- Shafter members of the Future Farmers of America began to set up for a week where they get to showcase the hard work they've put into their livestock projects, but face the heartbreaking prospect of seeing them go at auction for the highest bidder.
- Three Shafter FFA Members who raise pigs spoke to 23ABC about the conundrum they find themselves in when it comes time to show their animals at the Kern County Fair. On one hand, they're proud to be recognized for the long hours they put in to tend to and love the animal. On the other, they are forced to face the harsh reality that is working with livestock and knowing they are bred and maintained to feed the communities that surround them.
- The video above shows the harsh duality of this time of year for FFA Members Megan Thompson, McKayla Weller, and Britney Hill who all graciously shared their stories with 23ABC.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For many of the Kern County Fair presents an opportunity to enjoy the rides, the games, the fair food, but for Shafter FFA members, this time of year is what they've been working for, for the last several months.
"We're going to be difficult. Come on. I know you're okay," said Megan Thompson to her livestock project as she was trying to move them from their pen. "I'm going to miss her. It's gotten so much into my routine of taking care of her, waking up in the morning, feeding her, going to school after school, feeding her, and then it's just going to be different. Not having to do that for like another six months until I get my next FFA animal.''
FFA members across the country look forward to and dread weeks like this, where they get to showcase their hard work, but in the same breath, send that hard work up for auction.
Though for Megan Thompson, it’s part of the life and this year she knows she played her part well.
"I just think that she's had a fun life, had an excellent chance of life, living with all her friends and it's feeding the world. It can potentially feed the homeless.”
Just like you at home raising a dog or a cat, these members develop relationships with their animals, but training them ahead of the showmanship portion of the event can be difficult at times.
"As a dog would listen to you. and it's like, oh, like, let me come up to you and like stuff like they're not so much like that," said McKayla Weller. "As you teach them, like if you give them treats and stuff, they'll learn, but they definitely are huge with the like — if I don't want to do that, I'm not going to."
For many Shafter FFA members, this isn’t their first rodeo raising livestock like pigs, sheep or goats, but for all three FFA members that I spoke to working with pigs is far and away their favorite.
"This is actually my favorite part of the year. I always get excited. It's one of my favorite places to go. I've done pigs all four years and I would never go back on it. I would never do a lamb, a cow. I wouldn't do anything. a pig would be my number one choice always," said Britney Hall.
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