let go of your animal.” Good Luck to all the FFA members showing in the 2017 Merced County Spring Fair.

FFA is not only about animals, but about other projects too from wood, metal, to flowers and record books.  There will be plenty to see showcasing our LBHS students.  Be sure to take a trip to the fair and check out the hard work and the effort these students put into their fair projects.

Good Luck to all the FFA members showing in the 2017 Merced County Spring Fair.