Rockwall FFA 4-H Youth Fair March 26-29

Celebrating Time Treasured Opportunities for Youth

ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (March 19, 2014) March 26-29 marks the 61st Annual Rockwall Youth Fair at the Rockwall ISD Agriculture Complex located on Riding Club Road.  The purpose of the Rockwall Youth Fair is to promote the education, constructive talents and leadership skills of the youth of the community by conducting clinics, training demonstrations, shows and auction sales for youth and to cooperate with the Rockwall County Extension Service, Rockwall 4-H Clubs, Rockwall FFA Chapters, and other youth organizations of Rockwall Public Schools.

“The Rockwall Youth Fair is the finale for Rockwall County 4-H and FFA students to show their animal husbandry and AG mechanics projects. These projects provide our exhibitors the opportunity to exhibit their strong work ethic, while gaining leadership qualities through responsibility, time management, and economic accountability,” said Robert Adams, Rockwall Youth Fair Board President.

Rockwall Youth Fair will host its 7th annual Heritage Land Bank School Day on Friday, March 28.  Rockwall ISD 3rd graders will engage in interactive learning sessions ranging from Learning about farm animals – “Where in the World Did the Animals Come From” to Fun & Easy Gardening – “If I Plant that Will it Grow?” The event is sponsored by Heritage Land Bank with collaborations from Texas Cooperative Extension and Texas Farm Bureau.  Rockwall 4-H and FFA students will lead tours of the animal project barn and discuss their experiences in raising livestock projects (swine, steers, rabbits, goats, sheep).

Highlight of the Rockwall Youth Fair is the Livestock Show and Market Sale. Young people from across the county in 4-H and FFA will demonstrate their skills and disciplines in breeding and market animals.  Livestock Show consists of the following:  Market Rabbits, Market Hogs, Market Goats, Market Lambs, Market Steers, Breeding Rabbits, Breeding Market Goats, Breeding Beef, and Market Broilers.  Many hours go into the care of each animal. Prior to the show final preparations are made to help the livestock look their best. Youngsters with the assistance of their parents, leaders, county agents, and agriculture teachers learn to wash, dry, and clip and show their animals.

Market Sale is held immediately after the livestock show.  An opportunity for the local community to support Rockwall youth involved in agriculture projects, market animals will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.  Last year over $70,000 was given back to Rockwall youth as a result of the market auction.  Premiums are utilized by participants to save for college and/or to continue next year with another project. The benefit for the buyers is the assurance of a quality meat for the dining table and rewarding a young person for a job well done.

Rockwall High School junior Will Morris, a nine year participant in the Rockwall Youth Fair said, “FFA and 4-H exposes you to life lessons and values only taught in a barn raising animals or a shop welding.  We learn how to raise animals so they can reach their full potential.  In no other program can you learn how to turn a baby pig or a pile of scrap metal into something worth bragging about.  Textbooks can’t teach the lessons learned through our FFA and 4-H experiences.”

Divisions of the Youth Fair include:

Agriculture Mechanics Show – March 26 – 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m.

Clothing and Textiles – March 28 – 12:00 noon – 7:00 p.m.

Livestock Show – Friday, 28, 5:00 p.m. Breeding Beef, Goats, Rabbits, Market Lambs, Heifers, Chickens, and Market Rabbits.

Saturday, March 29,  8:00 a.m. – Market Hogs, Goats, Steer.

BBQ Luncheon – March 29, 12 o’clock noon

Market Auction – March 29, 1:00 p.m.

Submitted by Michelle Kizer Morris.

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  4-H, livestock show, market sale, Rockwall County, Rockwall ISD, Youth Fair